Tide Turners: How Girl Up Youth Across the US Took Action for Earth Day 2025 

For Earth Day 2025, the Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup team collaborated with Girl Up USA on an exciting project: the second annual Shoreline Cleanup Day of Action! Through this initiative, we provided 20 young ocean protectors across the United States with small grants to organize cleanups in their local communities. These cleanups took place in locations across California, Nevada, Philadelphia, Texas, Florida, Illinois and more—12 states in total! 

These incredible young leaders took initiative for the environment, removing a total of 239 kilograms (or 528 pounds) of litter that would have otherwise entered our waterways. They covered an impressive 52 kilometres (or 32 miles) of shoreline. The most commonly found item? Plastic pieces (less than 2.5cm) from various sources, followed by bottlecaps and cigarette butts. 

These cleanups made a big impact on local communities and on the youth leaders themselves! 

The Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup program, presented in the US by founding sponsor Tru Earth, provides citizen scientists, school groups, and any water lovers with the simplest way to take action in their communities. 

Is your organization looking to collaborate on community-based Shoreline Cleanup efforts? Reach out to us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you!