Every volunteer contributes something unique to Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA), and Kent Morris brings an enthusiasm that's impossible to miss. Whether he's helping remove debris from the Bolsa Chica Channel or volunteering at the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, Kent's positive attitude and genuine enjoyment of working alongside fellow volunteers make every cleanup a little more rewarding for the whole crew.

His upbeat spirit, willingness to lend a hand, and appreciation for the friendships built through volunteering have made Kent a well-liked member of the ODA family. We're pleased to introduce you to Kent and recognize the difference he makes with every cleanup.

Here's what ODA Founder and President Kurt Lieber has to say about Ken:

It’s hard to know where to start with Kent Morris – so many positive attributes to mention.

Kent was drawn to ODA through the channel cleanups that our longtime volunteer Karla Reinhardt had started organizing in Fullerton, California. He then found out about projects we were taking on in Seal Beach.

Since then, he’s been the first to arrive and the last one to (begrudgingly) leave. That description would usually apply to party goers, but in Kent’s case it fits his penchant for helping the oceans, the earth, and all the animals we share this planet with.

Kent is a fun guy to be around, and his energy is especially helpful when we are out in the blazing sun digging deep down for our bodies to muster up more endurance. It can be a struggle to find that staying power after 3 hours out in the muck and filthy debris we come across. But Kent never wavers from the task at hand and encouraging the rest of us.

He even takes that positive energy with him when he goes on vacation.

He just got back from a 2-week trip to Zanzibar. He was emailing me pictures showing all the trash he was seeing on the beaches there and brought up the topic to several people on the island. As he was leaving several of those folks asked him for advice on how to deal with it. I’m glad he raised the topic and didn’t just stay quiet while in a foreign land. 

I have a feeling that a lot of good will come out of that interaction. Just like it does on EVERY cleanup he gets involved in with ODA.

Thanks Kent, for being such an excellent volunteer, a strong advocate for the cause, and for putting words into action! 

Dear Friend, after you read our Q&A interview with Kent, be sure to watch his video interview and check out the photo gallery below!

Q: What drew your attention to the ocean and when? 
A: I’ve just always loved being near or on the ocean—it’s so peaceful, spiritual, mysterious, and adventurous, and relatively devoid of humans (at least if one is offshore on a boat)…And when I travel I prefer islands (I was born on Long Island and my favorite place to go is Catalina Island), and as a member of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSUF, I’ve led field trips to the Dana Point Marine Institute and the Kerckhoff Marine Lab in Corona Del Mar. I also do Marine Protected Area surveys for Orange County Coastkeeper on a regular basis.

Here we see Kent on yet another island - South Island, New Zealand:

A: What are your favorite ODA cleanups?
Q: My favorite kind of ODA cleanup is wherever there’s a lot of trash!

Q: Any funny stories to share from an ODA cleanup? 
A: Getting stuck in the mud a couple of times, and the “peculiar” things one finds…For a retired cultural anthropologist who also dabbled in archaeology, I find cleanups fascinating as indicators of what kind of material culture humans participate in...

Q: Why do you like volunteering with ODA? 
A: Just being with like-minded people and it’s easy to get to know everyone because the cleanup crews are relatively small most of the time, and I like Kurt…And we go after the big stuff instead of just picking up cigarette butts on a beach that's already been cleaned…Cigarette butts need to be cleaned up, too, but it’s the big stuff that has more potential to break down into so many smaller pieces…I’ve done cleanups with Surfrider and Orange County Coastkeeper as well but ODA wins the prize for collecting more trash on a regular basis...

Editor's note: It's trash like foam mattresses (like you see in the photo below and Styrofoam pieces (shown in the image above) that, when broken down, birds often mistake for food.

Q: ODA is known for it's dive cleanups. Do you scuba dive, too? 
A: Not a diver, not certified, but I recently took a “Discover Scuba” class on Catalina Island and it was fun—I enjoyed swimming with the fish and exploring their home...

Here I am with my instructor that day:

Q: Why do you think it's important for people to support ODA? 
A: The ocean is where all of life originated, but from a more practical point of view, the channels, shores, and wetlands provide nursery and habitat for so much marine life as well as for waterfowl, shorebirds, and seabirds, and all the trash is getting into their bodies and injuring and killing them and just increasing water pollution, and then all the remaining trash that is not picked up is going out into the ocean and injuring and killing other marine life. And if humans eat that marine life then their health is put in jeopardy (but I’m vegan)…And trash on a beach or channel or wetlands or in the ocean is just so unsightly…I believe I’m doing the morally right thing...

Q: Any closing thoughts?
A: Yes! By supporting ODA, you’re helping to preserve the environmental health of a planet that is in such dire need of protection, and that all humans are dependent on for survival...

Kent reminds us that volunteering is about more than removing marine debris—it's about building a community of people who care enough to make a difference together. His optimism, encouraging spirit, and enthusiasm for every cleanup help create an atmosphere where hard work is paired with friendship, laughter, and a shared commitment to protecting the environment.

We hope Kent's story inspires you to experience that same sense of purpose. Whether you join us for a cleanup, invite a friend to volunteer, or support ODA through a donation, you'll become part of a community working to protect the places we all treasure. Together, every helping hand makes our coastlines, waterways, and oceans cleaner for future generations.

Your generosity gives volunteers like Kent the tools, boats, and support they need to protect marine life.

Explore Kent's photo gallery below and see the faces, friendships, and fieldwork that make volunteering with ODA so rewarding.