WHERE: Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area, Columbia County, WI DATE: Saturday, July 31, 2010 TIME: 10:00am - 2:00pm. COST: Free

We are hosting a Cache In Trash Out (CITO) park clean up event with the Friends of Gibraltar Rock at the Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area in Southwestern Columbia County on Saturday, July 31, 2010. The local hosts for the event are: barnumandbailey and Lions Fan.

We will have a key to the gate, so we may easily remove trash from the park. Please note the terrain rating. There is a .25 mile steep hike to get to the top and there are cliffs in the park. Those with disabilities may be able to have access to the top during the event. The DNR will be providing supplies for removing the spray painted graffiti from the rocks. Diane Pillsbury, the Seasonal Naturalist from Devil’s Lake State Park, will be giving a presentation relating to the Gibraltar Rock region.

The event will run from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Volunteers are asked to park at the lower parking lot (the posted coordinates). We will be hosting a luncheon in which we will provide drinks, burgers and hot dogs. We ask that everyone bring a dish to pass and their own reusable plates and flatware to reduce the impact on the environment. The cook out will be hosted at Courtney Olson’s geodesic dome by the gated entrance to the park. Geocachers and other volunteers are welcome. Everyone is encouraged to bring work gloves, wear bug/sun screen, and long pants in case of poison ivy. Our plan is to provide a general park cleanup, scrub off the spray painted graffiti on the top, enjoy one another's company, give away some door prizes, and learn more about the Baraboo bluff region from Diane Pillsbury. Thanks for your involvement in helping to clean up Gibraltar Rock!

What to bring:

• GPS (obviously)
• Your camera for taking photos of your day and posting them to the cache page.
• Work Gloves
• Walking stick or poking apparatus. One with a nail on the end is nice for trash pickup.
• Safety vest for visibility and safety glasses if you desire
• Coins / Bugs to trade
• Shoes / boots that can get muddy
• A friend that wants to learn about geocaching, having fun, cleaning up parks, meeting new people, etc.
• Food for lunch.
• Please post a cache note or use the "will attend" to indicate what type of dish you are bringing to pass so we can balance it out. First come, first choose!

For choosing a dish to pass, a last name potluck strategy will be used:

LAST NAME A-H: desserts or sweets
LAST NAME I-P: salad, fruit, and/or vegetables
LAST NAME Q-Z: chips, crackers or other crunchies!

Gibraltar Rock is a State Natural Area (SNA). SNAs protect outstanding examples of native natural communities, significant geological formations, and archaeological sites. Physical Geocaches may not be placed in the park or in any State Natural Area. There is an EarthCache in the park as well as a Multi-Cache Virtual stage that requires a visit to a commemorative plaque honoring those who settled this area many years ago that will take you to the Geocache less than a mile from the park. There are also over 80 permanent geocaches within 10 miles of Gibraltar Rock.

Add this cache to your watchlist to keep up to date on who's coming and any relevant notes that are posted. If you'd like to offer any additional assistance with the event or donations of any kind, please contact the local hosts via their geocaching profile or post a note on the cache page.

This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of Gibraltar Rock and the Wisconsin Geocaching Association. Visit the WGA online at http://www.wi-geocaching.com/ and sign up to become a member today. The Wisconsin Geocaching Association (WGA) is a group of geocachers dedicated to promoting and protecting geocaching within the state of Wisconsin. The WGA organizes geocaching events, works with land owners/managers on geocaching policies, educates the public at large about geocaching, and facilitates communication between WGA members.

Thank you to Steve Schmelzer of the WI DNR for his support and approval of this event.