11-year-old tackles problem at Kansas lakes

Last April, 11 year-old Lynnea Nelson found an American Coot tangled in fishing line at Lake Shawnee.

The line was tangled around the bird’s webbed feet – it was stuck.

She set to work and freed it, but she noticed more fishing line lying around the lake.

She knew something had to be done.

Ten years old at the time – she couldn’t stop thinking about that bird trapped in fishing line. She kept thinking “someone has to do something about this problem.”

Then she realized, that she was someone who could solve it.

Lynnea wanted a solution, and launched the 'Cast it in Kansas' project.

Her goal is to collect and recycle fishing line at lakes all across Kansas.

Her mother and father couldn’t be more proud. Her mom Rochelle said, "It was Lynnea's idea. We had that experience that got her thinking of something that needed to be done and so she went online and she did the research."

Her idea is simple. When you're done fishing, you take the line and put it in covered receptacles that will be placed all around Kansas lakes.

The line stays off the ground - and away from animals.

After they collect the used line, they send it to the manufacturer Berkley for recycling.

Lynnea says that’s the goal, "Getting it recycled and get it out of the environment."

It isn't just Lynnea who's involved. When the bins fill at other Kansas lakes, a network of volunteers will collect and send the line to the recycling facility.

Lynnea says the fishing line bins working.

The first bin was placed at Carbondale Lake just a few weeks ago. She says when her and her mom went back to check the bin, someone had already been using it to dispose of line.

Eventually she hopes to take her project statewide. She’s competing for a $5,000 grant from the wildlife protection organization PIG Difference.

She'll use the money to build more bins and educate the public on how to use them, providing instructional brochures and signs around lakes.

Lynnea is one of three finalists for the grant. Public voting on a winner starts Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m.

To vote for Lynnea, go to http://www.pigdifference.org/castitinkansas/