The music video everyone has been waiting for with bated breath and googly eyes is finally here.
Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative has released the official music video for “Mr. Trash Wheel (Hero of the Harbor).”
The video for this original song celebrates Baltimore’s beloved trash interceptor includes appearances from Baltimore’s most recognizable personalities and, of course, from the science and environmental team behind the innovative project to keep the harbor waters clean. Katie Pumphrey, artist and ultra-marathon open-water swimmer; Evan Woodard, historian and creator of Salvage Arc; Bobby LaPin, Baltimore activist and social media influencer; and Mr. Trash Wheel inventor John Kellett all have starring roles in the music video.
The song was written by retired Baltimore Symphony Orchestra bassist Jonathan Jensen and performed by The Lost Pythons: Mr. Trash Wheel’s personal rock band. The Lost Pythons group was formed in the summer of 2023 by members of the Mr. Trash Wheel team and is led by Waterfront Partnership Vice President Adam Lindquist. They did not record professionally, however, until summer of 2025. (They performed the Mr. Trash Wheel song at Baltimore Fishbowl’s Oyster Shellebration in October 2025.)
“Mr. Trash Wheel is one of those rare things that could only happen in Baltimore,” Jensen said. “He’s funny, he’s quirky, and he’s doing something genuinely important. I wanted to write a song that’s fun to sing, that captures the joy he brings to people, while celebrating everything he’s done for our harbor.”
In August 2025, Waterfront Partnership announced Mr. Trash Wheel was filming his first ever music video and invited residents to participate as extras. Thanks to fickle Maryland weather, the shoot was postponed at least twice, but eventually production crews were able to film in March 2026.
For more than a decade, Mr. Trash Wheel has done far more than collect floating debris. He has become an unlikely ambassador for Baltimore Harbor, using humor, personality and a pair of googly eyes to inspire millions of people to care about the city’s waterways. Along the way, he has earned recognition from Guinness World Records, appeared in a Dr. Seuss book, and even served as the Ravens’ first-round draft pick ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
“People don’t usually fall in love with infrastructure, but somehow they fell in love with Mr. Trash Wheel,” Lindquist said. “He has a way of making environmental stewardship approachable, optimistic and fun. This video captures the same creativity and personality that have made him one of Baltimore’s most beloved ambassadors.”
The music video premiered during Mr. Trash Wheel’s birthday celebration in April and is now available on Waterfront Partnership’s YouTube channel and social media platforms. The song is also available on all major music streaming services.
The “Mr. Trash Wheel (Hero of the Harbor)” song and video also make certain to pay proper respect to the entire Mr. Trash Wheel Family, which includes Professor Trash Wheel, Captain Trash Wheel, and Gwynnda the Good Wheel of the West. Each member of the family protects a different Baltimore waterway. Together, they have intercepted thousands of tons of floating debris while becoming one of Baltimore’s most recognizable and iconic symbols of environmental innovation.
“Mr. Trash Wheel is proof that creative ideas can bring people together while making a real difference,” said Dan Taylor, president of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore. “He’s become part of Baltimore’s identity, and this music video is a celebration of the community that has embraced him over the past decade.”
