Geocaching -- a Real-World Treasure Hunt ( By Sarah Harvey

Geocaching Defined Geocaching is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure. A geocacher can place a geocache in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache’s existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS unit can then try to locate the geocache.

Creating a Geocache Begin by reading Geocaching 101 – Next read Hiding Your First Geocache – Finish by reading Geocache Listing Requirements/Guidelines –

Geocaching Slang BYOP Bring Your Own Pen/Pencil. An acronym often used by cache owners to communicate to other geocachers that you will need to bring your writing utensil in order to sign the cache logbook. CITO Cache In Trash Out is an ongoing environmental initiative supported by the worldwide geocaching community. Since 2002, geocachers have been dedicated to cleaning up parks and other cache-friendly places around the world. Learn more at DNF Did Not Find. An acronym used by geocachers to state that they did not find a cache. This is also a type of online log on Geocaching.com and is useful for alerting cache owners of potential issues. Cache owners who repeatedly receive "Did Not Find" logs should check to see that there cache has not been removed. FTF First to Find. An acronym written by geocachers in physical cache logbooks or online when logging cache finds to denote being the first to find a new geocache Ground Zero (GZ) The point where your GPS device shows that you have reached the cache location. At Ground Zero, you are zero feet (or zero meters) away from your destination. Hitchhiker A hitchhiker is an item that is placed in a cache, and has instructions to travel to other caches. Sometimes they have logbooks attached so you can log their travels. A Travel Bug (TB) is an example of a hitchhiker.Travel Bug

Geocaching Slang 2 Mega-Event Cache A Mega-Event cache is an Event Cache that is attended by 500+ people. Mega-Events offer geocachers a day of planned activities. There are often several days of additional activities surrounding a Mega-Event. These large events attract geocachers from all over the world and are often held annually. Muggle A non-geocacher. Based on "Muggle" from the Harry Potter series, which is a non- magical person. Usually this term is used after a non geocacher looks puzzled after befriending a geocacher searching for a cache, or when a non-geocacher accidentally finds a cache. Geomuggles are mostly harmless. SWAG An acronym often referred to as standing for 'Stuff We All Get." It includes the trade items left in caches by geocachers. TFTC Thanks For The Cache. An acronym written by geocachers in physical cache logbooks or online when logging cache finds. TFTH Thanks For The Hide TNLN Took Nothing. Left Nothing. Usually written in cache logbooks by geocachers who do not trade for material contents in a cache. TNLNSL / TNSL Took Nothing. Left Nothing. Signed Logbook / Took Nothing. Signed Logbook. TOTT Tools of the Trade. An acronym used for any of the tools that might be used to search for/retrieve/find/log a geocache.

Geocaching Slang 3 Virtual (cache) A Virtual Cache is about discovering a location rather than a container. The requirements for logging a Virtual Cache vary—you may be required to answer a question about the location, take a picture, complete a task, etc. In any case, you must visit the coordinates before you can post your log. Although many locations are interesting, a Virtual Cache should be out of the ordinary enough to warrant logging a visit. ( Webcam Cache These are caches that use existing web cameras placed by individuals or agencies that monitor various areas like parks or business complexes. The idea is to get yourself in front of the camera to log your visit. The challenging part is that you need to call a friend to look up the web site that displays the camera shot. You will need to have them to save the picture in order to log the cache. If you’re a tech-head you could save the image yourself by using a wireless modem and a laptop. More definitions can be found at

Finding a cache

Finding a cache…2

Local Caches to North Valleys High

Premium Cache example

Treasure Island #7

A Dub

Log or Geocache?

Geocaching Ideas for the Classroom Go to Community, Discussion Forums, and Education and Geocaching Art : creating geocaches containers and SWAG English : writing history reports, experiences geocaching, creating stories around what they’ve seen, SWAG items, creating a geocaching experience around a book, classroom penpals History : researching history of physical locations of caches Industrial arts : creating geocache containers

Geocaching Ideas for the Classroom 2 International languages : themed geocaches and researching geocaches in that land and language, travel bugs, classroom penpals Math – Geometry : calculating angles when connecting caches for most efficient routes Algebra : creating word problems for students based on distances between caches or as clues Orienteering/Social Studies : different types of map reading skills, Donner Party – Geography : landforms and landmarks

Geocaching Ideas for the Classroom 3 Sciences : solve problems to get clues to next cache – Biology : Flora and fauna – Chemistry : clues, forensic science – Geology : landform creation understanding, seeing different strata in person – Physics : clues from experiments, creating geocache containers Participation/Teamwork : groups working together to solve clues and find caches

