Terra Unknown: Seeing the World Beneath Our Feet

Terra Unknown isn’t just a creative partner, it’s a perspective shift.

Founded by Zach Daegling, Terra Unknown was built on a simple but powerful intention: promote conservation through photography. But not the kind of photography most people are used to scrolling past. This is macro photography, up-close, detailed, and immersive, bringing attention to the smallest, most overlooked forms of life that exist all around us. The kind of life most people step over without ever realizing it’s there.

At its core, Terra Unknown is built on the idea that connection drives protection. When people can truly see something, its texture, its structure, its uniqueness, they’re far more likely to care about it. Macro photography bridges that gap. It transforms what might seem insignificant into something intricate and worth protecting. It slows people down and forces a second look.

Zach puts it best through the vision behind his work: there’s a whole world waiting to be discovered under every footstep. That mindset aligns seamlessly with what we stand for at Love Blue, getting people to engage with the environment in a more intentional, aware way.

And that’s where this partnership becomes powerful.

Terra Unknown is donating 10% of all proceeds to support Love Blue’s mission, directly fueling our ability to expand cleanups, grow chapters, and increase our impact. It’s not just about raising awareness, it’s about backing that awareness with real, tangible support.

Beyond that, Zach has been in the field with us, capturing Love Blue cleanups, especially throughout Florida, through his lens. His work adds a different dimension to what we do. It’s one thing to talk about the impact of a cleanup, but it’s another to see the details, the environment, and the moments that often go unnoticed.

What makes this partnership stand out is its ability to highlight something deeper: there’s an entire world beneath our feet that we rarely acknowledge. Every grain of sand, every organism, every piece of debris plays a role in the bigger picture. Terra Unknown brings that reality into focus.

Because conservation doesn’t start at scale, it starts with awareness. And sometimes, awareness starts by simply looking a little closer.

Welcoming Grant Writer Gianni Magazzu to the Love Blue Team!

At Love Blue Inc., we have always believed that the strength of our organization comes down to the people behind the mission. As we continue to grow, expand our impact, and build out the infrastructure needed to operate on a national level, bringing the right individuals onto our team is critical.

We are proud to officially welcome Gianni Magazzu as our Grant Writer.

From the moment we connected with Gianni, it was clear that this was more than just a professional fit, it was a natural alignment in values, energy, and vision. What makes this addition even more meaningful is that Gianni represents exactly who we are as an organization: young, driven, and fully committed to building something bigger than ourselves. With our entire executive team in their 20s, adding someone like Gianni, who is not only in that same stage of life but also deeply passionate about environmental advocacy, reinforces the culture we are building.

There is also a unique hometown connection behind this addition. Gianni grew up right next to our Founder & CEO, AJ Caruso, and attended high school alongside our External VP, Kirstin Quigley. Although AJ and Gianni went to rival schools, their paths have now come full circle, coming together under one shared mission to protect our oceans and communities.

Gianni brings a powerful combination of real-world experience, technical knowledge, and proven results.

He currently serves as an Engineer Technician for Berlin Township Public Works, where he oversees a wide range of environmental and operational systems, including recycling, composting, stormwater management, sewer operations, and safety protocols. His work extends beyond operations into community impact as the township’s Clean Communities Coordinator, leading initiatives such as their annual Earth Day Cleanup and hands-on environmental engagement programs.

One of the most impressive aspects of Gianni’s work is his ability to turn ideas into measurable impact. In just six months, he launched and managed a free cigarette recycling program across local businesses, successfully collecting and recycling over 31 pounds of cigarette waste, equivalent to more than 14,000 cigarettes. This type of initiative directly aligns with Love Blue’s mission, especially as cigarette butts remain the #1 pollutant found during beach cleanups.

In addition to his fieldwork, Gianni has already demonstrated exceptional success as a grant writer. While working with Berlin Township, he secured multiple grants, including a $431,000 award from the NJDEP to fund an electric trash truck, positioning the township to become one of the first in New Jersey to implement this kind of sustainable infrastructure. This level of achievement is exactly what Love Blue needs as we pursue larger-scale funding to support national expansion, infrastructure development, and long-term environmental initiatives.

Academically, Gianni holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Wilmington University and an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Camden County College. Looking ahead, he plans to continue his education by earning his MBA by Summer 2026, followed by a Doctorate in Business Administration, further strengthening the expertise he brings to our organization.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Gianni is deeply rooted in family and community. He comes from a large family with eight siblings and is a proud uncle to six nieces and nephews. He is engaged to his fiancée Haley, with plans to celebrate their wedding in 2027. In his free time, he enjoys staying active, reading, gaming, and supporting Philadelphia sports.

Most importantly, Gianni believes in the mission.

He joins Love Blue not just as a team member, but as someone who genuinely understands the importance of the work we are doing. From removing tens of thousands of pounds of trash from our beaches to building programs that empower communities, he recognizes the real, tangible impact of our efforts, and is ready to help us scale that impact even further.

