/ Adela B /

January Featured Geocacher of the Month Nominees – Add Your Comments

They put on events, they readily share geocaching tricks and tips and they challenge new and seasoned geocachers with their hides. They are the January Featured Geocacher of the Month Nominees.

December 2012 Featured Geocacher of the Month, Moneydork

Now it’s your turn to help select one of them as the Featured Geocacher of the Month for January.

Write a comment at the bottom of this blog about which of these geocachers you feel should be awarded the Featured Geocacher of the Month title.

In December, Wayne, a.k.a. Moneydork was recognized for establishing himself as one of Australasian’s most prolific geocachers. His efforts to support the community as a Geocaching volunteer reviewer and good Samaritan have not gone unnoticed. He even managed to organize New Zealand’s very first Mega-Event from 3500 km (2175 miles) away. According to fellow geocachers, Moneydork’s hides and events are legendary Down Under and he never hesitates to give his all to the sport.

Here are your nominees for the January Featured Geocacher of the Month. Some testimonials have been edited for length.

Kirret

Kirret

Mr Bluesky writes, “On November 29th, Don, [a.k.a. Kirret] will have found a geocache every single day of the year, since November 2011.  He has done this in three different countries and on two continents. This year alone he has found over 1,700 geocaches, including a grand haul of 100 on March the 27th. Don worked in Scotland in 2010 and 2011 and I got to meet him through geocaching. We immediately became firm friends. I had the pleasure of geocaching with him in Canada in July 2012 and then again on August 18th in Scotland. Don is very enthusiastic about geocaching and has, just by meeting people while out geocaching, gotten many involved in this hobby by informing them of what he was doing and how enjoyable it is. He mostly geocaches with his wife and son and is one of Guildford, England’s most prolific geocachers. He is out in all weather conditions with a smile on his face and a GPS in hand. I think his achievements this year is a remarkable feat.”

 

The Raven

The Raven

ttcm4geo writes, “If you visit Prescott, Arizona as we were one weekend, you will note something curious. Many of the geocaches you visit will have a note stating that ‘while you are in Prescott, you must find a geocache called Raven’s Labyrynth.’ So many geocacher said this that we finally decided to pursue it. The geocache itself is amazing, which I am sure took weeks to construct. Then we found out that the geocache owner has many similarly thought-out geocaches in the area. In fact, Prescott is known as ‘Ravenland.’ But, even more amazing is that if you email Dan, a.k.a. The Raven with a question, he promptly replies and tells you to call him. So we called him and got some assistance. He was very nice, and you can tell that his only goal is to help people enjoy geocaching. His geocaches are creative, well thought out and so much fun. He does all this work for people many of whom he will never meet. Therefore, I think he deserves this recognition.”

 

 

 

The Weasel

The Weasel

SuperGoober writes, “Tim, a.k.a. The Weasel is what geocaching is all about. He gives back so much more than he takes. He hosted the very first CITO in the Midwest: EIGA 2004 CEDAR RAPIDS CITO EVENT. He is an active member and Board Director for the Iowa Geocacher Organization and a volunteer for the Linn County Conservation. Tim has conducted and assisted in over 50 geocaching 101, 201 and 301 classes and workshops throughout the State of Iowa and abroad. His knowledge of the wilderness extends well beyond that of an average geocacher. He uses his extensive knowledge of the outdoors to help other geocachers by placing some very creative and educational geocaches. The Weasel has an impeccable sense as to what geocaching is all about. He realizes that cache maintenance is very necessary to ensure that geocaching is fun and that the geocache is there. He is just unstoppable.”

Comment below to tell us who you think should be the January Featured  Geocacher of the Month. A panel of Lackeys will use your comments to help decide which geocacher is awarded the honor. Each featured Geocacher of the Month will receive an exclusive special edition featured Geocacher of the Month Geocoin, along with a Geocacher of the Month hat, a Geocacher of the Month profile icon and a certificate acknowledging their contributions, signed by two of the founders of Geocaching.com. We will be accepting comments for January’s award through Sunday, January 20th.

Those whose nominees were not recognized here are encouraged to submit their nominations again next month. If you know an outstanding geocacher you would like to nominate to be a featured Geocacher of the Month, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@groundspeak.com and include the following information:

  • Your name, the name of your nominee, their username
  • A picture of the nominee
  • Description (200 or more words) explaining why he or she deserves to be the Geocacher of the Month

Please inform your nominee that you’ve submitted them for the award.

