By Caitlin McCauley
August,12, 2025–Apalachicola Riverkeeper’s monthly volunteer cleanup at Mill Pond was on August 9th. Mill Pond gets its name from back in the day when it was a sawmill where timber was processed after coming down river. If you visit today, you will see numerous shrimp boats docked.
Locals and tourists alike enjoy the vibrant sunsets, as well as opportunities for fishing and birdwatching. A farmers market often occurs during the monthly clean up.
With all the boat and foot traffic that occurs near Mill Pond, litter is a common issue, unfortunately. During a cleanup, volunteers help prevent a variety of trash from entering our bay, which is just about a mile south of the cleanup site.
Much of the trash found at Mill Pond comes from food containers, old ropes, beer cans, and cigarette butts. Sometimes, though, 
interesting trash has been found, such as a sewing machine, rubber boots, and unopened butter containers. During our cleanups, we try to keep aluminum cans separate for recycling.
We host cleanups at Mill Pond every 2nd Saturday of the month, usually at 9 am. Do not stress about bringing anything but yourself (and maybe some cash for the farmers market). We provide grabbers, trash bags, bucket,s and gloves. We also provide snacks and refreshments.
Come join us September 20th and celebrate International Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteer Cleanup Captain Caitlin McCauley will be down at Battery Park with snacks and supplies.
Caitlin McCauley is a volunteer at Apalachicola Riverkeeper and a member of the RiverTrek 2025 Team. She lives in Apalachicola.
