Winding through Harrison Bay State Park on its way through Chattanooga, the Tennessee River is surrounded by natural beauty. Vibrant green, rolling hills overlooked by abundant hiking trails and waterfalls on Signal Mountain and Missionary Ridge make this a nature-lover's paradise, but for one nature-lover in particular, the state of the river sticks out like a sore thumb. 

“I’ve always loved animals and spending time outside,” explained Cash Daniels, a fifteen-year-old Trailman hailing from Chattanooga. “When I was 7, we took a trip to the beach where I discovered some plastic debris that had been washed out to sea down a river. This debris not only taints natural beauty, but it can seriously harm so many of the creatures that call these environments home. This encounter left an impression on me, and it got me thinking about the importance of conservation.” 

Sadly, the Tennessee River is one of the most polluted rivers in the entire United States, and it’s part of a much bigger problem. Approximately 70% of the plastic pollutants in the ocean come from rivers. But Cash and his fellow Trailmen aren’t just sitting by and waiting for something to happen. In a recent interview with Teen Vogue, Cash said “Why would I wait for ‘someone’ to address the issues I see, when I am indeed someone?”

With such a prevalent issue at hand, Cash and his friends have their work cut out for them. Bottles, plastic bags, discarded cans—each one a reminder that God's creation is being neglected. 

For eight years, Cash has been grabbing the bull by the horns and rallying others to make a difference by arranging regular trash cleanups along the Tennessee River. What started as a simple realization—seeing trash wash up on the beach and learning how rivers funnel pollution into the ocean—quickly became a calling. Since then, he and his Trail Life Troop have pulled over 45,000 pounds of litter from Tennessee’s waterways. 

These young men aren’t in it for awards. Yet, the impact of their work hasn’t gone unnoticed. This year, Cash and his Troop received their second Nobody Trashes Tennessee award from the Tennessee Department of Transportation—an honor recognizing their dedication to keeping rivers clean and stewarding their community well.

Yet for Trailmen like Cash, this is more than just a cleanup effort—it’s about taking responsibility for the world God entrusted to us.

Stewardship: A Calling for Every Trailman

From the very beginning, God called man to be a caretaker of His creation. Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Conservation isn’t just a good thing to do—it’s part of our God-given mission.

Trail Life teaches boys to be servant-leaders—men who step up, take action, and make a difference. That’s exactly what Cash and his Troop are doing. Every month, they gather 10-15 guys, hit the river, and get to work. “In just one day, we collected over 1,000 pounds of trash!” Cash recalled. Afterward, they celebrate with food and fellowship, knowing they’ve left their stretch of the world better than they found it.

Dreaming Bigger, Serving Boldly

For Cash, this mission isn’t slowing down anytime soon. He hopes to turn his passion into a career—pursuing photography and filmmaking to inspire others to protect God’s creation. His advice to fellow Trailmen?

“No matter how young you are, you can make a difference. People might doubt you—but prove them wrong. We may be a small percentage of the population, but we are 100% of the future.”

Imagine if every Trailman took that challenge to heart. What kind of impact could we make? 

Cash’s story is a reminder that one Trailman can make a difference. There are many ways we can live out Paul’s exhortation and our motto to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” Just as God’s creation is full of diverse and wonderful creatures, so has God equipped His people with many different talents and callings. Here’s to stepping forward with faith and courage to Walk Worthy and make a difference!