We were lucky to catch up with Cash Daniels recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cash , thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I grew up close to the banks of the Tennessee River. I have always loved water, the winding rivers and the vast ocean. I have spent so many days kayaking, paddle boarding, and swimming in the waters close to my home.
Ever since I can remember, I had a fascination with animals and wildlife, but specifically aquatic ecosystems. I have amazing parents who always allowed me to pursue my interests and learn new things. I remember watching nature documentaries with my family constantly.

Making a Difference can be so many things. It can be big or small. Everyone can make a difference and I think that’s what I want people to know, Especially kids and young people. I started getting into conservation when I was 7. I want kids to know you’re never too young, or too small to make a big difference. I started just by researching the issues that meant the most to me. I knew river conservation was happening around me so what could I possibly do?. Sometimes it’s youth that see things in a different way to create change that may commonly be overlooked. I want kids to know that we may be a small part of the population but we are 100% of the future and we can change the world. Take something you care about and make it better.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I host monthly trash clean ups along the Tennessee River in the Chattanooga area involving numerous organizations. Because there are more than five million people dependent on this river for drinking water, these cleanups are vital for the health of this freshwater source. My clean up efforts have removed more than forty-five thousand pounds of trash from these waterways. Working with local businesses, I have collected and recycled over two tons of aluminum. I often speak with business, civic and political leaders regarding the importance of recycling and other conservation efforts. I thoroughly enjoy speaking with school children about the impact each individual can have regardless of age.

I work with the Tennessee State Parks to place fishing line bins along our waterways to reduce and prevent wildlife entanglement as there are more than 300,000 birds entangled in fishing line annually. Improperly discarded fishing gear is the number one killer of sea turtles yearly. To address this, I have placed over 150 fishing line bins in thirty state parks and other boat ramps across Tennessee. This campaign has now spread to Florida, Georgia, and Michigan. This collected fishing line is melted down and made into fish habitats. Now something that could potentially harm our freshwater ecosystems and wildlife, is now giving back to improve it. To date, I have recycled over 6,000 miles of fishing line.

We cannot live and flourish without freshwater. We cannot live without healthy freshwater, PERIOD. Every living being is directly affected but our rivers and oceans. The ocean provides the planet with over 70% of the oxygen we desperately rely on for life as we know it. The ocean is also a huge carbon sink. The rate climate change is going, we can no longer ignore the importance of water on the globe. Less than three percent of all water on Earth is freshwater and two percent of that is locked underground or in ice caps. Freshwater is vital to all life and it can no longer be taken for granted as an unlimited resource. It’s my organization’s goal to spread awareness and educate others.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

A book I still love to this day is Photo Ark, by Joel Sartore as well as Sharks Up Close by Jim Abernethy. These books with absolutely stunning photography made me fall in love with animals around the world. These were animals I may never see with my own eyes but having a small glimpse of wildlife around the globe truly made me want to explore, travel and see the world in a new way, I want to appreciate the wildlife we have been given and I want to protect it. Sharks specifically, as they are generally portrayed in a negative light. Jim Abernethy is an incredible conservationist and shark diver and I have been blessed enough to go SCUBA diving with him to see Tiger sharks in their natural habitat and it was such an incredible experience I will never forget. These animals are so misunderstood and Jim is using his voice and experience to change that and I want to be able to do the same. After diving with Jim and seeing more than 1/2 the sharks we dove with having fishing line and/or hooks trailing from them, I knew I had to address the issue of fishing line waste.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Leading Cleanups is always an interesting and unique experience. I have found so many random things that float around our waterways, sometimes for years! I have found money, laptops, wallets, you name it, I’ve found it. The most creepy thing I have found is an old doll head, with no eyes and a washed away pale color with no hair left on its head. It was so crazy and yes, I kept it! It’s rewarding knowing these things are no longer a threat to polluting our waters.

I’ve also been able to meet some incredible people on this journey. I met Jason Mamoa when I was on the Kelly Clarkson Show. I met Rob Gronkowski when filming with Nickelodeon for Time Magazine. Meeting Forest Galante was also a highlight as he is one of my favorite wildlife conservationists. His work with highly endangered species is incredible. I met Jeff Corwin, Jack Hanna, and Sylvia Earl. SO many amazing people who have inspired me and to get the ability to meet them and share my story is the best!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theconservatinokid.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconservationkid
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theconservationkid