Family fun time in nature before back to school: Discover geocaching!

Entertainment and recreation don’t come cheap in this day and age. According to Statistics Canada, the average annual household expenditure on recreation was $3,773 back in 2012, and there's no question that prices have gone up in general since then.

The good news is there is still plenty of family friendly fun that fits the bill, and most importantly, provides a rare chance to connect with nature. In this series, we’re introducing one activity a week to try with your kids in the weekends before they head back to school!

Back in February, this Land Lines blog post on family fun for the winter introduced geocaching as an activity to be enjoyed year-round. If this is the first time you’ve heard of geocaching it can be best described as a modern-day treasure hunt for anything by anyone, using global positioning system (GPS). Best of all, it’s free!

Currently, there are over six million geocachers and 2,457,797 active caches worldwide, meaning we are literally surrounded by treasure and walking past hidden gems every day! Basically, a geocache, or "cache" for short, is usually a container with a log book, description or note about the cache and sometimes contains pieces like memorabilia that users can take. The only guideline is to put something back in its place or follow the instructions of the specific cache. Players can log their finds on the official website under their account and participate in forums.

As for me, I have never met a geocacher or played the game until now. But there is no shortage of outdoor and nature enthusiasts at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) who can share their first-hand experiences.

People and Peeps

Denise Roy from the New Brunswick office has been a geocacher for several years and says her adventure began through a group of friends. Through this game, Denise was able to explore her neighbourhood and even went onto hiding a geocache herself — one near the Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Reserve and Interpretive Centre called “People and Peeps.”

“People and Peeps is a cache I placed under my personal account because I wanted to share this magical place with others. I wanted to make it fun and education for seekers because discovery of this cache lets people learn about shorebirds — the peeps— and the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s work at Johnson’s Mills and the interpretive centre.”

Finding the Johnson's Mills geocache (Photo by NCC)

Visitors really do enjoy this find, as evidenced by the many TFTCs (thank you for the cache) posted on the geocaching forum.

“Geocaching is not always as easy as it sounds. Satellite signals sometimes bounce around and make zeroing in on the cache a challenge,” says Denise.  People and Peeps is not the only cache found on NCC properties.

Denise knows of at least five more caches in the Johnson’s Mills area and several hidden in the Musquash Estuary. If you’re in the area, or plan on visiting, be sure to come out to the Five Fathom Hole Trail and Black Beach Trail, where you can enjoy a nice hike and score three caches in one trip! 

Guidelines for geocachers

Keeping this activity manageable takes a lot of coordinated efforts, including clear guidelines that ensure players are compliant with local laws. Cache listings must also abide by land management policies and seek consent and permission from public or private landowners. The Nature Conservancy of Canada has a set of guidelines that aims to protect sensitive habitats and wildlife from disruption while allowing the public to enjoy low-impact nature recreation on publicly accessible properties. Ultimately, it boils down to fostering respect for the environment. A great way to remember basic player’s conduct is to “cache in, trash out” every time.

EarthCache

Lesley Neilson, communications manager for NCC's BC Region, recommends a subset of geocache called EarthCache, where you are searching for a natural feature — such as a waterfall or interesting rock formation or cultural artefact — that is located at the GPS coordinates. Earthcaching is a great way to explore the outdoors and learn about the natural environment. In fact the main goal of the Earthcache movement is to educate seekers about the natural world. Many Earthcaches are located in national parks or conservation areas where you would not be able to leave a physical geocache — so instead of a trinket and a log book, the reward of an Earthcache is what you learn, and what you take away is knowledge and a new experience.

Discover what's in your neighbourhood and beyond!

This international game — some call it a sport — may be one of the cheapest ways to satisfy our appetite for exploration and novelty with the benefit of prompting us to go outdoors. While geocaching, finders may not realize they’ve signed up for experiences that expand their horizons while building a wealth of knowledge and appreciation of nature. 

Are you ready to discover what’s in your neighbourhood and beyond? Tell us if you’ve tried geocaching and your most interesting/prized find!

For information on geocaching in NCC properties, contact our local Regional offices.