This blog post was written by Jenna Emons, a 2025 Marine Plastics Ambassador.

Spending a week in Washington, D.C. with EarthEcho was nothing short of a transformative and empowering experience. From developing my professional communication skills to working in the field, I got hands-on experience in the field of conservation. I gained not only practical tools for advocacy but also the confidence to use them. I wanted to share the most powerful lessons I took away from D.C. and share my gratitude for this amazing experience.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to Congress!

Know that your elected officials work for us, the people! Reach out to them by email, phone, write a letter, or even meet with your congressional offices. They are people just like you and I and are interested in hearing what is important to their constituents. At first, I was nervous and intimidated to speak with officials, but after research and practice I felt confident about our conversations. I had a great experience meeting with my congressional staffers and wish everyone knew how easy it is to make an impact to your politicians.

‍

‍Solutions to plastic pollution are multifaceted.

To fully address plastic pollution, we need to focus on prevention, not just cleaning up our mess.

One takeaway from our meeting with Senator Dick Durbin’s office is that we cannot recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis. We need upstream solutions like advancing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to hold producers responsible for the lifetime of their plastic products, addressing inequalities in access to recycling, and protecting public health by reducing microplastics in our environments. Policy = Progress!

Making a change locally is simple and fun!

In D.C. we got hands-on with reducing plastic pollution in simple ways such as a litter clean up, water quality testing, and sharing our projects that support our communities. My favorite way I got involved in D.C. was a little clean up at Anacostia Park, I’ve never participated in a litter clean up and it was surprisingly fun! In under an hour, we cleaned up over 30 pounds of litter.

Getting involved in conservation and sustainability has been accessible and fun. Bring your passion to whatever you do, and making a change in your community will be so fun and rewarding. You can make an impact!

‍Young advocates will change the world!

I met so many inspiring, amazing, and intelligent advocates through EarthEcho. Gaining experience as an advocate and talking to my like-minded peers has made me realize we don’t have to be complicit with how the world works, we can be the change. Starting my own project in my community has shown me my individual impact may only be a ripple, but working together with like-minded people will create a wave of difference. Some hopeful messages I have taken away from my time as a Marine Plastics Ambassador is to get involved and fight for whatever you are passionate about, and always support your peers. To be the change in the world we want to see, we must work together. While it’s easy to feel powerless as a young person, we will be the leaders of tomorrow. Have hope, passion, and we will change the world!