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Meet the guy who won’t stop cleaning Miami’s mangroves
Posted
November 10, 2025
Views
48,425
Likes
4,465
Comments
120
Engagement
9.47%
November 10, 2025
48,425
4,465
120
9.47%
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1:12Now PlayingAndrew Otazo’s day begins before dawn, when he packs up for hours of trash collecting.
“I never, ever in a million years thought people would pay attention to me because I’m picking up trash,” Otazo said.
It’s a mission now.
Growing up in Miami, Otazo remembers exploring the red mangrove forests as a 13-year-old. Mangroves are a protected species in Florida because of their importance to shoreline stability and also because they provide safe havens for wildlife.
As an adult, he noticed something else about the mangroves.
“I went in looking for peace and serenity, but I came out furious,” Otazo said. “Literally everywhere I stepped, I stepped on trash.”
So he started taking trash bags with him. A couple of bags grew into a couple dozen. Otazo said he has no plans to stop. Read moreSubscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube
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