Tag: Cache In Trash Out

/ Eric Schudiske /

CITO 2013 – It Takes a Village

Congrats Space Coast Geocachers... 9 events, More than 200 geocachers and 4300 lbs of garbage collected!
Congrats Space Coast Geocachers… 9 events, More than 200 geocachers and 4300 lbs of garbage collected!

It’s takes a village to do many things, say, raise a child. It also takes a motivated village to clean up the earth. The village geocachers created with Cache In Trash Out (CITO) events has a population of 11,124. That’s the population of Fredonia, New York. That’s the exact number  CITO souvenirs that have been earned by geocachers who have logged an “Attended” for a CITO event so far.  Geocachers attended hundreds of events in dozens of countries from April 20 through April 22. If each geocacher picked up ten pounds of trash, that’s over 50 tons of garbage removed from geocaching areas worldwide.

Geocachers in Montana cleaning the roadside.
Geocachers in Montana cleaning the roadside.

It’s the same weights as a couple army tanks or say a large metal bridge. But each piece of litter was a crumpled wrapper or an old tire or a  piece of discarded lumber. It’s 50 tons of trash that’s no longer polluting that earth. Well done geocachers, well done.

CITO weekend isn’t over yet. It continues today during Earth Day. Expect the final total number of geocachers who earned the CITO souvenir within the next couple of days.

Geocachers from around the world posted pictures of their CITO events on the Geocaching Facebook page. We chose a few of the photos posted to feature in this blog.

While the CITO weekend occurs only once a year, please CITO every time you geocache. It’s as easy as packing out a few soda bottles or a few pieces of litter. It may not seem like much, but when we all do it, it adds up quick!

45 geocachers attended http://coord.info/GC494V1 in near Suhl, Germany to clean up all this trash.
45 geocachers attended GC494V1  near Suhl, Germany to clean up all this trash.
CITO is for all ages. Kids, Caching and Cleaning CITO GC48DD9 in Ontario, Canada
CITO is for all ages. Kids, Caching and Cleaning CITO GC48DD9 in Ontario, Canada
CITO in Costa Dorada, Spain
CITO in Costa Dorada, Spain

 

 

 

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Join a Worldwide Geocaching Movement

CITO 2013Celebrate the 11th Annual CITO Weekend

Geocachers search parks, trails and forests to earn a smiley, but during a Cache In Trash Out (CITO) event they’re not looking for geocaches. They’re clearing litter and trash from geocaching-friendly areas around the world. Thousands of geocachers will walk away from their CITO events with bags of trash and a sense of pride. They’re preserving the natural beauty of our world. It’s often more than litter clean up. Some CITO events remove of invasive species, plant trees or build trails.

You can be a part of the movement. CITO events are held all year long, but you’ll have more than 140 to choose from on April 20, 21 and 22. It’s the 11th annual International CITO Weekend coinciding with Earth Day.

This year, more than a thousand geocachers from at least 30 countries are combining in the annual worldwide environmental effort. The locations range from Croatia to Hong Kong and include more than 40 U.S. States.

Share this new CITO video and log your “Will Attend” for a CITO event near you. For a limited time, Shop Geocaching will include a free CITO trash bag in each order (U.S. orders, while supplies last).

[vsw id=”5eIwxTAaxKw” source=”youtube” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”no”]

/ Eric Schudiske /

Will You CITO?

CITO FINAL LGCelebrate Geocaching by Cleaning Up at a CITO Event

Geocachers will demonstrate their commitment to the environment by the bagful in April. Thousands of geocachers will join together in picking up trash and filling garbage bags with litter. They’ll be attending Cache In Trash Out (CITO) events over the 11th Annual International CITO Weekend. It’s scheduled for April 20, 21 and 22. Tons of trash will be removed from geocaching-friendly locations. It’s easy to join the global community by attending one of the many CITO events. With hundreds of CITO Events in dozens of countries, there’s sure to be one near you. If there isn’t a CITO event near you, there’s still time to create your own CITO event.

Those attending CITO Events on April 20, 21 or April 22 (or all three!) will earn a 2013 CITO souvenir for their Geocaching profile. Share International CITO Weekend with your friends by joining the Geocaching Facebook CITO Weekend event page.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Lessons in Environmental Geocaching “Gecko 2012”

The subject of sustainable geocaching goes under the microscope during the German geocaching event “Gecko 2012.” The Geocaching “Konferenz” (Gecko) offers three days of workshops, lectures, and events on the topic of keeping and expanding, “sustainable geocaching in harmony with the environment, nature, and in harmony with our fellow human beings.” It’s a powerful undertaking in Germany, which has the highest geocache saturation of any country in the world.

Gecko 2012: Sustainable Geocaching

Jan aka Czerkus is part of the organizational team for Gecko-2012. Jan says a majority of geocachers play in harmony with nature. “Geocachers often say that the world is their playing field. If you use nature for your hobby, it should be self-evident to protect your playing field. This is the central slogan of the conference.”

This is one of the first conferences of its kind. Jan says, “All workshops, activities and discussions are focused on environmental education and building bridges between geocachers and their critics. As well, we’ll give geocachers who are environmentally aware a platform to develop networks. At the moment we are learning a lot, because there is no experience or event like this that we can lean on [and learn from].”

The events at the conference don’t just teach people about respecting nature, they embrace the outdoors and geocaching. Some of the sessions of the conference include courses on “T5 tree climbing,” “Observing and protecting animals,” and trips to nearby EarthCaches. Jan says there’s more, “There will be workshops about planning Cache In Trash Out (CITO) Events, discussions with hunters, forest rangers, and environmental activists and nature-guides will lead the geocachers in the woods to show them their play field.”

Location of "Gecko 2012"

Jan says geocachers have a great responsibility to the environment because geocaching is a highly visible activity, “Geocaching is very transparent and leaves geocachers’ marks in the World Wide Web. Everybody can see what we do, where, and how often.”

Along with seeing geocaching, Jan also hopes the greater community sees geocachers’ environmental efforts like Gecko 2012. He says, “We have a very special responsibility” to care for the environment. It’s even more fitting then, that after Gecko 2012, a giant Cache In Trash out (CITO) is planned. Gecko 2012 begins on June 8.

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Groundspeak Weekly Newsletter – April 18, 2012

Celebrate the 10th Annual CITO Weekend

Thousands of geocachers walk into parks, onto trails, and visit other geocaching-friendly areas around the world to clean up the environment each year. They walk out with bags of trash and a sense of pride. They’re taking part in Cache In Trash Out (CITO) events and helping to preserve the natural beauty of our outdoor resources through litter clean up, removal of invasive species, planting trees, and trail building.

CITO events are held all year long, but you’ll have more than 140 to choose from on April 21 and 22 — the 10th annual International CITO weekend.

This year, more than a thousand geocachers from at least 15 countries are combining in the annual worldwide environmental effort. The locations range from Budapest to Hong Kong, and include 32 U.S. States. Odds are one of the CITO events is near you.

Still not convinced you should join? Check out geocachers in action at a couple of CITO events. Watch this Geocaching.com Presents CITO video in English or this CITO video in Czech and German.

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