Out On the Wing #95: Geocacher
Just what is "geocaching"?
It's one of those new outdoor hobbies that has sprung up in the 21st century alongside flying remote controlled drones or bow hunting Asian carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) from a speeding motorboat. Well perhaps it isn't as crazy as the last one, but it does involve searching for Tupperware containers in the woods containing a logbook and small tradeable objects that can only be located by using a GPS unit. That's the basic gist of it anyway.
I first learned how to geocache while working as an intern at the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association in Pennington, NJ. My fellow teacher naturalists would go out with local girl scout groups on our 930 acre property to look for the various caches which could range from the size of a shoebox to a test tube or even smaller. I've even seen some artificial caches that are modeled to look like rocks, pine cones, and even a golf ball. After using the GPS unit to get close to the cache, you would then search the surrounding area for it. It could be buried under rocks, along a stone wall, under logs, or in a hole. After recovering the cache, you can then fill out the logbook and trade items in it if you wish. After rehiding the cache, you then can note online or on the GPS whether you found it, didn't find it, the cache needs maintenance, or any comments you wish to make.
Yesterday, my girlfriend and I journeyed near Flint Pond in Lincoln to find the cache near a gnarled old cedar called "The Witch Tree". Needless to say, it was located near the road and was very easy to find. When I opened it up, it was frozen on the inside and even the logbook was frozen solid. Despite these difficulties, I still managed to sign the logbook and with my first geocache under my belt, I want to find even more. That's why I'm making it a goal to create two of my own geocaches and find 100 in the new year! I want to have an excuse to explore new areas and find some cool things just waiting to be discovered.
As the new year looms, I want to continue learning about the creatures and plants that surround us and make this part of the world unique. While I didn't make it to 350 species on my birding life list (a feat I'll discuss in the next post), I did enjoy meeting new people and experiencing the outdoors like never before. To live is a gift, but to live with the intent to explore, learn, and create makes for a fuller life and a richer experience.
It's one of those new outdoor hobbies that has sprung up in the 21st century alongside flying remote controlled drones or bow hunting Asian carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) from a speeding motorboat. Well perhaps it isn't as crazy as the last one, but it does involve searching for Tupperware containers in the woods containing a logbook and small tradeable objects that can only be located by using a GPS unit. That's the basic gist of it anyway.
I first learned how to geocache while working as an intern at the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association in Pennington, NJ. My fellow teacher naturalists would go out with local girl scout groups on our 930 acre property to look for the various caches which could range from the size of a shoebox to a test tube or even smaller. I've even seen some artificial caches that are modeled to look like rocks, pine cones, and even a golf ball. After using the GPS unit to get close to the cache, you would then search the surrounding area for it. It could be buried under rocks, along a stone wall, under logs, or in a hole. After recovering the cache, you can then fill out the logbook and trade items in it if you wish. After rehiding the cache, you then can note online or on the GPS whether you found it, didn't find it, the cache needs maintenance, or any comments you wish to make.
Yesterday, my girlfriend and I journeyed near Flint Pond in Lincoln to find the cache near a gnarled old cedar called "The Witch Tree". Needless to say, it was located near the road and was very easy to find. When I opened it up, it was frozen on the inside and even the logbook was frozen solid. Despite these difficulties, I still managed to sign the logbook and with my first geocache under my belt, I want to find even more. That's why I'm making it a goal to create two of my own geocaches and find 100 in the new year! I want to have an excuse to explore new areas and find some cool things just waiting to be discovered.
As the new year looms, I want to continue learning about the creatures and plants that surround us and make this part of the world unique. While I didn't make it to 350 species on my birding life list (a feat I'll discuss in the next post), I did enjoy meeting new people and experiencing the outdoors like never before. To live is a gift, but to live with the intent to explore, learn, and create makes for a fuller life and a richer experience.
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