In den nächsten zwei Wochen: CITO-Wochenende und 15 Jahre Geocaching
Vom 24.-27. April treffen sich Geocacher aus aller Welt bei Events, um die Landschaft zu säubern, Bäume zu pflanzen oder eingewanderte Arten zu entfernen und ein Souvenir zu bekommen. Suche im Eventkalender nach CITO-Events in Deiner Umgebung. Vergiss Dein “Will Attend”-Log nicht, damit die Organisatoren wissen, dass Du kommst.
Nächstes Wochenende feiert Geocaching am 2. Mai seinen 15. Jahrestag. Geh raus und suche einen Geocache – einen beliebigen Geocache – und Du erhälst das 15 Jahre-Geocaching-Souvenir. Außerdem kannst Du Deine Geocaching-Mission für den Sommer entdecken.
Germany’s Frühjahrsputz am Kemnader See 2015 CITO group photo
Cache In Trash Out®, also known at CITO, is an ongoing environmental initiative supported by the worldwide geocaching community. Since 2002, geocachers around the world have been dedicated to improving parks and other cache-friendly places. Through these volunteer efforts, we help preserve the natural beauty of our outdoor resources.
Geocachers around the world celebrate International Cache In Trash Out Weekend annually by hosting and participating in CITO events in their local area. Events might be focused on litter clean-up, removal of invasive species, revegetation efforts or building trails. Together, we make an enormous positive impact. Did we mention that we also have a bit of fun while we’re at it?
The 13th Annual Cache In Trash Out Weekend is scheduled for April 24-27, 2015. So it’s time for you to roll up your sleeves. But what should you bring? What should you do? And my goodness, WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR? Don’t worry steadfast geocachers – we gotcha covered!
Lackeys Cindy, Carly, and Annika CITO up a storm
If you’re hosting a CITO, make sure to have:
A well stocked first aid kit
Directional signs so people can find the CITO location
Garbage bags – lots and lots of garbage bags
More garbage bags
Extra work gloves to protect hands
Necessary tools such as shovels, buckets, rakes, etc.
Water and snacks
Hand sanitizer
Safety vests for high-traffic areas
A lanyard for your whistle, camera, GPS, or any other gear you may need within reach
The Geocaching CITO Host Kit includes: 10 Official CITO Trash Bags, 1 CITO Vest, 1 Pair CITO Work Gloves, 1 Standard Lanyard, 1 Lanyard Pen, 1 CITO Geocoin- Gold, 5 CITO Trackable Tags. The Kit includes some items for getting the job done, as well as some very sought after give-a-ways for your guests.
If you’re attending a CITO:
Definitely dress for the weather, and for the area you’ll be working. For example, if you plan to clear blackberry bushes, shorts probably aren’t your best choice. Always bring work gloves, water, snacks, sunscreen, plus any tools that might come in handy like a grabber, shovel, or rake. Pro tip: labeling your tools with your name and phone number is a great idea in case your tools get mixed up during the event.
Tools of the (CITO) Trade
What about CIRO (Cache in, Recycle Out)?
Did you know that blue is the new green? Recycling bags are for anything that we can reuse, so make sure to bring some recycling bags to pick up those discarded water bottles, beer/soda cans, and the like. We found 50 bags selling on Amazon (30-gallon capacity) for about $20.00.
Signal is a fan of Cache In RECYCLE Out
Treat yourself:
You’ve worked hard. You smell like sweat and garbage. You’ve taken good care of Mother Earth. How about treating yourself to something pretty like a CITO Geocoin, Travel Tag, patch, pin, or a fresh T-shirt?
All these CTIO-licious items can be found in our shop at shop.geocaching.com
Make it a daily habit:
Why wait for a special event? How about you always bring an extra bag or two, and help keep Mother Earth happy whenever you’re out searching for that next smiley?
Why wait? CITO whenever the opportunity arises!
Will you be attending or hosting a CITO event this year? Tell us about it in the comments below!
CITO Weekend is Coming Up! Find an Event and Earn Your Souvenir.
CITO (Cache In Trash Out®) Weekend is coming up soon! On April 24–27, geocachers around the world gather at events to clean up natural areas, plant trees or remove invasive species and earn a souvenir. If you’re planning on creating your own event, remember that all events must be submitted at least two full weeks before the event date.
For those planning on attending an event and earning your souvenir, check out the Event Calendar or new geocache search to find CITOs near you. Make sure to mark your ‘Will Attend’ to let the event organizers know you’re coming.
