While this is a geocaching event for geocachers and we're so lucky to once again partner with the WGA, many other environmentally minded organizations; Friends of the Fox, Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway, Sculpture Valley, Fox Valley Group of Sierra Club, and the City of Appleton, will be on the trails, pitching in with us to keep our parks and our river, clean. Our 11th Annual Appleton CITO event will be headquartered at the Refuge and run in tandem with the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and their annual Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup Event this year, with clean-up beginning at 9:00am Saturday morning. Around noon we'll regroup for potluck and geocaching related stuff. Participating organizations will also be present, a great opportunity to introduce them to our sport and demonstrate our commitment to not only hiding trash in the woods but fining it and taking it out as well.
This means that we will have a slightly different sign-up process for our CITO event. We have created 4 WGA Teams that coincide with the 4 FWWA Appleton Clean-up sites hosted by the Alliance. When you sign up here to participate, we ask that you register with one of the four teams, WGA-Pierce, WGA-Peabody, WGA-Telulah or WGA-Newberry by clicking the team name. This will take you to the Watershed registration page where you will then type in the team name, which should pop-up, then enter the password (park name lowercase) and number of participants you are adding to the team. Each person has to complete the on-line registration.
Each of the team captains will coordinate with those who register for their park and split groups up to canvass other Appleton parks, just as we have done in the past. You have the option of meeting up at the Refuge at 8:00am for a little pre-event introduction or simply meeting your team leader at the registration location in your chosen park. It is important that you get to your park before 9am!
Waivers
Because this is running through the FWWA event, you will need to fill out their on-line waiver form along with the City's customary waiver. At least the FWWA form is on-line and has auto-fill-ability! For the City, you can print off Adult and Youth forms as needed and bring completed versions with you.
Arrival
When you arrive at the Refuge be sure to check in at the WGA table and fill out the customary waiver forms for your group. Alternately, you can print Adult and Youth forms as needed and bring completed versions with you. We will have a simple log-in sheet available when you arrive to sign your team in, and as we did last year, we will post a large Appleton Overview map with designated clean zones. Pick a zone and sign your team in there as well. Don't show up late, as the free coffee and cookies go pretty quickly.
Schedule
8:00am Optional pre-event Coffee & Cookies
9:00am Meet at chosen park registration site. Follow park team leaders instructions. If there is enough interest, Shoreline Teams and Zone Assignments, Supplies Distribution
12:00-2:00pm Return to the Refuge for the Clean-up Picnic Event. Please visit the Site for more details.
1:00pm Group Picture, Strangest Trash Award, Door Prizes.
Shoreline Crew
Again this year, a team shoreline clean-up effort will marry adventurous geocachers with adventurous canoe and boat captains. These pairings will work in tandem to clean the significant flotsam that collects along the water's edge, the most significant and unsightly debris we can address! Interested individuals will need to bring waders and hip boots as well as any light duty rakes you may have.
Strangest Trash
Our tradition of conducting the annual "Strangest Trash" contest will result on some geocachers going home with minty fresh geocoicns, as well as some other giveaways and other sundry surprises. Anyone interested in donating items to the cause, feel free to PM me.
Equipment to Bring
- Gloves
- Walking stick, poking apparatus, "grabber". These devices work well for picking up trash.
- Shoes / boots that can get muddy
- Family and friends who want to learn about geocaching, cleaning up parks, meeting new people, etc.
ADDITIONALLY if you intend to participate in shoreline clean-up efforts, bring your waders, hip boots. We will have a number of small head gardening variety rakes available. You may wish to bring a change of clothes, just in case.... I know someone will end up in the water and need them!
Don't forget to add this cache page to your watchlist to keep up to date on who's coming and any relevant notes that are posted. Officially, those attending CITO Events between April 22th and April 30th will earn a 2017 CITO Souvenir for their Geocaching profile.
For more information and images from past Appleton CITO events, please check out the following cache pages:
