Ruin to Resilience: How Destruction Led to Action for this 3-Time Plaintiff
November 21, 2025
Delaney Reynolds speaking at a press conference after the Lighthiser v. Trump hearing, September 2025. Photo by Eillin Aceves.
Delaney Reynolds has watched the places she loves disappear before her eyes. She has seen her home damaged from hurricanes, felt the surrounding waters of the Florida Keys warm to unprecedented levels, watched the coral reefs near her home bleach and die, and has witnessed the sea level rise consume some of the places she loves most. It was this destruction that compelled her to join Lighthiser v. Trump, a historic youth-led federal climate change case, as a plaintiff.
“I decided to join Lighthiser v. Trump as a youth plaintiff because the place that I love the most: Florida, Miami, the Florida Keys, places that I grew up loving, are becoming extinct.”
Distress to Dedication
Despite the distress of watching her beloved home change and disappear, Delaney has not let fear overcome her. Instead, from a very young age, she has launched into action.
At 26, Delaney has already spent 11 years advocating for climate protection, dedicating her life to addressing climate change. She was 15 when she started her own non-profit, the Sink or Swim Project, she has led a group of over 200 youth in submitting a successful petition for renewable energy goals in Florida, and has been the lead plaintiff in two constitutional rights climate cases seeking to hold her home state accountable for their contributions to climate change: Reynolds v. State of Florida and Reynolds v. Florida Public Service Commission.
Now, Delaney is joining her fellow plaintiffs in federal court for Lighthiser v. Trump. “This is the first time that youth have ever been able to testify and present evidence in a federal climate change lawsuit. And that is incredible,” Delaney marvels. “We are using democracy. This is what that's all about. Using our voice in the court, letting the judge and the court system know that we as youth have rights. And so to be able to stand by so many incredible other youth, my friends, is truly an honor.”
Youth plaintiff Delaney Reynolds.
From the Courtroom to the Classroom
Delaney’s pursuit for justice doesn’t stop at being a plaintiff. “[The lawyers at Our Children’s Trust] helped me figure out what I wanted to do as an academic path. I pursued law school, I went to law school, and that was truly because I was so inspired by the incredible lawyers that we get to work with.”
Delaney is also pursuing her Ph.D. in climate resilience strategies in vulnerable coastal regions, such as her beloved home of South Florida, where her family has lived for four generations.
Delaney conducts field-based ecological research on marine biodiversity. Resources she uses for pursuing her Ph.D. are being dismantled by the Trump administration’s executive orders, challenged by Lighthiser v. Trump. Any restriction or denial of access to climate change-related data will interfere with Delaney’s progress towards her education, as well as limit her ability to use science as part of her advocacy efforts to protect her climate constitutional rights.
The Future of a Stable Climate
“To me,” Delaney says, “a stable climate system is one where, as a society, we are no longer relying strictly on fossil fuels, but transitioning towards renewable energy so that we can protect our atmosphere, our beautiful planet, from those toxic fossil fuels.”
Delaney believes a sustainable future is possible, but a future with even more fossil fuels unleashed is terrifying. “I think about my future. I think about my [future] children and grandchildren's future, and how they may not be able to grow up and enjoy South Florida the same way that I've been able to. They may not even have beaches. They may not know what a coral reef is, or the benefits that it brings to the entire ecosystem, or us as a society. And that's extremely saddening.”
There is Hope
When we asked what gives her hope in this fight, Delaney spoke of her fellow plaintiffs. “Hearing about their stories and how they've been impacted by climate change lets me know that I'm not alone and that we're all in this together, working for the betterment of our planet and for our society as a whole.”
Delaney believes people of all ages can make a difference in the causes they care about. “...you too have a voice, and you can use it in your community no matter how old you are. Get out there, talk about climate change or any of the social issues that you're concerned about.” Following Our Children’s Trust cases, and support the youth plaintiffs in court goes a long way as well.
As Delaney said, you, too, can have a voice. You can make a difference.