Cache In Trash Out® (CITO) Events are a unique way for geocachers to give back to their communities by improving outdoor spaces. As the 2024 CITO Season 2 comes to a close, it’s only fitting that we highlight some of the fantastic work CITO hosts put into their Events.

Canadian geocacher and CITO superhero Madill shares their advice on how to host a seamless CITO Event and keep your community clean.

See a need, fill a need
“We started doing CITOs and saw the need.”
Madill started hosting CITOs in 2013. Their passion for these events grew as they observed the need in their Vancouver Island community.

“We noticed a gap in what the parks, municipal, and city departments do and what they don’t do… the city does not have enough staff to do ivy pulling so they heavily rely on volunteers.” –Madill

Together with companions Benicha, Justjoee, and others, they began hosting regular CITOs to support their local agencies in combating invasive species and litter in public spaces.

But, the main goal, Madill explains, “is to make our city more beautiful or keep it that way.”

Work together for greater impact
“It surprised me how quickly we had the various parks and departments on board to pick up the trash,” says Madill. By working with local agencies, Madill and their companions can maximize the impact of their work.

Some local agencies or organizations, like parks departments, may require volunteers to obtain permission or special permits to operate within parks. They may also be able to provide additional resources like trash bags, tools, and seedlings for planting.

In addition to partnering with local agencies, Madill also coordinates with other local geocachers to spread their events out and target areas of greatest need. “Regular communication is key,” Madill advises.

Capture the moment

“For our CITO Events, if we have a “big pile” or see an area clean; we feel we did a good job and thus had a good event. Plus we really enjoy stopping for a chat, cookie, apple, water or coffee, etc, after the event.” –Madill

Success can be measured by the amount of garbage cleaned and the number of smiles on attendees’ faces.

The joy of these events is evident in the photo galleries, from group photos and funny poses to images of found items. Some of Madill’s favorite memories of their Events are “Taking photos of the piles [of] garbage, the laughs when someone finds some interesting piece of garbage, [and] the comradery.”

What fun memories have you made at a CITO Event? Share your stories in the comments below.