Impacts Beyond the Beach: Trashbusters and Their Shared Mission

Trashbusters before a day of keeping our beaches clean. Left to right: Robert Walker, Flo Walker, Robin Romero, Patti Stoldorf, Judy Stedronsky, and Otto Stedronsky.

NPS Photo

At Padre Island National Seashore, a group of devoted friends commonly known amongst park staff as Trashbusters, volunteer on a weekly basis to pick up trash and unwanted marine debris along park shores. Trashbusters consists of Judy Stedronsky, Otto Stedronsky, Patti Stoldorf, Flo Walker, Robert Walker, Robin Romero, and facilities maintenance park staff volunteer supervisor, Abraham Zamora. Together, Trashbusters have made tremendous contributions to ensuring beaches and surrounding areas of the park remain a place for all to enjoy, encompassing the true meaning behind volunteering.

Volunteers-In-Parks

Since 1970, thousands of people have dedicated their time and efforts to make a difference in our national parks throughout the country. To recognize the contributions volunteers have made to our public lands, April was designated as National Volunteer month in 1991. Now celebrated annually, National Volunteer Month is an integral part of expressing our appreciation and gratitude for the service volunteers provide while also acknowledging the remarkable impacts volunteering has had on our national parks and beyond.

An abundance of opportunities can be found at Padre Island National Seashore for volunteers to immerse themselves and connect with the park. Covering sixty-six miles of undeveloped coastline, volunteers play a critical role helping biologists protect park resources, hosting campgrounds, assisting visitors at the visitor center, and maintaining park facilities with approximately 300 people contributing over 12,000 hours each year.

Trash picked up by Trashbusters after a beach clean-up.

NPS Photo/ Judy Stedronsky

Rising anthropogenic impacts over past decades have caused an increase in marine debris washing into shores, having considerable effects on beaches along the southern Texas coast including Padre Island National Seashore. The Trashbusters have been addressing this growing problem since 2015, and their efforts have not gone unnoticed. The commitment of Trashbusters directly supports the National Park Service mission to preserve natural and cultural resources for future generations. Without the invaluable work of the group, both wildlife and visitor enjoyment would be affected, and park beaches would not be the same as they are today.

Otto Stedronsky picking up trash in the sand dunes.

NPS Photo/ Whitney Gouin

The People Behind the Project

Judy Stedronsky, the volunteer lead of the Trashbusters team, discovered her love for volunteering in 2005, starting with the Resources Management Division at Padre Island National Seashore. There, she conducted bird surveys of the endangered Piping Plover and created a bird book for park visitors to learn from and enjoy. She later transitioned to volunteering in the park visitor center, where she organized beach walks and interpretive deck talks.

“I love to learn about the sea, the animals and plants, and to share these tidbits with the visitors. Our aim has been not only to make the beach cleaner, but to make the visitors experience better”, says Judy.

After leading several beach walks, Judy realized beach clean-ups were an area of volunteering that had been neglected, sparking her true passion for volunteerism. Otto Stedronsky joined his wife Judy after dedicating three years to the Sea Turtle Science and Recovery team where he worked to locate Kemps Ridley sea turtle nests. Together, the two began spreading the word about their volunteer efforts at the

national seashore, encouraging neighbors Flo and Bob Walker, Robin Romero, and Patti Stoldorf to join them, ultimately establishing the Trashbusters team.

Robin Romero and Patti Stoldorf picking up trash in the sand dunes.

NPS Photo/ Whitney Gouin

Inspiring Change at the National Seashore

In 2024 alone, the group removed 3,725 bags of trash making a total of 37,305 bags removed from the park beaches since they began their mission. Collecting trash on the beach is not always an easy task, often requiring a four-wheel drive vehicle to navigate changing beach conditions, high tides, strong winds, and extreme summer temperatures. Despite challenging environmental circumstances, the Trashbusters continue their efforts with a positive mindset and a commitment to their cause.

Judy shares, “We look forward to each morning we are out there doing our thing. It's instant gratification to see before and after our beach clean-up efforts”.

The achievements of the Trashbusters showcase their creativity and originality, especially in their interactions with park visitors. The groups dedication to keeping the park beaches clean goes beyond simply picking up trash; they seize any opportunities to educate others about the sources of marine debris and ways to reduce its impact, elevating their efforts into a larger mission of environmental awareness and community engagement.

“We still love cleaning the beaches at the Park. It feels great to be outside, see the wildlife, watch the Gulf and feel the sand. It is very gratifying to look back at a stretch of beach we have just cleaned and see how beautiful it really is! We hope the visitors at the park can also enjoy the beach more where we have cleaned."

—Flo Walker

Judy Stedronsky cleaning near a beach entrance.

NPS Photo/ Whitney Gouin

Thank you, Trashbusters!

Without volunteers like the Trashbusters, Padre Island National Seashore would not be the same. We are immensely grateful to all volunteers who dedicate their time to making the park a better place. Thank you to the Trashbusters and all volunteers for your dedication and hard work!

Keep a look out on volunteer.gov and Padre Island National Seashore NPS website for future opportunities to volunteer and get involved.