Nominations for the February Geocacher of the Month must be received by Friday, February 8th. 

Once we have received all of the nominations, we will choose the top candidates and post them on the blog. You will then get a chance to champion your favorite. Our goal is to involve the entire geocaching community in this process so we might learn from each other.

Adela B

  1. I’m an engineer. I design things and build things, and I consider myself reasonably competent. But the skill, imagination, and effort, that The Raven (Dan Hunt) puts into his geocaches just astound me. The caches are beautiful. Dan is the Walt Disney of geocaching, and I’ve awarded Fav Points to every one.

    Dan is one of the most personable people I know. He has spent hours talking with me about the design and construction of some of his more clever caches. But though his caches are fun, the place where Dan really
    stands out is in his ability to bring his community together in support of geocaching. We’ve cached in the city library, where the staff all give us knowing smiles as we snoop around. We’ve cached in city and county parks, where he has enthusiastic support from both office staff and outdoor personnel. Local merchants know him, and the stream of people he brings to town, and as a result, they support geocaching as well.

    As geocaching grows, it is important to all of us to inform and educate local organizations at all levels. Sadly, in many areas including my own, geocachers are seen as an annoyance at best, intrusive pests at worst, and geocaching as something to be discouraged or forbidden. Dan has worked hard – and successfully! – to overcome this stereotype in his area. The sport needs more advocates like Dan, and as more people talk to him and learn from him, we are getting them.

    I am pleased to add my support to Dan (The Raven)’s nomination for Geocacher of the Month.

    Bill

  2. I’m an engineer. I design things and build things, and I
    consider myself reasonably competent. But the skill, imagination, and effort, that
    Dan Hunt puts into his geocaches just astound me. The caches are beautiful. Dan
    is the Walt Disney of geocaching, and I’ve
    awarded Fav Points to every one.

    Dan is one of the most personable people I know. He has
    spent hours talking with me about the design and construction of some of his
    more clever caches. But though his caches are fun, the place where Dan really
    stands out is in his ability to bring his community together in support of
    geocaching. We’ve cached in the city library, where the staff all give us
    knowing smiles as we snoop around. We cached in city and county parks, where he
    has enthusiastic support from both office staff and outdoor personnel. Local
    merchants know him, and the stream of people he brings to town, and as a
    result, they support geocaching as well.

    As geocaching grows, it is important to all of us to inform
    and educate local organizations at all levels. Sadly, in many areas including
    my own, geocachers are seen as an annoyance at best, intrusive pests at worst,
    and geocaching as something to be discouraged or forbidden. Dan has worked hard
    – and successfully! – to overcome this stereotype in his area. The sport needs
    more advocates like Dan, and as more people talk to him and learn from him, we
    are getting them.

    I am pleased to add my support to Dan’s nomination for
    Geocacher of the Month.

    Bill / (Mr.) Pioneer Poodle

  5. Wow, what can be said about The Weasel that already hasn’t been said!!
    He is the epitome of what a geocacher SHOULD be!

    The Weasel is simply put, an geocaching educator, wheter it be from classes that are put on, talking to him face to face about caches, or his supurb Outdoor Lesson caches!!

    I, as well as many others have learned a GREAT deal about the outdoors thanks to Tim’s caches. It’s amazing to me know that I actually remember things I see out when I am caching wheter it is bugs, amphibians, trees, birds, skulls, animal sounds, and animal tracks thanks to these caches.
    I read a prior comment somebody put about how their son actually put down their video games and cached with his dad, something that they didn’t ever do. Not only that, but his son raised his GPA AND has a renewed interest in school!!!
    To me, that would be the biggest compliment anybody could every give me about one of my caches!!! Education, especially with the outdoors and conservation is HUGE these days, and thanks to the Weasel’s caches, we get to learn a great deal about it.
    To me, The Weasel hits on ALL the key parts of being chosen as a GOTM!! I really wish there were a LOT more cachers like The Weasel that help us broaden our knowledge base on the outdoors and make it fun and interesting at the same time!!

  8. I vote for Weasel. For me, he is the prime example of what Geocaching is all about! He challenges the body and educates the mind! He serves the environment while he places and finds caches. Very worthy of an award!

  9. I vote for The Weasel. As a newbie to Geo-caching with just over 100 finds I have been conscious of paying it forward and putting out caches of my own. It is nerve wracking waiting for someone to discover your first ever caches and have good things to say about them. I appreciate that The Weasel has made a point to be there!

