Dennis Shipman

Hi! My name is Grace, and I’m a teenager from Maine who loves being in the water. I spend a lot of my free time snorkeling and diving in rivers and lakes around the state. While exploring, I kept noticing something that really bothered me: trash on the bottom.Cans. Bottles. Fishing line. Old metal.Things that don’t belong in our water and can hurt fish, wildlife, and the places people love to swim and paddle. So I decided to start cleaning it up. My dad, Dennis, is helping me set up and manage this GoFundMe so I can safely grow my cleanup project. I already have my own wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins, and basic gear, and I bring mesh bags to collect as much trash as I can safely reach. I sort it, recycle what I can, and keep track of everything I remove. If I ever find valuable or sentimental items — like phones, jewelry, wallets, or anything that looks important — I do my best to find the owner and return it. Cleaning the water is important, but helping someone get back something they lost matters too. It feels good to leave a place better than I found it, and this year I want to expand my cleanups across Maine. I’m raising funds to help me grow this project safely and responsibly, including: Gear, Maintenance & Upkeep Safety & Replacement Gear Cleanup Equipment Fuel & Transportation Training & Skill Development Wishlist Items — Project Expansion Tools My dad is a very experienced diver, and he supervises all of my dives and snorkel cleanups to make sure everything I do is safe and within my abilities. Safety always comes first. I’ll be posting updates, photos, and totals of the trash I remove so everyone who donates can see the difference they’re helping me make. Thank you for supporting my project and helping keep Maine’s rivers and lakes clean. Every donation helps, and I’m excited to show what we can accomplish together. Budget Breakdown — Where Donations Go I already have my basic gear (wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins), so donations will help me expand my cleanups, stay safe, and reach more locations across Maine. Here’s exactly how funds will be used: Safety & Replacement Gear Heavy‑duty dive gloves; cut‑resistant gloves; dive flag and float; line cutters, clips, markers. Cleanup Equipment Mesh collection bags; underwater retrieval tools (grabbers, magnets); buckets and sorting bins. Fuel & Transportation Gas for travel to rivers and lakes; parking or access fees; transporting collected trash to disposal sites. Training & Skill Development Youth diving/snorkeling safety courses; advanced supervised dive training; educational materials. Gear Maintenance & Upkeep Wetsuit repair patches; mask and fin strap replacements; anti‑fog and cleaning supplies. Wishlist Items — Project Expansion Tools These items aren’t required for basic cleanups, but they would help me reach deeper areas, document my work, and increase safety as the project grows. Blu3 Nomad Air System Portable surface‑supplied air for safe, shallow supervised dives to access areas beyond snorkeling depth. Dive Lights For low‑visibility water, deeper areas, and cloudy days to spot fishing line, metal, and hidden debris. GoPro + Accessories To document cleanups, show donors the impact, and record underwater trash removal; includes mounts, extra batteries, and protective housing. Total Estimated Project Range $525 – $1,350 for core operations $1,600 – $3,500 if wishlist items are funded Why This Budget Matters Every dollar helps me clean more locations safely. I’ll post updates, photos, and totals of the trash I remove so donors can see exactly what their support is helping me accomplish. Updates Plan I will post regular updates after cleanups with photos, totals of trash removed, short notes about locations, and lessons learned. Major milestones will receive special posts: After 1st cleanup: photos, items removed, short story, thanks to donors After 3rd cleanup: cumulative totals, notable finds, how donations were used After 5th cleanup: milestone summary, impact numbers, next goals (training, wishlist items) When wishlist items are purchased: gear photos and demonstration of use How Donations Are Managed Donations transfer into my, Grace's, account. All funds go to gear, safety, travel, training, and disposal costs. Receipts and a simple ledger will be kept and summarized in updates. Large purchases will be noted in posts with photos of the gear in use. Call to Action Please donate, share this page, or follow my updates. Every contribution helps keep Maine’s waters cleaner and safer. Thank you for supporting my youth‑led effort!