Wombling free – Chalking the Horse — Geocache of the Week
- Cache In Trash Out Event
- GC87M05
- by The Wombles
- Location:
- Southern England, United Kingdom
- N 51° 34.630′ W 001° 34.005′
Cache In Trash Out® (CITO) is an environmental initiative supported by the geocaching community. Since 2002, CITO Events help preserve the natural beauty of cache-friendly spaces. In that time, more than 363,000 people have volunteered at 18,000 events.
Lots of cachers think of CITO as a chance to pick up trash—which it definitely is. But it’s also a chance to preserve the integrity of cache-friendly places in other ways!
Hosted by cache owner The Wombles, Wombling free – Chalking the Horse brings cachers together to restore a prehistoric chalked horse figure in Uffington. While it isn’t unusual for CITOs to be limited to one occurrence, this particular CITO recurs twice annually. This means that, if you’re in the UK, you have multiple opportunities to participate—making it a perfect candidate for our Geocache of the Week!
The Uffington White Horse is a prehistoric chalk figure in the English hillside shaped like, you guessed it, a horse. First drawn approximately 3,000 years ago by inhabitants of either the Iron or Bronze age, it requires routine cleaning and preservation.
The Wombles partnered with the National Trust to host this event twice in the past year, and another event is planned for July of 2020. The National Trust provides the guidelines, tools, and safety instructions; the geocachers provide the willing participants.
The day consists of cleaning the weeds and moss that grow in the chalk lines followed by reapplying chalk. The figure itself is cut nearly three feet (one meter) into the ground, so this is no easy task!
Attendees of this CITO participate in a 3,000-year tradition of maintenance and care for this unique historical landmark, the oldest white horse figure in Britain—and you can too! Keep your eyes peeled for the next CITO from this enterprising host.
Tomorrow, check out our interview with The Wombles for tips, tricks, and inspiration on hosting your own creative and impactful CITO.
GC87M05 – Wombling free – Chalking the Horse by The Wombles from Paul Smith on Vimeo.
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Source: Geocaching
