Our team consists of students and community leaders in Victoria, British Columbia.

Anastasia Castro

Anastasia Castro is a student and became passionate about environmental conservation through her teacher and mentor Mrs. McCullough. She has been a member of FinFree for the past five years where she worked on a federal ban on the import of shark fins. In 2015 she continued her passion for protecting the environment, and joined the Surfrider Foundation where she began working to eliminate plastic bags in Victoria, BC with her partner Charlotte Brady. They later expanded to other municipalities in the area, including Vancouver, Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay. The process included petition signing, public education, business outreach, numerous council presentations, business and community associations, elementary, middle, and high schools, and presenting at conferences. Anastasia and Charlotte also founded Kids for a Plastic Free Canada, and helped Surfrider with their Single-Use Plastic Free Schools BC program. The duo are currently working to eliminate all single-use plastics in BC, and have collaborated with MLAs, government ministers, and MPs with the help of their mentor Mrs. McCullough. In October 2019 they met with the BC Minister of the Environment at the BC legislature, when they presented a document (The Case for Reform: British Columbia Must Regulate Single-Use Plastics) they had worked on with UVic Environmental Law department. They have recently begun working with Plastic Oceans to educate and inspire youth across Canada on plastic pollution. Anastasia has also worked with her school staff to transition into sustainable alternatives in the cafeteria and minimize plastic usage and has presented at various conferences. For the future, she aims to live by the ocean and blend her environmental work with her passion for marine biology.

Charlotte Brady

Charlotte Brady is a student working with Surfrider Foundation Vancouver Island and Plastic Oceans Canada. Passionate about protecting the oceans, her involvement started with the Victoria FinFree Chapter to advocate for the banning of shark finning. Joining the Ban The Bag initiative in 2015 with Margaret McCullough as leader and sponsor teacher, she addressed the Victoria City Council with partners Anastasia Castro and Grace Poole over the banning of single use plastic bags. Since then the group has spoken to the Saanich, Oak Bay, Vancouver and Esquimalt city councils, initiated community business outreach in Cook Street village, consulted with the Oak Bay Business Association, and presented at a number of schools ranging from elementary to secondary to educate other youth about the importance of banning single use plastic items and how they can get involved. Charlotte worked with Victoria City staff to develop their bag bylaw, and she received the Saanich council Environmental award in 2018. Along with environmental work she is involved with debate and public speaking, this being an invaluable skill. After Victoria city council banned plastic bags in 2019, Charlotte and her partner Anastasia Castro became involved with Plastic Oceans Canada and founded Kids For A Plastic Free Canada. This enabled them to continue pursuing a world in which they are dedicated to reducing plastics in our oceans. Post graduation she intends to continue working with environmental initiatives through Plastic Oceans and Surfrider, and aims to pursue a career in law.