Geocaching - History

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

(2012). The History of Geocaching. Retrieved from http://www.geocaching.com/about/history.aspx

(2012). Geocaching 101. Retrieved from http://www.geocaching.com/guide/

(February 17, 2012). Selective Availability. Retrieved from http://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/modernization/sa/

Clinton, Bill. (May 1, 2000). Statement by the President Regarding the United States Decision to Stop Degrading Global Positioning System Accuracy. Retrieved from http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/FGCS/info/sans_SA/docs/statement.html