CLEARWATER, Fla. — Gia Walton loves to pick up trash, especially along and in our waterways.
"Sea creatures think that trash is food!" Gia warns.
The 10-year-old from Clearwater made cleaning the oceans her life's mission.
Help Gia Save the Ocean originated last year when the fifth-grader at Discovery Academy of Science in Dunedin urged classmates to help her pick up trash around the school during PE.
"Sometimes I can actually be really bossy!" Gia giggles.
This year, she is e-learning from home during the pandemic. But she's still fighting the good fight.
Her environmental efforts recently caught the attention of 4ocean, the environmentally minded lifestyle brand that makes jewelry out of recycled ocean trash.
"It was really really cool!" Gia says about being named their "Wavemaker of the Month."
This Saturday, January 23, from 9 a.m. to noon, Gia is teaming up with Keep Pinellas Beautiful to lead big beach cleanups at Sand Key Park and in Dunedin.
"This is my backyard," Gia says. "Please help me keep it clean."
For more information on Help Gia Save the Ocean, check out the organization's website or message its Executive Manager Nikki Walton via Instagram.
