About

As a native to Mobile Alabama Dombroski was accustomed to beach days and sneaking into condo pools over the weekends. She grew up making two to three trips each month to Gulf Shores with her family. Her Mom would take her to the state park and let her enjoy the beach there consequently, stirring up her heart towards a love of nature and all its inhabitants. Just three days after graduating highschool in December of 2013 Dombroski moved to the beach she so loved. After some time in the food service industry she felt she needed to move on to something different preferably with the outdoors and landed a job with local business owners of a parasailing and rental company. Here she was allowed to use the company’s equipment reminiscing she explains they were pretty cool about it if you worked there. Each morning she would arrive early to paddle board around the islands and be in nature exercising and taking it all in. She also enjoyed spending time in the state park riding her bike and learning about the nature around her. 

These experiences led her to purchasing the vending machine company “Feed the Fish” and jump started her journey towards what is now Eco Clean Marine. The Fish Feeding Machines mission is to inspire kids while building up our ecosystem. Nestled along the water’s edge are bright yellow vending machines filled with special food you can purchase to feed the fish. During the early days Dombroski’s mentor began sharing with her the significance of tithing. She decided to commit to this and in a few months her mentor was back to check in. Elated with this new way of doing life she shared how much it had changed her life. Her mentor then decided to encourage her to think about her most valuable asset, time, and consider the impact that might have if she began to implement it in her day to day. Stirring her heart once more she began “the hunt” for any organization that was giving back to the community in a striking way. She states she was looking for something “ I could fall in love with.” However the year was 2021 and many were still not gathering in large groups or very often if at all. Although she found a few Dombroski explain’s none of it felt good enough to pat herself on the shoulder and say good job, “so I didn’t” she states. One morning Dombroski was on her rounds for the Fish Feeding Machines at The Original Oyster House in Gulf Shores when she saw large amounts of trash under the gazebo over Lake Shelby and trash going into Little Lagoon, another local waterway. Frustrated, she puts on her gloves and decides to pick up the trash. One of the business owners saw her and waved her down and showered her with thanks for the big job she was doing. Minutes later she was back under the gazebo for more trash when,“a light bulb went off above my head.”

Dombroski explains, “ I can do this myself, I can give back as much as I want and that will make me feel good!” And just like that Eco Clean Marine was born. In 2022 she made a pledge to pick up trash once a month minimally. Desperate to get started Dombroski knew she had “to just do it” working towards the momentum and regulating it was top on the priority list. At first it was just her picking up trash by herself and then a homeless man “ that was just because he was promised a free beer after” she laughs but she kept on going. Dombroski states “ I knew that it would turn into something great and it is.” 

Eco Clean Marine combined the Fish Feeding machines with the business of clean up and is rapidly growing in sponsorships and machine adoptions. The two bring education to the community and visitors. The hope is the younger generations will come to feed the fish and that it becomes a “core memory” and helps them to be more “eco aware.” The company offers a free educational virtual Ebook about local marine life they might see while feeding the fish. Eco Clean Marine believes this is only the beginning of how they might educate children and adults. By making this information available to the public it starts to take a step in the right direction making the Eco Clean Marine dream a reality . Dombroski’s bike rides through the state park motivated her to include plant and flora information in the Ebook. This tool opens us up to the wild outdoors and enables listeners to learn about plants in our area and things that make our island unique. White-Topped Pitcher Plants for example are only found in Alabama, they don’t grow anywhere else. Excitedly Dombroski states “ being able to know these things and then to see  them in nature is inspiring!” The goal is to have personal up close experiences in nature sparking a new wave of responsibility all the while informing and educating each who gets involved. Service areas are from Fort Morgan Alabama to Panama City Beach Florida. It only takes one hour once a month to join the Eco Clean Marine team by committing to trash clean up at specified locations each month. Another option is a day to ride around town checking out all the fish feeding stations and marking it off the Eco Clean Marine treasure map. Dombroski excitedly states “I honestly believe that being able to give this experience to people is a step in the right direction to changing their hearts which is how we change the future.” Eco Clean Maine will host events to help the corporate world meet social issues and standards for any company and organization inspired to make a change. Other ways to get involved include adopting a Fish Feeding Machine or sponsoring Eco Clean Marine thus enabling them to continue this heartfelt work. 

Jessica A. Taylor