Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

What’s Your Idea To Clean Up The Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

A child's picture of a robotic half-unicorn-half-mermaid that swims through the water, swallowing microplastics.
Courtesy Mary James
Mary James' drawing of the mermicorn, a robotic creature that could help clean up plastics in the ocean.

In 2019, we answered a question about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a huge mass of plastic and other trash swirling around in the Pacific Ocean. Mary James heard that episode and was so inspired, she created a device to help clean up the plastic in the ocean. In this episode of But Why, we learn about her invention, the mermicorn!

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Loading...

Listen back to Why Is There A Big Patch Of Garbage In the Pacific Ocean?

Kids: we'd like to know what you think could be done about all the garbage in the ocean. Download our learning guide above to draw a picture or describe an invention you would make to help clean it all up.

Mary James sent her picture of the mermicorn to the Little Inventors competition, for Canadian children. See Mary's entry here. Her invention has been chosen from among hundreds of other submissions to be turned into a prototype, a model of what the real thing might look like. There are Little Inventors competitions in the UK as well, and lots of countries and organizations sponsor design challenges for kids. See if you can find one where you live!

Your Ideas

Julien in California sent this idea.

Melody is the Contributing Editor for But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids and the co-author of two But Why books with Jane Lindholm.
Jane Lindholm is the host, executive producer and creator of But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids. In addition to her work on our international kids show, she produces special projects for Vermont Public. Until March 2021, she was host and editor of the award-winning Vermont Public program Vermont Edition.
Latest Stories


But Why is a project of Vermont Public.

vermont public logo