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Katie Christiansen collecting water samples for the Gallatin Microplastics Initiative, the localized inland freshwater project we did in our home county of Gallatin, Montana.

“Microplastics is not yet a polarizing environmental issue. I think it’s something that presents a lot of opportunities for people all over the world to get involved.”––Katie Christiansen, Microplastics Project Manager

When Ryan Warner, host of Colorado Public Radio’s daily interview show was looking to discover how the issue of microplastics in the ocean might connect with land-locked states like Colorado, his team knew just where to turn.

Katie Christiansen is the Project Manager for our Microplastics Initiatives, and she now serves additionally as Lead for our entire Projects Team. She joined Ryan for a discussion of microplastics, revealing where they come from, what effects they could be having on living things, and what we can do about it.

From the thousands of water samples collected by our volunteers around the world to the individual bottles collected right here in our home watershed in southwestern Montana, ​Katie shows that microplastics, while largely invisible to the naked eye, are clear evidence of humanity’s impact on the environment, and as such are an ecological issue that resonates with people regardless of their politics, and can unite them to positive action for the environment.

Hear the conversation below: