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Geocache Trash


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Hi All

 

I have been looking lately at a lot of logs from aound my own area and have found a lot of logs that have comments regarding the amount of litter and general waste in the imediate vicinity to some caches in my area. While I dont think this is the CO's responsability to clear these areas around there cache I did think that maybe they should have put a bit more thought into where they placed a cache if the rubish was in existance when the cache was placed. But then as I thought a bit more about it, if every visitor to the cache practiced CITO then would the area not be cleared in no time. Further thought lead me to think that if a potential CO found a good spot where they wanted to place a cache would it not be better if they weren't put off by a lot of rubbish at the cache site as in the long run if everyone who visited the cache practiced CITO the area would be cleared in no time and Geocaching would directly benefit the enviroment.

 

So up for discussion. Do you practice CITO? I know I do sometimes but other times I dont so much.

 

If you identified an interesting area for a cache would excess rubish put you off placing a cache in that area?

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So I am only on my third day of geocaching, and I have found a lot of the sites to be covered in trash... One cache even had an empty candy bar wrapper on it. I have removed a total of 9 grocery bags of trash from just 17 finds. Might be because the snow is finally starting to melt, but that seems like a a lot of trash. My two year old loves helping out!

Edited by honeyandstar
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Hi All

 

I have been looking lately at a lot of logs from aound my own area and have found a lot of logs that have comments regarding the amount of litter and general waste in the imediate vicinity to some caches in my area. While I dont think this is the CO's responsability to clear these areas around there cache I did think that maybe they should have put a bit more thought into where they placed a cache if the rubish was in existance when the cache was placed. But then as I thought a bit more about it, if every visitor to the cache practiced CITO then would the area not be cleared in no time. Further thought lead me to think that if a potential CO found a good spot where they wanted to place a cache would it not be better if they weren't put off by a lot of rubbish at the cache site as in the long run if everyone who visited the cache practiced CITO the area would be cleared in no time and Geocaching would directly benefit the enviroment.

 

So up for discussion. Do you practice CITO? I know I do sometimes but other times I dont so much.

 

If you identified an interesting area for a cache would excess rubish put you off placing a cache in that area?

When we were on holiday in Portugal last year we came across this cache: CITO

Reading the logs it seems that the area is benefitting from cachers attention - but then it is a stunning location, not just a dump that needs clearing!

Edited by T.R.a.M.P.
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I don't like litter near a cache, and would not set one where there was an existing litter problem unless I decided to clear it myself first. Litter that arrives after setting a cache is trickier.

 

Your CITO suggestion is very laudable, but in some places it would be a losing battle. I do occasionaly clear up litter, but only where there is a small amount of litter in a sensitive place, e.g. I would pick up litter miles from anywhere in the middle of a moor in order to reduce it from 1 item to 0 items, but I wouldn't pick up 1 piece out of 100 or more in a local park - I'd feel that it just wouldn't make enough difference.

 

Rgds, Andy

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Sometimes I see something I'd really like to tidy up (that's the way my mind works), but I'll be completely honest - I'm not organized enough to follow through on it. I never have a bag or anything suitable to take litter away in.

 

I did toy with an idea a while ago to leave "CITO packs" as swap items in caches. But I was worried about encouraging people, maybe kids, to touch things they really shouldn't. Overall I think CITO works best as an organized thing, where someone can dish out bin-bags and rigger gloves and generally make sure everyone's being sensible.

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I recently had the 'pleasure' of finding a cache carefully hidden directly beneath a dog waste bin. Is this the ultimate CITO cache?!? A number of the caches hidden locally are positioned in areas that seem to attract large amounts of junk - I wonder whether this is a symptom of the trend towards urban caching? I don't recall this problem being so prevalent a few years ago..

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I'll quote myself from a post I made a few days ago :P

 

In my local area there don't seem to be any places where it's possible to practice CITO... Either the area is as clean as a whistle or you can't really see the floor for old washing machines and car tyres. Aside from that, although I'm new to caching and have been going on relatively easy walks to do it, my preference is hill and mountain walking. Perhaps other people have the stamina to spend half the time stopping to pick up litter so that they can cart it over hill and fell with them, but I find it challenging enough already. Not that I'd discourage events aimed at CITO; that's quite different.

 

As far as the problem goes though, I think the solution for society is to discourage the litterers from dropping their rubbish in the first place, rather than encouraging the rest of us to pick it up for them. CITO is sadly only a very temporary fix. If there were a scheme where, whilst out geocaching, you jab anyone you see littering with a cattle prod... I'd do that :D

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