When those in the surf community refer to stand-up paddleboarders as “sweepers,” they typically do so to gently cast aspersions. But there’ll be no such disparaging when referring to local adventure guides Alex “Squatch” Tabone and Serena “Siren” Bass, whose soon-to-be-undertaken river-bound journey is worthy of earnest admiration, rather than playful admonishment. What’s more, sweepers is actually an accurate description of what they’ll be doing from atop their SUPs!
On Friday, October 19, Palm Valley residents and Co-owners of Squatch and Siren Adventure Guides–a St. Johns County-based outdoor tour company with environmental advocacy written into its DNA–will embark on a 246-mile journey via the Suwannee River, setting off from the gator infested waters of the Okefenokee swamp, which will eventually deposit them into the the azure waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The duo is taking off to raise awareness for water health and preservation efforts related to the Sunshine State’s abundant outdoor environs.

Image provided by Squatch and Siren
From Tabone:
[We] are setting off on a 246-mile journey down the Suwannee River in search of beautiful springs to enjoy, disgusting trash to collect, and abundant wildlife to view. We’ve teamed up with several awesome companies to make this dream trip come together.
… [We] hope to inspire others to get out and live a healthy, active, outdoor lifestyle and leave our environment cleaner than when we arrived.
One of the first initiatives Tabone and Bass will take on is a clean up of Royal Springs County Park near the Suwannee River in Central Florida. And you can join in the fun. More from Tabone:
On October 21st at 12 noon Squatch and Siren should be arriving at Royal Springs to start a fun afternoon of swimming, flipping, and picking trash. Be one of the first 10 people to find Squatch and Siren and you can get yourself a sick Deuter DirtBag to collect trash in and keep for future use on your own adventures.
Tabone has promised to update us periodically throughout Squatch and Siren’s adventure, and says after the journey they plan to show off their vast collection of river trash. And with Halloween fast approaching, he says they may even try to make a costume from their bounty.
To keep up with the duo’s adventure, follow @squatch_and_siren on Insta. Read the full press release below: