Podcast Summary: Stay Tranquilo
Episode: Miami’s Mangrove Hero: 37,000 Lbs of Trash and Counting
Guest: Andrew Otaso
Date: November 26, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode features Andrew Otaso, a Miami native who has dedicated the past eight years to cleaning up Miami’s coastal mangrove ecosystems, personally removing over 37,000 pounds of trash. The conversation delves into Andrew's journey—how he went from public policy and academia to environmental activism—and uncovers his motivations, experiences, and the broader impact of his work. The episode also explores the problems facing Miami’s mangroves, the systemic sources of pollution, and the movement building around grassroots cleanup efforts.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Introducing Andrew Otaso and His Story
- Origin & Background:
- Born and raised in Miami to Cuban parents.
- Diverse experiences: Attended West Point, University of Miami (BA/MA), academic stints in Buenos Aires and Brazil, work at the State Department, assistant to former Mexican President Felipe Calderón at Harvard, research/publishing at HBS, public policy advocacy in D.C.
- Returned to Miami to run a PR agency specializing in environmental nonprofit work.
- Author of "The Miami Creation Myth"; winner of International Latino Book Award.
- "I've picked up 37,200 pounds of trash from South Florida's coastal ecosystem. So mostly the mangroves." (04:12, Andrew)
2. Andrew’s Inspiration and Starting the Cleanup Mission
- Fell in love with Miami’s wild mangrove areas as a child—places of “peace” and “solitude.”
- "As I grew up and became an adult… instead of finding that sense of peace, I'd get really upset, because it's not an exaggeration to say that I couldn't take a step anywhere without stepping on a piece of plastic." (06:44, Andrew)
- After no response from officials or the press, decided to act himself:
- Bought a GoPro and tripod, began documenting each cleanup day.
- “…I've been at it ever since. I'm the most stubborn person you've ever met.” (08:17, Andrew)
3. Harnessing Public Attention for Education
- Social media documentation wasn't just about recognition, but a “public relations campaign” for the environment.
- “That's what gets people's attention so that I can then use it as an opportunity to educate them… about what the sources of this trash are and what they can do about it and why they should care.” (05:18, Andrew)
4. Eye-Opening Marathon Advocacy
- In 2019, Andrew built a 35-pound trash bag from mangrove waste and walked the entire Miami Marathon with it—over 26 miles—raising money for Miami Waterkeeper.
- “I built a 35 pound trash bag with my friend and… walked the Miami Marathon with it. All 26.2 miles.” (11:32, Andrew)
- The next year, organized a team with a 135-pound trash cart, raising $30,000. The original bag now resides in the History Miami Museum.
- “That’s the point, right? You do these drastic, dramatic things to get the attention so that then you can educate people.” (13:08, Andrew)
5. The Hidden Mangrove Problem
- Public beach trash is routinely collected for tourism, but mangroves “are very much out of sight, out of mind. Nobody goes in the mangroves… Because it's dangerous and there are mosquitoes.” (10:50, Andrew)
- Trash in mangroves primarily originates from the city:
- “People litter on the side of the road… rain comes… goes directly into the street gutters… right into the bay and right into the mangroves.” (14:13, Andrew)
- Misconception: “People are not dumping millions of water bottles. Like, this is coming directly from the city.” (14:45, Andrew)
6. Strange (and Sometimes Disturbing) Mangrove Finds
- Found everything from virtual reality headsets, microwaves, mattresses, underwear, stoves, tires—“picture anything that human beings make. I have found it.” (18:13, Andrew)
- Wildest find: "The craziest thing I have ever found in the mangroves is a bank robber." (20:16, Andrew)
- Details an elaborate story involving a man building an illegal platform in the mangroves, robbing a bank by canoe, and evading the police until a SWAT team was dispatched. (21:57–24:03)
- Other disturbing discoveries include sites associated with illegal activities and even reports of violent crime nearby.
7. Why Mangroves Matter
- Red mangroves' sweeping roots stabilize coastlines, absorb storm surges, and protect infrastructure.
- “Basically 80% of the reef fish offshore… spend their juvenile stages within the mangrove roots… They also serve as a rookery for local birds…” (25:30–27:46, Andrew)
- The collapse of the mangroves would devastate Miami’s ecology and ecotourism.
8. Microplastics & Environmental Harm
- Plastics break down, creating microplastics ingested by animals at every tier, from crabs and fish to manatees and whales.
- “The largest oceanic predators have the highest concentration of plastics in their bodies… manatees… whales… swallow them and they can't digest plastic, so it stays in their stomachs and they feel full and they literally starve to death.” (27:46–29:46, Andrew)
- Fishing gear pollution is rampant; discarded lines/netting decapitate birds, entangle marine life.
9. Systemic Solutions & The Need for Policy Change
- The trash problem is a “stream”: Manufacturers (upstream) → Consumers/Distributors → Cleaners/Volunteers (downstream).
- “We need to shift the system. We need to change the way that we consume plastic.” (31:45, Andrew)
- Cultural change matters (“Leave no trace” as cultural norm in other areas), but legislation is essential.