  12. The Raven ~ Daniel Hunt get the vote here. I am sure the other two are deserving in their own way but I’ve cached in the Prescott area specifically for the The Raven caches, so he gets my vote!

  13. Please add my vote for The Weasel. I am educational teacher for middle school kids (4th grade). I am not an active geocacher, but I have seen it and hear quite a bit about it from some of my students. One of my students asked me to come here and look at the Weasel’s profile.
    I read a lot of the posts about The Weasel and I saw a similar theme in his vote logs, which is his passion for education and teaching people.
    To me, teaching people (especially our young people) is a very admirable quailty in choosing a Geocacher Of The Month. I have looked at The Weasel’s Outdoor Lesson caches, It looked very professional and something I think I could possibly use in my classroom studies for my kids. I think this is exactly what kids would like to see and do, especially in a classroom setting.
    I also read that The Weasel has taught some Geocaching classes as well, which again is very admirable!
    From what I have seen, The Weasel is constantly going above and beyond what is expected of a normal geocacher.
    I am going to continue to see what the Weasel comes up for his educational caches.
    I want to personally thank The Weasel for these caches and helping educate people (especially our younger kids). This makes our jobs a lot easier and keeps the kids interested as well.
    Keep up the good work, hopefully your hard work and education dedication doesn’t go unnoticed by the group that selects the Geocacher Of The Month winner.

  14. Aceey apparently has a spam program running; multiple votes by the same person don’t count, Aceey.

  15. If it had not been for the Weasel we would have not found so many nice trails in Iowa. Best of luck Tim.

  16. My vote is for The Weasel! He very dedicated, very passionate Geocacher! He cares about Geocaching and Geocachers and is an excellent representative of the sport.

  18. Haven’t had the chance to visit his great caches but everyone loves them here in Arizona. Hope to make the visit soon and he gets my vote!

  21. I vote for The Weasel. I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing a number of his caches, sometimes from a distance. Most recently I visited a huge white pine tree with a cache reportedly 40 feet up. I walked around that tree about six times before deciding discretion is the better part of valor. But it was very tempting.

    Good luck to all nominees and thanks for your contributions to geocaching.

    PS. Another reason to vote for The Weasel: Best Pseudonym!

  22. I live a couple of hours from Prescott and had noticed the favorite points rising on certain caches there. Finally a group of us planned a day trip. We had a question about a cache and contacted the CO. Not only did The Raven answer our question, he suggested additional caches to look for, met us at our first stop, led us through the streets to each next cache, and explained interesting background about how he had installed the caches. The part I remember the best and that I think shows The Raven’s character was at lunch at his favorite pie place. He said to me, “notice the owner, how she smiles all the time and makes everyone happier.” The Raven plans his caches to “bring a smile to your face” and he does it well.

  23. I’ll add my vote for The Weasel in hopes that I can someday learn something from someone so versed in Geocaching.

  25. My vote is for Tim “The Weasel”. He is what geocaching is all about. He is a huge asset to our geocaching community. A great teacher, a great friend. Always making me use my head on his puzzle caches. He definitely is very deserving of this award. Weasel!! Weasel!! Weasel!!

  26. The Raven gets my
    vote, if you have ever gone after one of Dan’s caches you know what a blast
    they are. I can’t wait for The Raven’s next cache to be posted. Dan has worked
    very hard with the towns Prescott and Prescott Valley, Arizona in promoting
    geocaching. I’ve known many times cachers who plan on visiting the area contact
    Dan prior to their visit to meet him. Dan was a big help in getting me started
    in this great hobby.

  31. The Weasel!
    He’s a Cacher that would give you the shirt off of his back.
    The hat on is head.
    The GPS in his hand!

