Geocachers in the real world

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09-29-2008, 05:58 PM
Medawisla

Geocachers in the real world

One of the great characteristics of the geocachers I've met over the years is our eagerness to help others understand and experience geocaching.:) I thought we could start a thread that'd be about helping others. To find cacher volunteers to help when needed, to get ideas, to find those needing help, to get support when helping others, etc. Best of all to share stories.:D

Recently, one of our active cachers helped a lady from the Orono Land Trust to try and correct her coordinates as she's trying hard to introduce folks to their trails. She just didn’t know how to properly use her GPSr nor did the person trying to help her. Hopefully the cacher's new coordinates will be a bit better so folks can at least get close to the caches.

I know there's others who've done great work with Land Trusts, as well as other groups and individuals...please share. :cool:
09-30-2008, 07:57 AM
EvilHomer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Medawisla

Recently, one of our active cachers helped a lady from the Orono Land Trust to try and correct her coordinates as she's trying hard to introduce folks to their trails. She just didn’t know how to properly use her GPSr nor did the person trying to help her. Hopefully the cacher's new coordinates will be a bit better so folks can at least get close to the caches.

AHHHH-HAA! We thought something odd was afoot! :) I am glad to hear that they are getting some help. Now I cant wait until they republish! I am fairly new and haven't learned ALL the tricks of the trade, but I am always willing to give advice or help newbies that want to place a cache and dont quite know what they need to do. Maybe we can start a basic training course for new cachers? I know that some of us that work at UMO talked about putting together a "Geocaching 101" type of seminar. Maybe this is something we can incorporate into that?
09-30-2008, 08:23 AM
hide_from_the_kids

Would this also extend to helping in the community? Like food and bottle drives to help the local food banks or blood drives to help the blood banks (not that we don't donate enough to the state bird). I know the annual toy run gives bikers lots of good repore and cachers do need some of that. I extend my help to other cachers through e-mail when they ask and some who actually call me. One call was from Dubord, he and Di were doing a cache I had done already and they were having a tough time. I never actually got to help but the voicemail was something else. It started with Dan telling me where he was and going on to say that they were having a problem finding the cache when in the background you can here Di say "I found it!!!" and then the phone goes into a pocket and for the next two minutes you hear Dan and Di walking out of the woods. They gave me my own podcache. Now I have called for help after not finding a cache and always recieved good responses. I have also gotten help from other cachers about other topics besides finding the cache. Like cache placement, how to make a cache container that was stuck in idea mode,or the "I got chains if you get stuck" like last night when I did a cache called "mud puppy". Help comes in all different means like the "good job" we got from Dubord when we hit 800 caches an all around feel good saying you are noticed.
09-30-2008, 02:36 PM
firefighterjake

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvilHomer

AHHHH-HAA! We thought something odd was afoot! :) I am glad to hear that they are getting some help. Now I cant wait until they republish! I am fairly new and haven't learned ALL the tricks of the trade, but I am always willing to give advice or help newbies that want to place a cache and dont quite know what they need to do. Maybe we can start a basic training course for new cachers? I know that some of us that work at UMO talked about putting together a "Geocaching 101" type of seminar. Maybe this is something we can incorporate into that?

I believe they're all fixed and up and running EH.

P.S. I ran into one of your colleagues today at United Technologies Center . . . told her to say "hi" to you and your partner in geocaching in Dispatch when she sees you next.
10-03-2008, 10:18 AM
hide_from_the_kids

Quote:

Originally Posted by Medawisla

One of the great characteristics of the geocachers I've met over the years is our eagerness to help others understand and experience geocaching.:) I thought we could start a thread that'd be about helping others. To find cacher volunteers to help when needed, to get ideas, to find those needing help, to get support when helping others, etc. Best of all to share stories.:D

Recently, one of our active cachers helped a lady from the Orono Land Trust to try and correct her coordinates as she's trying hard to introduce folks to their trails. She just didn’t know how to properly use her GPSr nor did the person trying to help her. Hopefully the cacher's new coordinates will be a bit better so folks can at least get close to the caches.

I know there's others who've done great work with Land Trusts, as well as other groups and individuals...please share. :cool:

this is a good idea and i also would like to know what others think about the statement so voice your thoughts. it is nice to know where people stand on certain topics.
10-03-2008, 09:10 PM
Medawisla

it's all great!

Quote:

Originally Posted by hide_from_the_kids

Would this also extend to helping in the community?

Everything you said is great! I think there's lots of us who want to help out, outside of geocaching, or want to combine our volunteering with geocaching, and here's a great place for us to talk about how. :cool:

And that story about Dubord made me laugh out loud!:D:p
10-03-2008, 09:22 PM
Team2hunt

Ellsworth

Didn't we recently have a geo team do the walk in Ellsworth? That would be something I'd be interested in if we did it again. Maybe we should have a regular Maine Geo-Team that would participate in the walks and runs, for charitable causes. I know that October is Breast Cancer month. I had thought about doing something with the walk in Portland on the 19th.

We could get shirts that spell out what we do and why.