- “The state of Florida has a preemption law… any city or county, they pass an ordinance… the state of Florida will come in and go ‘nope,’ and cancel it.” (33:29–34:01, Andrew)
- Advocates for local solutions, trash traps, “smart grates,” and even whimsical answers like “Señor Trash Wheel”—a large-scale conveyor-belt trash collector modeled after Baltimore’s success. (36:25, Andrew)
10. Movement-Building, Community Action, and Hope
- Andrew champions “modeling behavior”: sharing and celebrating others who pick up trash, encouraging it as daily practice.
- “If you tag me on Instagram with you picking up trash, I will share it.” (15:45, Andrew)
- Miami’s volunteer cleanup community has grown immensely in the past decade: groups like Filabag, Clean this Beach Up, Mangrove Sasquatch; events aggregated at VolunteerCleanup.org. (38:48–39:56, Andrew)
- “I’m going to keep doing this until my arms and legs fall off… there’s no point where I’m like, all right, I’m done… until I literally die, I’m going to keep doing this.” (39:55, Andrew)
- Upcoming event: Miami’s Trashiest Run —a 5K + trash-collecting competition, March (in partnership with Debris Free Oceans and local agencies). (44:21, Andrew)
11. Collective Action & Shared Responsibility
- “The little acts that we can all do… multiply as a collective, as a community.” (42:26, Host)
- “This is our home… and whatever you believe is kind of irrelevant at that, because if you don’t have a home, then none of this even matters.” (37:47, Host)
- This is a unifier across political and social divides—“Nobody wants more trash in the ocean.” (37:29, Andrew)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Miami roots & resume:
"I picked up all these skills everywhere, and I kept coming back. Can I curse on this podcast? Of course. Amazing. And I had all these skills, and I came back to Miami, and people were like, cool. That's cool you did that. But can you sell real estate? And I'm like, no. They're like, all right, get the fuck out of here." (03:40, Andrew) -
On the stubbornness required:
"I'm the most stubborn person you've ever met. So I've been at it ever since." (08:17, Andrew) -
On marathon advocacy:
"…I built a 35 pound trash bag…walked the Miami Marathon with it. All 26.2 miles… It took me nine hours and 50 minutes to do it, and it was horrendous. But when I was done, I sat in the bathtub and ate an entire large pizza by myself." (11:32–12:01, Andrew) -
On ecosystem impact:
"Without the mangroves, we literally don't have an ecotourism sector in this city. Wow." (27:46, Andrew) -
On everyone’s role:
"Trust me, it’s so much easier to pick up trash on the sidewalk than it is in the mangroves. Because that trash on the sidewalk will wind up in the mangroves." (14:12, Andrew) -
On dangerous mangrove adventures:
"The craziest thing I have ever found in the mangroves is a bank robber… [story ensues]." (20:16–24:03, Andrew) -
On hope for change:
"I've seen people get more aware of the scale and the scope of this problem, so that's a good thing… I'm going to keep talking to whoever will have me… And, you know, trying to reach a wider audience lately…" (38:41–40:31, Andrew) -
On legacy and community:
"I'm going to keep doing this until my arms and legs fall off… until I literally die, I'm going to keep doing this." (39:55, Andrew) -
On single-use plastic culture:
"There were other systems in place… your milkman used to come by… and you'd leave the ones that you used outside. And that was a system that was reusable… you didn't need to consume all this, all this single use plastic." (32:33, Andrew) -
On the politics of cleanups:
"This is not polarized. Like, it doesn't matter where you are… nobody wants more trash in the ocean." (37:01–37:29, Andrew)
Important Timestamps & Segments
- Andrew’s background / resume: 02:05–04:12
- Introduction to 37,000lb cleanup journey: 04:12–06:01
- Inspiration, origins, and documentation: 06:34–08:28
- Mangrove v. Beach trash, marathon stunts: 10:28–12:23
- Trash sources: city runoff, not just dumping: 14:13–14:58
- Wildest finds: from microwaves to a bank robber: 17:56–24:03
- Importance of mangroves/ecosystem impact: 25:05–29:46
- Microplastics and wildlife harm: 27:46–31:19
- Systemic solutions & legislative hurdles: 31:45–36:52
- Movement-building, group cleanups, call to action: 38:48–44:21
- Upcoming community event: 44:21–44:43
Action Steps & Resources Mentioned
- Volunteer for cleanups:
- Follow & participate:
- Tag Andrew on Instagram when picking up trash for a repost / encouragement.
- Join events:
- Miami’s Trashiest Run (Details to be released in spring; a 5K + competitive trash-collecting event.)
- Connect with local groups:
- Filabag, Clean This Beach Up, Mangrove Sasquatch, Debris Free Oceans (for event collaborations)
- Support regulatory change:
- Understand Florida’s preemption law and advocate for local policymaking power on waste management.
Tone and Takeaways
The conversation is relaxed, candid, and occasionally irreverent—typical of Stay Tranquilo’s vibe—with a strong sense of hope and action. Andrew’s unwavering stubbornness and humor (“There’s no money in trash!”) shine through, counterbalancing the gravity of pollution’s impact with memorable stories and practical ideas for community involvement. Listeners are left inspired to act, with actionable avenues for participation and a clear sense that every effort, big or small, matters to the ecosystem and future of Miami.