Introduction to Geocaching Images are either personal or taken from geocaching.com site unless otherwise noted…

Agenda What is geocaching? How GPS works History of geocaching How to use geocaching.com Popularity ~ Options ~ Etiquette Educational Possibilities Interesting stories Questions Hands-on search…

What is Geocaching? Treasure hunt for kids….. and adults

News video clip from USA News video clip from USA or

How does GPS work?

History of… Oregon gps user Container with gadgets & logbook Online local challenge Sign the logbook and… “Take some stuff, leave some stuff."

Within three days two others had found the bucket and geocaching was born. As word spread, others followed suit…. “If you hide it, they will find it.” Over time, a website was created to help organize the new sport… GEOCACHING.COM History of…

Geocaching.com serves as an online database where “hiders” can tell others where a cache has been hidden and “finders” can look for new challenges. A large amount of information describing cache locations, sizes, etc. is available by logging on to this website. How does geocaching.com enable this?

Guess how many hidden in a 20 mile radius (32 KM) of E3B 6J8 (FHS Postal Code) GUESS!!!!

1784!

Geocaching.com How to use Internet down or too slow??? Click here for backup slides….

When you return home, login to geocaching.com and record your find online. Ex: “Found your cache early this afternoon without difficulty. Enjoyed the scenery but not the mosquitoes;-) Took the City of Moncton pin and left a Keychain. TFTF (Thanks for the find) Other popular acronyms: FTF & TNLNSL (First to Find) (Took nothing, left nothing, saw lots) Geocaching.com keeps a record of your results…. LINKLINK

Then it’s your turn to hide your own..

Caching “etiquette” Re-hide better than you found it

Caching Responsibility Caches should not contain hazardous material (including food). Avoid environmentally sensitive areas (ex: within days noticeable trail) Private property ~ need permission! Include “Stash note” Cache maintenance….water, animals, etc… Caches must be placed in approved locations (ex: highway median/black box besides major bridge not good idea) Safe searching (include compass, spare batteries, survival gear,etc.)

How popular is it? Guess how many caches in New Brunswick? 3115 (March, 2007) 9375 (April 2012) geocachers plan trips around ‘caching. “Geofanatics” try to find as many as they can, some even go to further lengths

New Brunswick…

Maritimes

Options: Travelbugs Multicache Premium membership Don’t forget to click on puck!

Even more options… Event Cache Geocoin Nightcache

GPS Designs on Google Earth Triangle Carm Stickman

Interesting stories…. Ultimate cache? 909c e-442f-aa8f-b71be68a772b

Turn GPS on by holding power button for a few seconds

Wait patiently…

Give GPS time to acquire satellites

Change pages until you get to the Main menu page

“Main Menu” page

Use joystick to select FIND Warning! Joystick is difficult for first time users.

Waypoints

Nearest HINT: If no luck with “nearest” try “By Name””

Select the cache number you’re looking for Need to use Joystick to move up and down and select waypoint

Then “Goto” Again, need to use joystick to move around and select.

Then follow arrow

Reminders: Move leaves, plants, etc. Look up and down; try moving around. Faster you move, better for GPS (don’t need to run) Heavy foilage/bridges/buildings=poor reception Always a chance the cache has been moved/removed.