geocaching for preservation

[edwardwatson]

I wondered how many CW preservation-minded folks do geocaching and would it be feasible to work with the CWPT or MOC to create geocoins used in the hobby to raise money for preservation. Trackable geocoins could be created and sold to raise money for preservation.

Also, the CWPT could establish geocaches on their properties and use battle information to solve multi-stage geocaches. I thought it would be a good way to introduce geocachers that might not be interested in history to the battlefields and men of the war, etc.

Thoughts?

[dusty27]

Re: geocaching for preservation

Edward,

Excuse my ignorance, but could you explain "geocaching"?

[edwardwatson]

Re: geocaching for preservation

Folks create a cache, usually a water tight box with a log book and other items in it, and register the boxes location on a geocaching website such as geocaching.com. The lat/long or UTM coordinates are registered and usually a brief description of the idea behind the cache. You enter the lat/long or UTM on your GPS and start driving towards the location following your GPS. Once you find the cache you make an entry in the logbook and record the find in your own logbook. You might take an item from the box (like a geocoin) but you have to leave something if you do.

Some caches require puzzles to be solved to get the full location. For example, a CWPT site might require naming the Federal commander on this battlefield, take the first letter of his last name and subtract 4. The answer provides the lat fix 35deg, 24min, 3x sec. Let's say the commander is Grant, "G" is the 7th letter in the alphabet, subtract 4 = 3. So the lat would be 35.24.33.

Some cache's require multiple legs to be completed to get to the final location. The CWPT or geocachers could create multi-leg caches that took the geocacher around a battlefield requiring them to learn facts about the battle to complete each leg.

Many geocachers buy or have coins made that can be tracked through geocaching.com. When you find a geocache, you leave a geocoin in it. The next person that finds the cache takes the coin and leaves in a cache they later find and register the coins new location. You can follow the coins movement through the geocaching.com website.

Our school system uses geocaching to teach basic math skills along with any other subject. Students might be required to answer US history or science questions to complete a multi-leg cache.

This is a very basic explanation of the hobby. geocaching.com has more information. If anyone wants to correct/supplement my comments, please do, I just started the hobby.

[dusty27]

Re: geocaching for preservation

Sounds a little like letter boxing which my son's scout den has done in the past.

[DJCasey]

Re: geocaching for preservation

Oh no, my two hobbies are converging! It's like that bad Brady Bunch episode where peter has to run back and forth between two dates.

As for the Civil War geocoins, there are already a set out there. You can find them here: http://www.civilwargeocoins.com/ I do not believe any of the money from these coins go to preservation (at least it is not mentioned on the site), but they do promote visiting the sites. I think a preservation coin would be a great idea. I think geocachers would buy those up very quickly.

Edward, if you have not seen this, sources for custom coins cand be found at: http://www.geocaching.com/track/geocoin.aspx

I have cached on and around several Civil War battlefields. While physical caches are not aloud on national parks and battlefields (for good reason), but many battlefields and national park have what are called "virtual" caches. In a virtual cache, the creator of the cache gives you the coordinates to a specific site and you need to report information back to the "owner" that you could only find at that site to get the credit for a find. It usually takes you to an interesting or of the beaten path location.