Neil’s journey of coastal discovery began in 1985 as a Park Ranger with the City of St Kilda. As a St Kilda penguin study volunteer in fortnightly field trips for 17 years, he saw the increasing influx of plastic pollution. He co-founded Earthcare St Kilda in 1989. As the founder Director of Port Phillip EcoCentre, he nurtured an extensive network of community groups and cross-sectoral partnerships with a focus on ‘againability’.  As Port Phillip Baykeeper he initiated the first-ever long-term study of microplastics in the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers, featured in the award-winning ‘Baykeepers’ film on plastic pollution in the Bay; and designed a suite of citizen science methods to track litter and microplastics from the catchments to the Bay.