Started beach cleanup group at the age of 10, teen now wins 2026 Barron Prize

At 10, Caymus “CO” Maxson saw beach trash being raked towards the sea and decided to act. Six years later, her youth-led nonprofit Trash Turtles has removed over six tons of debris, cleaned 300+ miles of beaches and recycled 75,000 cigarette butts. Now based in California, Maxson has been named a 2026 Gloria Barron Prize winner.