What inspired you to start your own non-profit? Why Clean Up The Cayes Why Clean Up The Lake?

So I decided to start CLEAN UP THE CAYES as I had 10 years or so into a company that I started that focuses on film production in the international wine industry.  I wanted to GIVE BACK. I wanted to do GOOD WITH MY LIFE through my skill set. I didn’t know what to do though. Thought about it for a year, exploring film ideas, but nothing had come into fruition.

I had taken a vacation in Belize to unplug and realized how there was so much trash down there outside of town and on the beaches.  As I said my farewells to the country, I continued to ponder a way to organize some return trips in my downtime in the winter in Belize as the natural environment left a lasting impression on my mind. I wanted to explore the country more, while also combining it with ‘doing good’.  Fast forward a full year, I’ve now set up the NPO with the secretary of states in WA and CA, working on NV and also registered with the IRS as a 501c3, done a research trip to find partners in Belize, and documented the problem with a cinematographer for a full week. While my main focus is in Belize, the majority of my year is spent working in Lake Tahoe, so it felt right to be involved in my local community preserving the landscape I play in.  I have organized and completed two clean ups locally in Lake Tahoe and found out that there is a massive pollution problem under the surface of Tahoe along popular shorelines. At the finish of our Tahoe clean up, out volunteers had collected over 600 pounds of trash on a scuba expedition on east shore in one afternoon alone. Therefore that’s why we want to work on the lake here in Tahoe, while congruently in Belize where our in-field research has found that one person can get up to 40 pounds of trash per hour. Most of which is plastic.

Can you tell me about the work your organization does and programs you have used to get started?  What future goals are you striving towards for Clean Up the Cayes?

We are currently in the development phase this winter, trying to launch harder in Spring 2019.  Our plans are to have scheduled clean ups and events with sponsors around Lake Tahoe to help make the beach clean ups more fun while also setting up scuba diving expeditions around Lake Tahoe to find polluted problem areas underwater.

In Summer of 2019 our goal is to run a few trips down to Belize to do voluntoursim trips on site, where volunteers commit to working approximately 40 hours the week performing various clean-up tasks to fight pollution, but can also use their downtime to enjoy activities to we will organize that bring joy and gratitude towards Belize’s natural beauty and culture.

How did you get involved in the local community in Belize?

When I decided it was necessary to take a research trip to get a better concept of the amount of work that will need to be performed to make a lasting difference, I became much further entwined in the local community. This involved multiple meetings with officials and locals alike.

I also volunteered at a shelter to feed the local children and had the opportunity to be acquainted with other NPOs involved in the area. I quickly realized the importance of working together and how the value of open mindedness to others’ ideas and suggestions can provide.  I was amazed at the wealth of knowledge and willingness the locals and NPOs had to offer each other.