June 29, 2025

Hi and welcome to newsletter #55 of OneBeautifulPlanet.org! The newsletter archive starts in June 2023, and you are one of our 286 subscribers. Thank you and enjoy!

Mindset

“I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect this environment.”

― Nelson Mandela

Our Guests from Benin, Ghana, and Zimbabwe

This month, through volunteering with the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Rebecca and I had the privilege of hosting for dinner a group of inspiring and passionate changemakers: three Mandela Fellows from Africa. The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Established in 2014, the Fellowship has brought nearly 7,200 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States for academic and leadership training. The Fellows, between the ages of 25 and 35, are accomplished innovators and leaders in their communities and countries.

Wahaed from Benin, Trish from Zimbabwe, and Alima from Ghana shared their experiences in their home countries and our evening was filled with rich conversation and connection. Alima works to improve access to basic healthcare and health insurance in northern Ghana. Trish supports children with autism and special needs in Zimbabwe. Wahaed, an English trainer and career coach pursuing his PhD, works to empower youth in northern Benin at the University of Parakou.

It was a beautiful reminder that while our volunteer work here at OneBeautifulPlanet focuses on environmental restoration and action, it is the spirit of community care and service that connects us all, whether with neighbors in our own communities, or across oceans, cultures, and continents.

Annapolis Baygrass Festival

What if your favorite music festival also helped save the planet and supported mental health? That’s exactly what the Annapolis Baygrass Festival is doing—serving up bluegrass vibes with a side of compost bins, sober spaces, and serious heart. From eliminating single-use plastics to hosting healing conversations with musicians, Baygrass is showing the world how to party with purpose.

Read the full story here and get inspired to dance, care, and take action:

Partner Highlights

Beach Bucket Foundation

Andy Abbott of Beach Bucket Foundation, the newest partner organization we support, paid us a visit on his way from Buffalo, New York to South Florida. It was great to meet Andy in person: fellow environmental enthusiast and a true entrepreneur!

Andy and his team build and install patented Box O' Buckets® cleanup stations that offer beach lovers a chance to give back to their favorite beach, all while turning the tide on marine pollution. The cleanup stations start conversations about single use plastics and the global marine debris crisis. Thank you Andy and team for all you do!

Chester County Litter Fifters: Pughtown Road Cleanup Success!

Carried out by award-winning lead organizer and friend Beth Intoccia of Litter Lifters of West Vincent and the newly created group Chester County Litter Lifters, this cleanup along Pughtown Road in Chester County Pennsylvania was a great success, covering 3.5 miles across South Coventry, East Vincent, and West Vincent Townships. Nine volunteers collected 22 bags of litter, 2 tires, and even a dumped ottoman near French Creek.

It was a well-organized, rewarding effort — complete with friendly waves from passing cyclists, trout fishers, and horseback riders. We were glad to support the crew with litter grabbers, providing several two-size RMS grabbers as well as EJG tongs!

Please share this newsletter if you found it helpful or interesting. And if you would like to collaborate in some way, whether in writing, or volunteering together at a cleanup, get in touch!

Razvan