This earth day we thought we would highlight Taylor Cohn, a resident of St. Thomas for her recent activism and action in local trash cleanup efforts through her new organization Clean Up St. Thomas. In February Taylor orchestrated a large cleanup effort in downtown Charlotte Amalie and is in the process of getting 501 (c) 3 status with big plans by the name of CleanUpVI.
Taylor also owns another company by the name of Sea Angel Organics which makes all-natural body care products such as soaps shampoo, conditioner, reef-safe sunscreen, deodorants, etc. all hand-made with zero harmful chemicals and no plastic packaging.
We first heard about Taylor and her efforts on the popular Facebook Group What’s Actually Going on St. Thomas (a group intended to help locals learn about current events and news on the island), and since then she has continued to work towards bringing people together to help keep the island clean.
Q: Describe yourself in 5 words
A: Visionary, ambitious, friendly, nature lover, and honest.
Q: If you could give younger-you a piece of personal and business or life advice, what would it be?
A: Follow your heart and trust your gut. Also, everything happens for a reason.
Q: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
A: Pursuing my dreams. I wake up knowing that all the hard work I am putting into my business and the nonprofit will one day lead to a happy, financially stable life.
Q: What are your top passions:
A: My passion is taking care of our environment, and all the creatures on the planet; humans and animals. I want to create a better sustainable life for all living things.
Q: What got you started?
A: My passion for the ocean and taking care of it is what got me all started. I am a PADI Dive Master and while working on the dive boat, I continued to see trash 60 to 100 feet down and it really bothered me. Where did the trash come from? How did it get there? Why is this here? I began with cleaning up trash from the beaches and then began Clean Up St Thomas to have other like-minded people to join me in these efforts. And started Sea Angel to provide people with products that are not only good for the human skin but also zero-waste.
Q: Where can we go to learn more?
A: seaangelorganics.com, cleanup.vi (coming soon), @seaangelorganics @cleanupstthomas @cleanupVI (coming soon)
Q: Favorite Virgin Islands charity and or general cause (if already mentioned above, it can be a national charity or something else you are very passionate about)?
A: In the process of creating CleanUpVI nonprofit to give back to the community and help educate people on more sustainable living.
Q: Why do you love the VI?
A: I love the Virgin Islands because I feel at home every day. The warm weather, the endless beaches, I can be out in nature every day. You take care of your home and it will take care of you.
Q: What is your favorite beach?
A: My favorite beach is Secret Harbor or Lindbergh Bay because they are both west facing beaches so it’s always calm currents and perfect for free-diving the reefs.
Q: Piece of advice for a vacationer? and a new island resident?
A: Understand and appreciate the local culture and etiquette. Explore the beaches and hikes. Make sure to relax if you are on vacation.
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: I enjoy being out in the water, free-diving, scuba diving or just swimming in the water.
To learn more about CleanUpVI stay tuned here and check out her social media pages for any upcoming events or news!
Happy Earth Day!