Geocaching Ideas for the Classroom 4 *Just a note, only permanent caches go on Geocaching.com. If this is only for a class, create temporary caches in house off of the website *Sometimes there will already be geocaches within 500 feet of school property and Geocaching.com won’t allow you to place caches closer than 500 feet

Geocaching Ideas for the Library You can create a multi or a puzzle or a letterbox that starts somewhere outside the library and uses clues, coordinates, or puzzles to lead you inside. You can also have the inside portion full of clues lead the finders outside to find the final. From Programming Librarian ( 2010/searching-for-hidden-treasure.html#.UvLoV1Nbeig)Programming Librarianhttp:// 2010/searching-for-hidden-treasure.html#.UvLoV1Nbeig – To acquaint first-year students with the library, Notre Dame’s Hesburgh Libraries developed Cache the Libraries! Inspired by geocaching, this hunt featured caches hidden throughout campus libraries. Students who were able to find all of the caches were entered in a drawing for an iPod Shuffle, and t-shirts and other prizes were also awarded.Notre Dame’s Hesburgh Libraries – The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library offered two geocaching programs. Geocaching— What’s That?? featured a Skype interview with a well-known geocache expert, Andy “Head Hard Hat” Smith, an introduction to the game, and details on alternative ways to participate, such as Letterboxing. The program concluded with an actual treasure hunt and raffle with prizes that included child and adult GPS units. Treasure Your Library was a two-and-a-half-week hunt for caches hidden in the system’s libraries that offered successful participants the chance to win a handheld global positioning system (GPS) unit.Toledo-Lucas County Public Library

Geocaching Ideas for the Library 2 – Washington-Centerville Public Library celebrated its 200th anniversary with its Historical Geocache Adventure, which gave participants the opportunity to “look for clues (caches) hidden in our community, learn something about our Library’s history, and have fun in the process!” The year-long program offers new cache coordinates each month; those who find all twelve caches will receive a t-shirt, and one person will receive a GPS unit. Washington-Centerville Public Library – The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County tied geocaching into its Big Read program on To Kill a Mockingbird. The library was able to borrow GPS units from the Geospatial Information & Technology Association’s Location in Education Program to lend to patrons. Clues pointed to certain page numbers in To Kill a Mockingbird, which in turn provided coordinates for successive caches.Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County Geospatial Information & Technology Association – Chicago Public Library also used geocaching to tie in with its One Book, One Chicago read on Carl Smith’s The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of An American City. Designed for teens, the hunt contained caches with historical information about Burnham and his plan. Chicago Public Library – Waterville Public Library offered a workshop on geocaching led by the library’s director, Heather Bente, an avid geocacher. Participants met at the library for a hour of computer time setting up online geocaching accounts and learning about GPS coordinates and devices, then spent two hours at Waterville Farm Park putting their new geocache skills to the test. Waterville Public Library

Geocaching Ideas for the Library 3 Each backpack contains a paperback copy of The Geocaching Handbook and a quick-start guide produced by the library. The critical piece of equipment in each backpack is a Garmin eTrex 20 handheld GPS device. Ten were purchased with about $1,800 in grant funds. Loaning the GPS device enabled anyone, regardless of disposable income, to enter the game. A second incentive was a little piece of metal called a travel bug. To geocachers, it is a real treasure. Similar to a military dog tag, a travel bug has a serial number. All five library caches initially contained one. The game creator posts a mission for each bug online, such as “Visit every state park in New York.” Geocachers carry out the bug’s mission one step at a time and, as it turns out, love being put to work. We are currently working with our county's libraries to set up "Geo Days," our summer geocaching program. The programs will consist of a Geocaching how-to for beginners, a segment where participants can make their own geocache and create a signature swag item, and then the day will end with finding an actual geocache. Nearly all of the libraries we're hosting a program at have geocaches near their facility but we will also be setting up temporary caches for the programs. If you'd to see our sample itinerary, feel free to send me an at

Geocaching Ideas for the Library 4 Seven caches required to receive the 90th Anniversary of the Arlington Public Library pathtag. (First 90 finders by July 25, 2013)...and the end-of-program event. (Arlington Public Library Adult Summer Reading Program (shared, public) During the Month of March, we will have numerous Racing in the Rain related geocaches hidden throughout the city. Using your GPS as your guide, it will be up to you to figure out the clues and find the treasures! ( Creating geocaches and swag in house, leading geocaching tours

The End Geocaching -- a Real-World Treasure Hunt ( By Sarah Harvey *Feel free to contact me