City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department
2025 Cache In Trash Out
Give back, clean up, and find the “cached” prizes during this family fun eco-hunt. City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation, Iowa Geocacher's Association, Westwood Neighborhood Association, and other concerned citizens invite you on our unique hunt for trash. Help improve our creeks and central Iowa’s water quality! Volunteers will be wading through the creek or walking along the trails collecting litter, tires, and looking for the GIANT plastic eggs, with a prize in each! Trash bags, grabbers, and gloves will be provided.
Click "view description" for more details. Please fill in your information below - this will serve as signing our Volunteer Waiver. You will then receive a confirmation email with the event information and relevant files. Please note that the event will kick-off and wrap up at Pal Joey's (6224 Grand Ave), but volunteers will sign up for different cleanup locations in the Walnut Creek area and may drive to their designated parking location after checking in with staff.
Call 515-248-6399 or text DSMVOLUNTEERS to 84483 to sign-up for weather-related updates.
Want to learn more about the event? Click here to check out the highlight video from 2023!
VOLUNTEER GROUPS: Interested in reserving spots for a group? We can add a password-protected shift for your team! To get started, group leaders please confirm with your group the exact amount that can attend and then contact our staff to reserve your spots. To help us organize our events, plan for staff/supplies, and ensure we can fill our community's needs, we will end group sign-up at least two weeks prior to an event. If you have already been given a password, enter it below.
Questions? Email parksvolunteer@dmgov.org or contact 515-208-1835.
Special thank you to our donors: Blank Park Golf Course, Blank Park Zoo, Candle Bar DSM, The Cheese Shop/Bar, Cirque Wonderland, Corazon Coffee Roasters, Coffee Cats, Des Moines Playhouse, Either/Or, Five Monkeys Inc., Flora, G. Mig's 5th Street Pub, Heritage Carousel, HoQ Restaurant, Ingersoll Wine & Spirits, Pal Joey's (parking), Proctor Mechanical (parking), Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Starbucks (909 Locust St. - coffee donation), Westwood Neighborhood Association (prizes and treats), and Scott/Steve/Diane (volunteer group leaders and co-organizers).