“Keep going and remember what inspired you to start this endeavor in the first place. “
Colin West is a traveler who has the passion to protect the sacredness of Earth’s ecosystems. He runs Clean up the Cayes, a nonprofit organization to assist in solving the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans. He organizes environmental-forward trips to destinations that combines cleanup volunteering and adventure activities. Read on to learn more about Colin and his vocation to helping conserve the environment.
STATS



31/ Lake Tahoe, CA/Creating. Snowboarding. Any activity outdoors that inspires me to preserve its beauty.
The art and craft of wine. I achieved my MBA in Wine through a program in Australia which led me to start my wine-focused film production company WINERAM. I enjoy the craft and relationship to the soils and landscape that wine brings to the table for others to share and enjoy communally.
A place near and dear to my heart is Italy. The culture and the food is so rich with love. Belize, I have so much respect towards its unique/wild environments and humble humans. Although I have been to approximately 45 countries, Tahoe still is the closest to my heart.
Zippo metal water bottle, a coffee thermos, my MacBook. My dogs; they aren’t gear, but I love all three of them and always have a way to bring joy no matter what the day brings.
STATS



Age / Location / Passion
31/ Lake Tahoe, CA/Creating. Snowboarding. Any activity outdoors that inspires me to preserve its beauty.
Also Stoked About
Trail running, bouldering, surfing, free diving, sailing and anything that gets me outside.
Favorite Places
A place near and dear to my heart is Italy. The culture and the food is so rich with love. Belize, I have so much respect towards its unique/wild environments and humble humans. Although I have been to approximately 45 countries, Tahoe still is the closest to my heart.
Go To Gear
Zippo metal water bottle, a coffee thermos, my MacBook. My dogs; they aren’t gear, but I love all three of them and always have a way to bring joy no matter what the day brings.
STORY


Growing up in Olympia, Washington, Colin West was raised to be enamored by the natural wonders and the importance of sea life and land species from both the ocean and forests. From his deep curiosity and passion to protect the sacredness of Earth’s ecosystems, Colin expanded his outlook by traveling throughout varying diverse social and environmental cultures and countries. To harmonize between his cultural experiences with his stewardship for the Earth, Colin studied wine in Italy before going on to achieve his MBA in Wine at the Roseworthy-Waite Wine Program of South Australia, eventually leading him to the beautiful landscape of Lake Tahoe and the founding of his wine-focused film production company WINERAM. Although his career is the story telling of wine, his passion and creativity expand into his true calling, to leave a more compassionate footprint to show gratitude towards our Mother Earth.
Q + A

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.
What are some of the starting challenges you’ve faced? What are some of the biggest successes?
Challenges – trying to launch a full on NPO while maintaining and running a fairly large film and television production company. Starting a non-profit and running my own business comes with an array of sacrifices on my personal life. The biggest challenge has been finding balance to maintain a healthy mind and body as to not get discouraged if setbacks occur.
Successes – finding a great board of directors to work with. And of course it has been incredible to see friends and strangers so willing and invested in supporting the not only the local environment of Tahoe but also the remote environment of Belize.
What advice would you give a young professional who is looking to start their own non-profit?
Keep going and remember what inspired you to start this endeavor in the first place. Get ready for a long application process and find someone who has started a 501c3. Find a mentor and meet with them. Take notes on all that is involved, and then start working on it…and meet with them again, and again and again.
Through your perspective, what do you feel is important to BE a better person, and what you do feel one can DO to be a better person?
I don’t think it really comes down to what someone can do to be a better person but what rests in their heart. Yet, in an effort to be more selfless, we can think about what it is we do with our day to day life. Are we leaving this planet and this world a better place than we found it?
Did we give something back so that there is more beauty when we leave, or did we just take from it? I admit I’m guilty of mass consumption of many things. We all are if we’re around today. But there is only one way to drive positive change and that is to start giving back now. So I try to think about what it is we can give back and what problems can be addressed. How can I use my skills, experience, and knowledge to make a real positive change in this world. That’s one reason I started Clean Up the Cayes.
CONNECT
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