In Case You Missed It: Journey to the Center of the EarthCache
On April 1, we released a short documentary video featuring a group of brave geocachers as they journeyed to the most difficult EarthCache in the world. Their trip was nothing short of incredible. If you haven’t seen it, watch it here.
Ready to join the team? Show your HARDCORE EARTHCACHER pride with a t-shirt and sticker from Shop Geocaching.
Nur noch zweieinhalb Wochen bis zum CITO-Wochenende 2015
Bald ist CITO-Wochenende! Vom 24.-27. April treffen sich Geocacher aus aller Welt bei Events, um die Landschaft zu säubern, Bäume zu pflanzen oder eingewanderte Arten zu entfernen und ein Souvenir zu bekommen. Falls Du ein eigenes Event planst: Denke daran, dass alle Events zwei Wochen vor dem Event-Datum eingereicht werden müssen.
Wenn Du vor hast, an einem Event teilzunehmen und Dir Dein Souvenir zu verdienen, solltest Du im Event-Kalender nach CITOs in Deiner Nähe suchen. Logge Deinen Teilnahmewunsch, um die Event-Veranstalter über Deine Teilnahme zu informieren.
Falls Du es verpasst hast: Die Reise zum Mittelpunkt des EarthCaches
Am 1. April haben wir eine kurze Dokumentation über eine Gruppe mutiger Geocacher und ihre Reise zum schwierigsten EarthCache der Welt veröffentlicht. Die Tour war einfach unglaublich. Sieh Dir das Video hier an, falls Du es noch nicht gesehen hast.
Bist Du bereit, dem Team beizutreten? Zeige mit dem T-Shirt und Aufkleber aus dem Geocaching-Shop, dass Du ein stolzer HARDCORE-EARTHCACHER bist.
Save the Earth & geocache? Yes please! We call it CITO (Cache in Trash Out).
In 2016, geocachers around the globe will gather together during the weeks of April 22-30 and September 17 – 25 to pick up trash, remove invasive species, repair trails and more—plus earn a pretty sweet new souvenir. If you’ve never hosted a CITO before and you don’t know where to begin, read on! Here are 6 steps to get you started.
1. Choose a location and a date
Since your CITO event will result in an improvement to a public space, pick an area that’s important to you and/or that needs special attention. Make sure you have permission to host the CITO from the local land manager. If you are unsure about which location is best, call a local park manager or geocaching organization. They can provide assistance and support in selecting the best location.
2. Pick an activity
At it’s very basic, a CITO event should involve geocachers taking part in an activity that produces an environmental improvement to a park or another cache-friendly place. CITO activities have ranged from trash pickups, to tree plantings, to invasive species removals, to trail maintenance. Need inspiration and direction? Talk to the land manager to find out where volunteers are most needed. See if there are any local environmental organizations already doing volunteer work, with whom you can partner. Call your city’s Parks and Recreation department to find out if any city volunteer initiatives are planned.
Your CITO event will need to be submitted online at least two weeks before the date of the event. Give yourself a bit more time than that to square away any details.
Type & Location: Select Cache In, Trash Out as the event type, and enter the coordinates where your event will take place.
Waypoints (Optional): Is there parking near your event? A trailhead you need to find to get to the right spot? Let folks know.
Description & Summary: Where is the event, what time does it start and end, and what will folks be doing? Is any special type of clothing or gear required? Will there be activities suitable for young children, or do you have to be a spring chicken to partake? Will there be a lunch break? Any safety concerns? The more details you can supply, the better.
4. Wait for the event to be published.
Once you’ve reviewed and submitted your event listing, your local Reviewer will likely publish the event or request changes to it within a week. If you don’t hear from your Reviewer, check to make sure the event listing is actually submitted and enabled. Check to see if the Reviewer has posted any Reviewer notes in the cache logs section. Once you’ve made any necessary changes, review and submit the listing once more. Feel free to ask your Reviewer for advice if you’re struggling with the event listing.
5. Once the event is published, let people know about it!
Is there a local geocaching organization you can reach out to, to let them know about your CITO? Maybe there are even some non-geocacher volunteer organizations you could recruit…the more the merrier!
6. On the day of the event…
Show up early.
Watch the cache page and your e-mail for last minute questions.
See to it that every person knows what the activity is, and how to do it.
Agree on a time and location to meet up and debrief at the close of the event.
After the event is over, keep the event listed long enough to allow people to log the event. Then write a thank you note, and archive it. Voila!
That’s all, folks! Remember: the CITO 2016 souvenir will be available for events during the weeks of April 22-30 and September 17 – 25, so if you’re planning to host an event that weekend make sure you submit the cache listing at least two weeks in advance, preferably more.
