Clean Critters of the Crystal Coast: Tackling Plastic Pollution Through Education

This blog post was written by Jocelyn Perry, a 2025 Marine Plastics Ambassador.

Clean Critters are modified fish stuffed animals designed to demonstrate the negative impacts of plastic pollution. Each fish features a zipper along its belly that opens to reveal a pouch with common coastal litter items: a plastic bag, water bottle, single-use utensil, and a piece of fishing net.

Clean Critters represent common fishery species found around off the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. Each fish contains plastic litter items commonly found in marine environments.

Our goal is to prevent plastic pollution through youth education and community engagement. By combining stuffed animals with an interactive, hands-on learning experience, we create meaningful impressions on both children and adults. This project aligns with the EarthEcho Marine Plastic Ambassador Program, preventing plastic pollution through education.

Jocelyn shared Clean Critters with the community at the Cape Carteret Fall Festival.

Impact

  • Reached 100+ children and families at the Carteret County Fall Festival
  • Removed 9 lbs of trash, 885 cigarette butts, and installed cigarette butt receptacle at Atlantic Beach, NC during beach cleanup with Surfrider
  • Collected 23 signatures on Plastic Pollution Prevention Pledge
  • Garnered 3000+ views and interactions through social media outreach

Creating Clean Critters and engaging children in my community has been incredibly rewarding. Seeing their reactions and watching them make the connection between marine debris and local fisheries was inspiring and reaffirmed the importance of environmental education.

Developing a durable prototype that could withstand hundreds of curious hands was a challenge, along with finding opportunities to showcase my project. Partnering with the Surfrider Bogue Banks Chapter helped overcome these obstacles and strengthened community ties in the process. Through this project I gained valuable insight into public awareness of plastic pollution and learned how to effectively address these knowledge gaps.

Surfrider Bogue Banks x Clean Critter Beach Cleanup.

‍I believe fostering an early connection to the environment is key to solving the plastic pollution crisis. Clean Critters allowed me to contribute to that mission and make a tangible local impact in North Carolina.

I plan to continue expanding Clean Critters by distributing the fish to educators and community organizations. My goal is to see the fish used in classrooms and youth programs, reaching a broader audience. In 2026, I will continue hosting outreach events, growing our social media, and introducing additional fish species to the collection.

Interested individuals can follow my Instagram and Facebook @clean_critters or contact me perry24323@gmail.com.