Search for anything, or pick a category.

  • At the Aquarium
    At the Aquarium
  • In the Field
    In the Field
  • Currents
    Currents
  • IMAX
    IMAX
Press ESC to exit.
Dive in! Get exclusive updates when you subscribe to Aquarium emails.

Podcast: “From The Plastic He-ART Of The Sea”

Date Jun 16, 2025
Published in Currents

Plastic pollution is a beachside menace on shorelines all over our planet. With a literal garbage truck worth of this manufactured waste entering the ocean every minute, this can seem like problem with no end much less a solution.

Fifteen years ago, Oregon-based artistic collective, Washed Ashore, found a more productive way to reuse plastic trash recovered from its coastline. By feeding this erstwhile waste into the hands of talented artists, Washed Ashore gives it new life as the skin, scale, fur and feathers of animals at scales that mirror plastic’s impact on aquatic ecosystems the world over.

In this episode, we chat with Brad Parks, Washed Ashore’s conservation and education director, about how these amazing sculptures are created, how he hopes they’re received by the public and what animals he’s still waiting to see rendered as plasticized art.

Episode Cast

  • Casey Phillips, host and reluctantly frequent user of plastic products
  • Brad Parks, conservation/education director of Washed Ashore

 

Tune in to this episode below or check out more ways to listen on our Podcast Aquatic main page.

Keep Reading

Keep up with even more goings-on at the aquarium, or 
View All
View All
 →
 →
A Japanese Horned Shark at the Tennessee Aquarium.
Super Animals at The Tennessee Aquarium
Date Jul 18, 2025
IMAX
fireflys glow in the evening
Fired up about fireflies and lightning bugs
Date Jul 18, 2025
Currents
Kintana, the female red-collared brown lemur at the TN Aquarium
Podcast: “Don’t Worry, We Have A Plan”
Date Jul 9, 2025
At the Aquarium

Get Unlimited
Aquarium Access

Become an Aquarium Member and enjoy unlimited visits, discounted access to events, discounted IMAX access, and more.
Lets Go
Lets Go
 →
 →
Keep Exploring
At the Aquarium In the Field Currents IMAX
Dive Deeper
Visit the Aquarium Become a Member Donate

Riverwatch is a publication for the members of the Tennessee Aquarium.

Learn More
Learn More
 →
 →
© 2025 Tennessee Aquarium. All Rights Reserved.
  • Archive
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Support
•