About Cash Daniels

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Cash started working on river conservation for the Tennessee River when he was 7, after learning it was one of the most polluted with microplastics in the world. Now at age 14, Cash has removed more than 30,000 pounds of trash from the river, helping to improve the drinking water of more than 5 million people.

Cash runs a recycling program, collecting aluminum cans from local businesses and deferring waste from the landfill. This scrap metal is sold and raises funds for more projects. Cash also makes monofilament bins to place along the river at public boat ramps and state parks. He has placed more than 100 bins at state parks in Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan and Florida. From these bins, he has collected more than 2,000 miles of fishing line that otherwise could have affected river habitats in inland states. This fishing line is collected and sent offsite, melted and made into fish habitats.

Cash has not only been an active participant but also a leader of countless community cleanups and plastic pollution education sessions; he is also in active discussions with elected officials about environmental public policy.

He also wrote a children’s book about river conservation to inspire kids to make a difference. He is paving the way for future generations to make a positive impact on the environment. His passion for nature, especially oceans, waterways and sharks, inspires everyone he meets, regardless of age.