As we continue to build out our national infrastructure, expand our chapters, and pursue larger funding opportunities, Gianni will play a critical role in helping us secure the resources needed to bring our vision to life.

We are excited for what’s ahead,

Welcome to the team, Gianni! 🙌🌊

Founder & CEO AJ Caruso: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Love Blue's January 2026

Every month as CEO of Love Blue Inc. looks different. Some months I’m heavily present at cleanups, events, and chapter visits. Other months, like January, my focus shifts almost entirely behind the scenes, building systems, strengthening infrastructure, and setting the organization up for long-term sustainability and growth.

So for anyone who’s ever wondered, “What does AJ do?”, here’s a transparent look at what this past month looked like.

Strengthening the Foundation (Operations, Compliance & Systems)

A major priority this past month was tightening our internal structure and making Love Blue more efficient, organized, and scalable.

• Revamped Zeffy donation links and clarified all ways supporters can contribute

• Built out new sponsorship programs for businesses and partners

• Developed clearer task delegation systems using Google Docs to assign and track responsibilities

• Restructured & Reorganized our business plan, bylaws, & policies

• Submitted all required compliance documents to our legal team

• Updated and verified all organizational statistics, bringing us to 47,357 lbs of trash removed

• Met with our CFO Jada for a budget meeting, financial strategy planning, and grant preparation

• Continued ongoing communication with the Board of Directors, with in-person meetings scheduled for March

  
  

This work isn’t flashy, but it’s essential. These systems allow Love Blue to grow responsibly and remain transparent, compliant, and financially healthy.

Leadership Development & Team Structure

Another big focus this month was leadership clarity, both at the executive level and across chapters.

• Created a full Executive Team position breakdown & role overview

• Reorganized workflow into three core departments to improve efficiency

• Held our first monthly executive meeting with a new structured outline

• Introduced weekly meetings with clearer focus and objectives each week

• Completed the full build-out of our training sessions with Nick, now ready to deploy

• Created weekly, monthly, and training session outlines (with Nick fine-tuning content)

• Scheduled upcoming chapter training sessions

  
  

The goal here is simple: reduce burnout, improve accountability, and give leaders the tools they need to succeed.

Social Media & Digital Growth

This month also marked a major step forward for Love Blue’s digital presence.

• Prepared onboarding documents for our new Social Media Team with Kirstin

• Held an interest meeting and onboarding calls

• Onboarded new team members

• Led social media onboarding training

• Hosted weekly digital marketing meetings

• Met with Kirstin to build out the January Newsletter

  
  

This team will play a huge role in telling our story consistently and reaching new audiences who may never see us in person, but still want to be part of the mission.

Website, Branding & Creative Work

Behind the scenes, Love Blue’s digital home went through a major transformation.

• Completed final Wix updates and handed the site off to a Fiverr web designer

• Oversaw the full website redesign, now live

• Personally launched and promoted the new site

• Continued updating content post-redesign for clarity and accuracy

• Worked with a Fiverr freelancer to create a new logo

• Added new merch designs to Bonfire

  
  

These updates ensure that when someone discovers Love Blue online, they immediately understand who we are, what we do, and how to get involved.

Program Development & Future Vision

A lot of this month was about looking ahead, building what’s next.

• Finished the Love Blue Handbook (final step: adding QR codes linking to training videos)

• Began outlining the Love Blue Tech

• Met with an eco-friendly AI alternative to explore future partnerships

• Developed the Wildwood Crest 2026 Plan of Action

• Created a month-to-month 2026 events outline

• Reconnected with Mellow Grove to discuss Cigs Inside Board 2.0

• Began early concepts for a children’s program, introducing Captain Blue

  
  

This is the work that shapes where Love Blue is headed, not just this year, but for years to come.

Chapter & Board Engagement

Even while focused on backend work, staying connected to our people remained a priority.

• Held individual meetings with each chapter president

• Held weekly meetings with Executive Team

• Followed up with Rowan University, FAU, and SJU chapter leads for potential new chapters

• Held two 1+ hour strategic meetings with Board Member Chris Fitzpatrick

  
  

Why This Matters

Love Blue isn’t just beach cleanups, it’s leadership development, infrastructure, education, partnerships, and long-term impact. Some months that work happens in public. Other months, like this one, it happens quietly behind the scenes.

Both are equally important.

I share this not for credit, but for clarity. Love Blue continues to grow because of intentional planning, strong leadership, and a community that believes in the mission, even when the work isn’t immediately visible.

If you support Love Blue, volunteer with us, donate, or simply share our message, know that there’s a dedicated team working every day to protect our oceans and build something that lasts.

Onward. 🌊💙

AJ Caruso

CEO & Founder,

Love Blue Inc.