Maine Geo Team
searching the woods for tupperware
today searching for a cure
10-03-2008, 10:00 PM
vicbiker

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team2hunt

Didn't we recently have a geo team do the walk in Ellsworth? That would be something I'd be interested in if we did it again. Maybe we should have a regular Maine Geo-Team that would participate in the walks and runs, for charitable causes. I know that October is Breast Cancer month. I had thought about doing something with the walk in Portland on the 19th.

We could get shirts that spell out what we do and why.

Maine Geo Team
searching the woods for tupperware
today searching for a cure

Gary this has got to be your best idea of all time.Make it so.
10-03-2008, 10:37 PM
Cache Maine

Quote:

Originally Posted by vicbiker

Gary this has got to be your best idea of all time.Make it so.

I agree 100% You have outdone yourself this time.
10-03-2008, 10:43 PM
ltlindian

Feel free to join my staff and I when we walk in the Damariscotta breast cancer walk. We have a team already. Just wear a pink shirt and you can write anything you want on the back of the shirt. We'll also gladly take any donations and add them to our collections to give to Strides Against Breast Cancer.

I am serious--just PM me if you want to join us.
10-04-2008, 06:51 PM
hollora

Quote:

Originally Posted by ltlindian

Feel free to join my staff and I when we walk in the Damariscotta breast cancer walk. We have a team already. Just wear a pink shirt and you can write anything you want on the back of the shirt. We'll also gladly take any donations and add them to our collections to give to Strides Against Breast Cancer.

I am serious--just PM me if you want to join us.

PM sent. Depending on date and time - this would be awesome.

Also, I would like to see us do a team to support Relay (Dan's in Ellsworth) again this year. Now is the time to begin working on stratedgies.

Keep the ideas flowing.

I have a thought - if a pathtag was done for relay (there is already one for Breast cancer - if folks need info PM me for contact info) - would folks be willing to purchase them as a fund raiser? I think I know a designer!;)
10-05-2008, 08:01 AM
Team2hunt

Great idea, fund raising with Pathtags

Quote:

Originally Posted by hollora

I have a thought - if a pathtag was done for relay (there is already one for Breast cancer - if folks need info PM me for contact info) - would folks be willing to purchase them as a fund raiser? I think I know a designer!;)

Another great idea, I just wonder if one specifically for the relay would be too narrow a topic to get rid of them. How about doing one that says how much geocachers care about out communities?

Geocachers helping out where it counts...at home.

Or something like that, a more generic saying to cover further activities beyond the relay.
10-05-2008, 08:04 AM
Team2hunt

Quote:

Originally Posted by ltlindian

Feel free to join my staff and I when we walk in the Damariscotta breast cancer walk. We have a team already. Just wear a pink shirt and you can write anything you want on the back of the shirt. We'll also gladly take any donations and add them to our collections to give to Strides Against Breast Cancer.

I am serious--just PM me if you want to join us.

Is that on the 19th? I don't have a pink shirt, but I'll wash a t-shirt with something red and see what happens.
10-05-2008, 05:57 PM
ltlindian

lol! That's the day--here's the link:

http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/s...nv6851.app313a

Registration at 1 p.m. and walk begins at 2 p.m. I searched for our team and of course, couldn't find it! I have to ask what our team name is when I get to work tomorrow!

It sounds like you can just show up at 1 p.m. and join my team or you can walk as an individual. My office is McCormick & Bouchard Eye Care maybe you will have better luck searching for it than I did! Anyway--let me know if you are interested, we'd be glad to have you!
10-27-2008, 12:48 PM
hide_from_the_kids

Quote:

Originally Posted by Medawisla

Everything you said is great! I think there's lots of us who want to help out, outside of geocaching, or want to combine our volunteering with geocaching, and here's a great place for us to talk about how. :cool:

And that story about Dubord made me laugh out loud!:D:p

to bring this back to the front page how can we as geocachers help others? whether we help each other or others in need.
10-27-2008, 12:56 PM
Gob-ler

It's such a long ways off, but I'll be listing the 2nd Be an Elf for a Day GeoGreet in the next couple of days. Save December 20th if you can and Be an Elf for a Day!
10-27-2008, 04:55 PM
Medawisla

so many ways to reach out

Quote:

Originally Posted by hide_from_the_kids

to bring this back to the front page how can we as geocachers help others? whether we help each other or others in need.

Sometime organizations/individuals contact geoachers for help. Sometimes geocachers know that organizations/individuals have needs. Sometimes geocachers seek out organizations/individuals to offer expertise.

I'm not sure which process took place, but a weekend or so ago, I helped Dave1976 (and so did Hiram and Girlmate) map out the trails at the Hirundo Wildlife Refuge. This location has a few caches (we even nabbed a couple) and the trustees would like to promote enjoyment of the location to others. Having a more accurate map was something they think may help. In addition to Dave, I know Hiram357 has helped take GPS tracks and map out trails for groups. If you're interested in doing that, you may want to PM either of them.

