Geocaching
The History and Management
In one of my classes this semester, I had to do a project that included a short paper and then an in-class presentation on some aspect of Outdoor Recreation Management. I chose Geocaching because it happens to be a hobby of mine.
I am actually still in class right now. I just finished presenting and need some way of winding down just a bit. Relaxing. So, I'm creating a blog post.
I've decided to share my paper here on the blog.
Geocaching
Geocaching is a relatively new form of outdoor recreation. Geocaching
is, “a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices.
Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to
find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.” (Geocaching.com, 2012).
Due to the nature of Geocaching, managers have had to create rules to the game
and implement some creative aspects to help decrease the impact on the natural
resources.
A global positioning system, or GPS unit, must be able to
communicate with at least three satellites to be able to triangulate your
position and calculate where you are on Earth. The more satellites your GPS is
able to communicate with, the more precisely and accurately it is able to
calculate your position.
Prior to May 2, 2000, a personal global positioning system,
or GPS, was limited to the number of satellites it was able to connect to due
to a policy known as selective availability (SA). Selective availability was
originally implemented for national security reasons. Only the military and
some scientific research companies had GPS units allowed to communicate with a
significant number of satellites at any given time. In March of 1996, it was
announced that SA would be discontinued by the year 2006 following a study on
the impacts it might have. On May 1, 2000, President Bill Clinton announced
that SA would be discontinued that night. He said, “My decision to discontinue
SA was based upon a recommendation by the Secretary of Defense in coordination
with the Departments of State, Transportation, Commerce, the Director of
Central Intelligence, and other Executive Branch Departments and Agencies. They
realized that a worldwide transportation safety, scientific, and commercial
interests could be best served by discontinuation of SA.” (Clinton, 2000).
Just after midnight the morning of May 2, 2000 selective
availability was switched off, which sent instructions to 24 satellites to
allow them to communicate with privately owned GPS units. This improved the
accuracy of these units up to ten times more accurate than they were just the
day before. The next day, May 3, an Oregon man named Dave Ulmer decided to put
the new accuracy to the test. So he planted a 5-gallon bucket with a few items
including some VHS, small gadgets, and a few dollar bills in a semi-remote
location. He recorded the coordinates and posted them on the internet that
evening with a challenge for others to find it, sign a log book, and trade
items within the cache. Within three days, two individuals had found the cache.
They then recorded the experience online. Others read the posts and became
excited to try it out. The concept spread quickly. Other people began planting
their own caches and posting them on the internet. It became known as the “GPS
Stash Hunt.” The term “Geocaching” was later coined by Matt Stum.
With its growing popularity, it soon became apparent that
guidelines needed to be set. Especially in regards to where a cache was placed.
All local laws and documented land management policies apply. In order to place
a cache, you must have the permission of the land owner or land manager before
hiding it, whether on private or public land. A geocache placement cannot
damage, deface, or destroy property. Wildlife and the natural environment are
not harmed by the placement of a geocache. You may not bury a cache. You can
only plant a geocache in an area that is available to the general public, and
not inside of a building or business. This means that geocaches are not allowed
on military bases, or other government-owned lands (Geocaching.com, 2012)
Since Geocaching first began, many different types of
geocaches have been created. Each type is designed for a specific type of area
and requires a different type of management.
A traditional or multi cache is like the original cache in
Oregon where a container (between the size of a bison tube and a large ammo
box) of some sort is hidden with a log book and, in some cases, items to trade.
This type of cache is the one most likely to have negative impacts on natural
resources and wildlife because of litter, foot traffic, etc. When you hide and
publish a traditional geocache, you are committing to caring for the cache
itself, and the area surrounding it. You check up on it regularly. Empty it of
trash, clean up any litter from the surrounding area, and make sure there are
no significant negative impacts resulting from having a geocache in that
location.
A Mystery, Puzzle, or Earth cache is usually
educational-based. Often times, you will find them at historical sites,
wildlife refuges, and other similar locations. To claim a find for this type of
cache, you post a picture of your GPS with a landmark, such as an interpretive
sign, with a short paragraph telling something that you learned from your visit
to the site. This one is meant to have a very low impact on the area. There is
nothing to sign, and the only thing you take home with you is a picture. Very
little management is required to host this type of cache.
A Virtual cache is very similar to the Mystery, Puzzle, and
Earth caches. It is designed to follow the principle of “Leave Only Footprints,
Take Only Pictures.” Virtual caches are generally for areas that do not have
interpretive signs and are meant to be preserved as a scenic landscape. For a
virtual cache, you might have to find a specific spot on a trail, or a specific
tree using your GPS and take a picture with you and your GPS unit standing at
that spot. One example of this is the Virtual cache at Delicate Arch in Arches
National Park. At the end of your hike, you find a specific spot on the rock
wall. You must sit in that spot and have a picture taken of you with your GPS,
then post it to Geocaching.com in order to claim it as a find. This type of
cache also requires very little management.
\The last main types of geocache are the Event, Mega-Event,
and Cache In Trash Out Event caches. An event cache is when Geocachers meet at
a specific waypoint at a designated time and take a group picture. Participants
sign a log to prove they were there. If your name is on the physical log, you
are allowed to register it as a find on Geocaching.com. A Mega-Event is an
event cache with 500 or more participants. These require a significant amount
of planning and preparation from a management standpoint, but once the event is
over and cleaned up, they require no more management. Event caches are
generally held around holidays, or on other significant days such as Leap Day.
A Cache In Trash Out Event cache is when a group of
Geocachers gather at a location to perform some sort of clean-up or conservation
project. Litter is cleaned from roadsides and trails. Invasive species of weeds
such as Dyers Woad is removed. After you participate in the project, you sign a
log. Individuals on the log book are allowed to register the event as a cache
find online. When a Cache In Trash Out event is planned, it usually involves
professional conservationists, park rangers, and outdoor recreation
specialists. A lot of preparation and time goes into hosting such an event, but
there is no maintenance necessary on the part of the Geocachers once the
project is completed. These projects can have very positive effects on outdoor
recreation and natural resources.
New outdoor recreation activities such as Geocaching are
developing and outdoor recreation natural resource managers need to be prepared
to play a part in managing these activities and making sure they will make the
lowest amount of negative impact as possible.
References
