Fourth grader Mary Elizabeth Hicks attended a ceremony this morning at the Tennessee Aquarium to announce the deployment of Seabin devices throughout the Tennessee River. The devices help clean the water and collect debris.

She attended with science teacher D'Arcy Hughes. Mayor Tim Kelly, a Bright School alumnus, was on hand as well.

In March 2021, Mary Elizabeth worked with Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute and the Tennessee Aquarium, doing research and writing an article entitled Recycle!

Mary Ann Williams with the Tennessee Aquarium has continued to keep in contact with Mary Elizabeth about her personal recycling efforts in the Tennessee River. Mary Elizabeth today showed those in attendance trash that had been collected by the newly-installed Seabin.