Mission for the Future
We’ve all seen the clips on social media of massive “islands” of trash floating in the ocean, heard about the ways our planet is slowly dying, and the ways that we, as humans, are the ones doing the killing. The ocean is central to much of what we’re doing to our own planet, but still, we abuse it and the creatures dwelling thereby carelessly littering and that litter often finds its way to the water. As the founder and CEO of Eco Clean Marine, Courtney Dombroski is doing more than just sitting on the sidelines, waiting for others to act against the crisis. As a native of Mobile, Dombroski’s love for the water started young. She grew up spending days at the beach and sneaking into condo pools over the weekends, with two to three trips each month to Gulf Shores with her family and frequent visits to the state park with her mother. Naturally, all the time she spent on the water instilled in her a love of nature and all the inhabitants. As a young adult, she parlayed her passion into a job with a parasailing and rental company, during which time she would take advantage of the equipment at her disposal to paddle board around the islands and spend time in nature, exercising and immersing herself in its beauty She also spent time in the state park, riding her bike and educating herself about nature. Eventually, Dombroski purchased Feed the Fish, a vending machine company used for dispensing fish food, as a way to fund the beginnings of Eco Clean Marine. The bright yellow vending machines essentially were about inspiring children to respect the ecosystem while also contributing to it As she continued working toward her ultimate goal, a mentor encouraged her to implement giving back as part of her daily life and Dombroski began the search for a cause she” could fall in love with.”
By 2021, Dombroski had become involved with a few but still hadn’t found one that she felt was making a great enough impact. Then, she realized that she could be the answer she had been looking for. One morning on her rounds for machines at The Original Oyster House in Gulf Shores she saw trash under the gazebo over Lake Shelby and trash going into Little Lagoon, another local waterway. Frustrated, she put on her gloves and decided to pick up the trash. One of the business owners saw her and waved her down and showered her with thanks for What she was doing. Moments later, she was back under the gazebo for more trash when “a light bull went off above my head.”
Dombroski realized that she could create the change herself, and so Eco Clean Marine was born. In 2022, she made a pledge to pick up trash at least once a month and set to work. At first, she was alone in her mission though soon enough, a homeless man who “was just because he was promised a free beer after” joined her team. “I knew that it would turn into something great she contends.
And it has Over the past year. Eco Clean Marne has combined vending machines with the business of clean-up and is rapidly growing in sponsorships and machine adoptions, bringing education to the local community as well as visitors. Dombroski’s hope is that younger generations will come to feed the fish and that it becomes a “care ceremony” that helps them to be more aware of and respectful of the ecosystem. The company offers a free educational virtual book about local marine life the might see while feeding the fish, in addition to providing information about local plans life and ocher natural inhabitants. understanding that this is just one of the tools possible to educate children and adults. By making this information available to the public in a fun way the Eco Clean Marine mission is being further disseminated, as it effectively unlocks the great outdoors and cables listeners to learn what makes the area unique “Being able to know these things and then to see them in nature is inspiring!” Dombroski says. The goal is to have personal, up-close experiences in nature, sparking a new wave of responsibility in people while informing and educating everyone who gets involved Eco Clean Marine’s areas extend from Fort Morgan, Alabama, to Panama City Beach, Florida, and participants need only commit one hour once a month, to trash clean up at specified locations or caking a ride around town to chock the fish feeding stations. “I believe that being able to give this experience to people is a step in the right direction to changing their hearts.” Dombroski says. “And that is how we change the future.”