Keep sharing ideas :D
10-27-2008, 04:56 PM
Medawisla

host an event

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gob-ler

It's such a long ways off, but I'll be listing the 2nd Be an Elf for a Day GeoGreet in the next couple of days. Save December 20th if you can and Be an Elf for a Day!

Hosting events is a great way to give back to the geocaching community. You can even invite friends and family who aren't yet cachers to introduce them to geocaching! It's a great outreach activity to coordinate with a land trust, which I think Kacky has done as well as others. I hope they'll post about their experiences for others who are interesting in hosting events.:cool:
10-27-2008, 06:40 PM
hollora

Well, the multi quote may or may not work but in response to Gob-ler's post and Medawisla's - thanks for the advance notice to all. This event was a lot of fun.
10-27-2008, 06:46 PM
hollora

2009 - Hancock County Relay for Life

Quote:

Originally Posted by Medawisla

Hosting events is a great way to give back to the geocaching community. You can even invite friends and family who aren't yet cachers to introduce them to geocaching! It's a great outreach activity to coordinate with a land trust, which I think Kacky has done as well as others. I hope they'll post about their experiences for others who are interesting in hosting events.:cool:

Quote:

Originally Posted by vicbiker

Gary this has got to be your best idea of all time.Make it so.

Heads up everyone - this will be happening again this year.:) Here is your open invitation - a group of Geocaching folks will be participating in the 2009 Hancock County Relay for Life - again this year. Please consider joining us!;)

We NEED more cachers to walk! :D It will be the Friday night of Father's Day weekend and end on Saturday morning. Plenty of time to still enjoy the Father's Day weekend and celebrate with Dad.:cool:

FMI contact hollora through a PM or EMSDanel will be our Team Captain again this year.

Thanks to all who mustered up and helped last year. I know there are a lot more who needed notice and this should help.
10-30-2008, 08:25 PM
Medawisla

Intro of an organization

Hollora introduces JD Foundation: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3519
11-05-2008, 11:10 PM
Medawisla

motorcycling and geocaching

If you like to motorcycle and geocache, here's something to do for Geocaching Maine community:

Maine Family emailed me that a guy is trying to put together an article about the combination of motocycling and geocaching. Is anyone who motocycles interested?? Please post here and/or PM Maine Family through geocaching.com

"I received an email from Jim LeClair and this is what he had to say.
Jim here from RideMaine, a regional publication for touring Maine on motorcycles. I'm looking for an article for the 2009 season about geocaching and motorcycling. I was wondering if you knew someone in Maine that rides motorcycles and would be interested in writing an article." --Maine Family
11-06-2008, 09:02 AM
hollora

Don't the adults of Fudds Girls occasionally cache from their Motorcycle?
11-09-2008, 12:50 PM
Kacky

Thanks for the mention, Steph. One on one contact is still the surest way to have an effect. When you work with a group, you take your chances on whether their members will be curious about it. I put on an event with Androscoggin Land Trust where we would all go snowshoeing, which is something their members do anyway, and at the same time show them what geocachers do on their trails. We got a great turnout from geocachers as always, but none of their members showed up to learn. :confused: Martes and I have both hosted trail cleanups, but again, it's only the geocachers who show up. Of course, sometimes you might offer a demonstration and lots of townies will come. It's unpredictable. I'd love to see someone offer geocaching as an adult ed course somewhere, because you know in advance what your enrollment will be. In fact I may do it myself in the fall, after the podcasting course is done.
12-03-2008, 11:37 AM
Ekidokai

Wow! What a great bunch of ideas.

I missed the walks as I just found this thread today.

I am part of another group that gets asked to do a lot of last minute talks on the things we do. It has always come out great.

I would love to participate in any seminars or talks on Geocaching.

My other group is going to be doing talks at a couple of Libraries that have been hounding us for a while, in the next few months we will be speaking in Bangor and Lincoln. We have had a great success with these in the past. Advertising, getting the word out is the best way to get attention. I have many contacts in the media on this aspect and Bill Green and I have talked about doing another story on Geocaching. It came up while we were doing a story on the hauntings and investigations done in Maine.

Another thing that seems to bring people out is offering a cook out or interesting prizes. We did one of those last minute talks at Fort Knox last summer and the director was so impressed with us that he decided to hold a raffle offering a chance to go out on a Ghost hunt at the fort with our team. The interest was really high. We had people enter from all over the country and Canada. If we maybe offered a Geocaching expedition taking people or groups out to actually do some different types of caches might be a big draw.

I know I would have signed up.

I know I have only been doing this for about four or five months, but I have turned on about 6 people to geocaching. The ones I have taken out on hunts with me are the ones that got hooked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvilHomer

AHHHH-HAA! We thought something odd was afoot! :) I am glad to hear that they are getting some help. Now I cant wait until they republish! I am fairly new and haven't learned ALL the tricks of the trade, but I am always willing to give advice or help newbies that want to place a cache and dont quite know what they need to do. Maybe we can start a basic training course for new cachers? I know that some of us that work at UMO talked about putting together a "Geocaching 101" type of seminar. Maybe this is something we can incorporate into that?
12-03-2008, 11:39 AM
Ekidokai

Wow, sorry that was so long.