    He exemplifies EVERYTHING that Geocaching is all about!
    His in-depth knowledge of nature and his surroundings are impeccable.
    He is the person that you want with you if you are going
    after a difficult Cache with a high terrain rating.
    He is also the person that takes great pride in the Caches
    that he places!
    If he see’s a DNF on any of his Caches he goes right out to
    check if there is an issue.
    ALL – (150+) of his Caches are creative, fun and very well
    maintained!
    He is also the person to ask about how a Cache should be
    placed and there are any additional requirements since he’s been Caching since July
    of 2002.
    He spends many hours, days and weeks to create the “Perfect”
    Cache that others enjoy.
    He has placed MANY Educational Caches that teach people
    about their surroundings to the outdoors.
    Weasel’s Outdoor Lesson #1—TRACKS (GC28RW1)
    Weasel’s Outdoor Lesson #2—TREES (GC296KM)
    Weasel’s Outdoor Lesson #3—BIRDS (GC296Z8)
    Weasel’s Outdoor Lesson #4—Bugs (GC307VZ)
    Weasel’s Outdoor Lesson #5—Amphibians (GC31BW2)
    Weasel’s Outdoor Lesson #6—Skulls (GC3CTZN)
    Weasel’s Outdoor Lesson #7—Sounds (GC3MYQK)

    As well as some that took a great deal of work!
    How The Grinch Stole Christmas (GC415J3)
    The Cipher (GC2MA8X)
    Also, The Weasel had spent the last few months establishing
    a good relationship with the Brucemore Historical Site in order to place a VERY
    SPECIAL Multi-Stage Cache!
    Knowing The Weasel, This will be a VERY special Cache placement and MANY
    will LOVE it!
    I could go on and on!
    He is a unique and special person!
    He IS what Geocaching is all about!
    Yes, The Weasel SHOULD be the Geocacher for January 2013!
    He knows what Geocaching is all about and makes it fun for
    ALL of us!
    Yes – My vote is for The Weasel!
    He is an AWESOME Cacher that so many people respect and
    strive to be like!

  34. I’m an engineer. I design things and build things, and I consider myself reasonably competent. But the skill, imagination, and effort, that Dan Hunt puts into his geocaches just astound me. The caches are beautiful. Dan
    is the Walt Disney of geocaching, and I’ve awarded Fav Points to every one.

    Dan is one of the most personable people I know. He has spent hours talking with me about the design and construction of some of his more clever caches. But though his caches are fun, the place where Dan really
    stands out is in his ability to bring his community together in support of geocaching. We’ve cached in the city library, where the staff all give us knowing smiles as we snoop around. We cached in city and county parks, where he has enthusiastic support from both office staff and outdoor personnel. Local merchants know him, and the stream of people he brings to town, and as a result, they support geocaching as well.

    As geocaching grows, it is important to all of us to inform and educate local organizations at all levels. Sadly, in many areas including my own, geocachers are seen as an annoyance at best, intrusive pests at worst, and geocaching as something to be discouraged or forbidden. Dan has worked hard – and successfully! – to overcome this stereotype in his area. The sport needs more advocates like Dan, and as more people talk to him and learn from him, we are getting them.

    I am pleased to add my support to Dan’s nomination for Geocacher of the Month.

    (Mr.) Pioneer Poodle

  38. With no disrespect to the non-chosen nominees, I vote for The Raven. His caches are ‘the rave’ and his work with the Prescott area governmental agencies to embrace and participate with the geocaching community have been an inspiration to myself and others. Having met him personally and knowing what a down to earth guy he is has added to the experience of this fun sport!!
    I wish all the nominees the best!

  40. I vote for ‘THE RAVEN’!!! His caches are the absolute BEST adventures!! ‘Indiana Jones’ 1 and 2 along are worth awards!! The time involved for each of his creations makes for some extremely creative and fun geocaches! ‘The Raven’s Labyrinth’ is a masterpiece!! I can’t wait for more!! ‘RAVENLAND’ is a destination for cachers from around the country!! Dan is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met!! His dedication to geocaching is never ending! He is even the administrator of our ‘Geocaching — Arizona’ group! We’re a relitively new group but gowing every day!! Thanks Dan for all you do!!

  42. My apologies. I didn’t see the first post go up, so I posted again. I can’t find a way to cancel either of them – I have tried – so I would welcome removal by the moderator.

  43. My vote is for The Weasel. He has been an active cacher in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area and I’ve had the pleasure of logging many of his hides. He’s what the sport is all about.

  44. The Raven is just awesome. He get’s my vote. More than helpful. More than creative. More than Geocacher of the Month.

  47. My vote goes to “The Raven” Daniel Hunt is a class act! HE has done so much for the Geocachers Arizona and it doesn’t stop here! People come from out of state to see what he has done for any and everyone who enjoys geocaching! I think his compassion for the game is at best the most fulfilling experience one will ever see and find! Most will get to meet him as he is always somewhere you are trying to make sure you have a great visit to Prescot, Az

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