When Hurricane Irma tore through Florida in 2017, it left behind widespread destruction. Homes were damaged, roads were flooded, and countless trees were uprooted. But among the storm debris, South Florida teenager Theo Quenee noticed something many others overlooked — hundreds of young mangrove seedlings scattered across roads, parking lots, and debris fields.
Instead of leaving the storm-displaced plants to dry out or be discarded during cleanup, Theo collected them one by one. These seedlings, known as propagules, had been ripped away from Florida's coastline by powerful storm surges. Realizing they still had a chance to survive, he transported hundreds of them to his family's home.
