From the shoreline, litter caught among marsh grass or wedged beneath a dock can seem frustratingly out of reach. From the deck of the Litter Gitter II, it becomes something a small group of residents can remove in a single afternoon. The bright yellow, 24-foot Carolina skiff serves as the working centerpiece of Matanzas Riverkeeper’s Litter Gitter program, carrying volunteers into local waterways to collect trash and marine debris that traditional land-based cleanups cannot always reach. Specially equipped to haul large volumes of debris, the boat turns an afternoon on the water into a hands-on way for residents to protect the estuaries surrounding St. Augustine.
But the program is more than a cleanup boat. It is also a ready-made volunteer experience that local clubs, businesses, Scout troops, church groups, homeschool families and neighborhood organizations can arrange for their own members.
Rather than waiting for a large public cleanup to appear on the calendar, residents can gather a group and contact Matanzas Riverkeeper to schedule an outing. Trips generally last about two hours, with volunteers asked to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure. Some outings begin at Genung’s Fish Camp in Crescent Beach, where the program is based, while the Litter Gitter also travels throughout the Guana, Tolomato and Matanzas watershed depending on where cleanup work is needed.
Once aboard, volunteers are not simply passengers. They help spot debris along shorelines, marshes and waterways, then work together to retrieve and load it onto the skiff. Depending on the location, that may mean collecting bottles, bags, fishing line and other everyday litter—or wrestling larger, heavier objects out of areas that are difficult to reach from land.
The boat’s open working deck and ability to carry significant amounts of debris make it especially useful in places where trash accumulates with changing tides. Litter that enters a roadside ditch, storm drain or neighborhood canal can eventually move into the estuary, where it may become tangled in vegetation, break into smaller pieces or threaten wildlife. The Litter Gitter allows volunteers to intervene before more of that debris travels downstream or into the ocean.
Each trip also creates an opportunity to see the local environment from a different perspective. Volunteers learn about marine debris, water quality and the interconnected system of creeks, marshes and rivers that make up the Matanzas watershed. For youth groups, the experience can be paired with environmental education activities, allowing participants to divide their time between the cleanup boat and lessons about the surrounding ecosystem. Matanzas Riverkeeper has used this format for local field trips, with groups rotating through two-hour boat sessions and educational programming.
That combination of service and education makes the Litter Gitter especially well suited for groups looking for something more memorable than a typical meeting or volunteer day. Students may be able to earn community service hours. A company can use the outing as a small-team service project. Garden clubs, civic organizations and neighborhood groups can turn it into an afternoon that connects their members with the natural resources they regularly enjoy.
Matanzas Riverkeeper supplies the tools and equipment needed to collect debris. Volunteers should arrive prepared for outdoor work, bringing a reusable water bottle, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Closed-toe shoes or boots are required, and participants should wear clothes that can get wet, muddy or dirty. Single-use plastic bottles and Styrofoam are discouraged aboard the cleanup boat.
The Litter Gitter program is operated by Matanzas Riverkeeper, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Matanzas River and its watershed through advocacy, education and community engagement. The organization grew from the work of Friends of the Matanzas and is affiliated with Waterkeeper Alliance, an international network of organizations working to protect waterways.
The current Litter Gitter II is an upgraded vessel that continued the work of the original cleanup boat, with support from the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. Matanzas Riverkeeper has also expanded its litter-prevention and education efforts by joining forces with North Florida Coastal Caretakers, bringing the organizations’ related cleanup missions under one roof.
Although the boat is easy to recognize, the program depends on something less visible: residents willing to assemble a crew and devote a few hours to the river.
A Litter Gitter outing does not require volunteers to own a boat, possess specialized environmental knowledge or arrive with cleanup equipment. It begins with one person inviting a handful of coworkers, students, neighbors or friends to spend an afternoon doing something tangible for the waterways that shape life in St. Augustine.
To begin organizing a group trip, email Info@MatanzasRiverkeeper.org with information about the group, estimated number of participants and preferred dates, or visit www.matanzasriverkeeper.org.
