By Dennis Washington March 10, 2021 Dan Bates created Litter Gitter to collect floating trash in smaller streams and creeks. (Dennis Washington / Alabama NewsCenter) Don Bates loves his job. His official title is “Founder and Owner” of Osprey Initiative (OI) but his business card lists him as CLG. “Chief Litter Gitter,” Bates said with a grin. “The day I get to put my hip boots on and go to work is a great day.” Bates’ story doesn’t start with trash but rather is rooted in the swamps around Manchac, Louisiana, where he grew up. “My family is all commercial fishermen from Louisiana,” Bates said. “There’s life in it and the fact that our team can keep the litter out of, we just think that tells the story of the circle of life.”