1. Introduction to Geocaching
Thursday, November 1st, Connaught
By:
Carmel Desjardins
Images are either personal or taken from geocaching.com site unless otherwise noted…

2. Agenda What is geocaching? How GPS works History of geocaching
How to use geocaching.com (emphasis unless no/slow internet)
Popularity ~ Options ~ Etiquette
Educational Possibilities
Interesting stories
Questions
Hands-on search…

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

4. News video clip from USA or

5. How does GPS work? Click on GPS Ask me why I bought a GPS?

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

7. “If you hide it, they will find it.”
History of…
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

8. How does geocaching.com enable this?
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.

9. (Crowne Plaza Postal Code) GUESS!!!!
Guess how many hidden in a 50 mile radius of E3B 5A6
(Crowne Plaza Postal Code) GUESS!!!!
N **°**.***
W***°**.***

10. 782!

11. Geocaching.com How to use E3B 5A6
Internet down or too slow??? Click here for backup slides….

12. (Took nothing, left nothing, saw lots)
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…. L I N K

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

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

15. 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.)

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

17. Nova Scotia…

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

19. Even more options… Event Cache Nightcache Geocoin

20. Educational Geocaching
Hi-tech “Flat Stanley”
Travel bugs with special goals
Math ~ Distance, area, perimeter
Outdoor Pursuits ~ Orienteering
Geography ~ Obvious
M/S Technology ~ Scott Parks (Albert St.)
Science ~ Nature walks
English ~ Journals
Environmental Science ~ CITO
Webquests (

21. GPS Designs on Google Earth
Triangle
Carm
Stickman

22. Interesting stories…. Ultimate cache? Irving Nature Park
Firefighter Bert

23. Questions? IDEAS?????
On to challenge……

24. Connaught Elementary School
Your Task…
FIND
Connaught Elementary School
Waypoints:
CES1 (“Rocky”)
CES2 (“Transformer”) OR
Odell Park:
Odelllower
Microodell
#35-57 Q&A

25. Turn GPS on by holding power button for a few seconds

26. Wait patiently…

27. Give GPS time to acquire satellites

28. Change pages until you get to the Main menu page

29. “Main Menu” page

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

31. Waypoints

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

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

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

35. Then follow arrow

36. 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.