A Cache In Trash Out (CITO) Event Branches Out

CITO Event cache, "Come plant a tree"

Vila Real, Portugal – Geocachers in Portugal recently gathered for a Cache In Trash Out (CITO) Event cache.  The geocachers helped the environment, but they didn’t take out bags of trash.  Instead they left something behind.   The group of geocachers planted hundreds of trees in an area of Portugal ravaged by recent wildfires.

Tree destroyed by recent wildfires

Jorge Cardoso, Osodrac Team, organized the CITO called, “Vem plantar uma Árvore” (GC25KYV). The event translates from Portuguese into English simply as, “Come plant a tree.”  More than a dozen geocachers grabbed shovels and got to work on October 16th.

Geocacher planting a tree at CITO event GC25KYV

Cardoso says local authorities were quick to provide the willing geocachers with help. He says, “We talked with the people of the Municipality of Vila Real, who gave us the trees and talked with the President of the Parish of Vila Cova who gave us a plot of land.”

Hugo Silva, SUp3rFM, is the Volunteer Reviewer who published the CITO event.  He says, “I thought of it as a very nice idea. A cool concept. The owner was really into it. He gathered a lot of local support for the authorities, got some equipment, seeds, hardware, etc. His goal was to plant trees on an area that was caught by wild fires in the past. Geocachers would certainly go along. I always say they’re very nice people.”

"Bosque do Geocacher"

The geocachers didn’t just plant trees.  They placed a geocache.  It’s a geocache Cardoso describes as unique for Portugal.  It’s a standard sized cache located near a plaque to geocachers.

The plaque was placed after the CITO event.  The plaque and the new cache have the same title.  They’re both called “Bosque do Geocacher” (GC2FPJW).   It translates to “Geocacher’s Grove.”

Silva says, “I think that we, as a group, have something to say to the non-geocaching community. Our common interest takes us to remote locations to enjoy wildlife and nature, clean out the trash that some forgot along the way, with only a few rewards as a prize: A smile and a great feeling of good will.”

According to Cardoso he’s considering another CITO event next year.  He says, “Finally, I tell you it was an action that left us – Team Osodrac – I, my wife and my son very proud of all of the geocachers’ achievements. We think our great community can organize themselves and work towards a cause that leaves a mark for a more promising future. We believe we have fulfilled our purpose of helping our world, on a small scale, it is true, but what matters is the intention of improving it.”

Geocachers after CITO event GC25KYV