STEMLandia in the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in Boston taps into the power of the Lab Cache Geocaching Adventure experience to reveal a world of nature and education. Thanks to HQ’s partnership with EdGE at TERC, this is the next evolution of Lab Caches. Premium Members around the world tested Lab Caches during I <3 Geocaching in February.
STEMLandia challenges geocachers to find 10 creatively hidden lab caches. It’s not your typical adventure. Geocachers must explore the Arboretum grounds using Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills to unlock the finds. Those who participate may be eligible to receive a fancy, limited edition Geocoin. The First to Find geocacher wrote, “Great series! Well thought out with some tricky hides.”
The STEMLandia adventure runs through the end of May 2014. It is open to all geocachers and is most appropriate for youth ages 12 and up, as well as adults. Other adventures are on the horizon and you can help. Submit ideas for a future Lab Cache series.
Geo-Knot and Bumble! the First to Find for most of the geocaches
The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin
This is your opportunity to help decide who takes home the earned, never-for-sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin. Each featured Geocacher of the Month will receive the exclusive special edition Geocoin, a hat and a profile icon. They’ll also receive a certificate acknowledging their contributions, signed by two of the founders of Geocaching.com.
bjmccacher was named the Geocacher of the Month for February for a big heart and a helping hand for other geocachers.
bjmccacher – Geocacher of the Month
One comment reads, “Bjmccacher has been a great geocaching collaborator and really helped raise the bar for geocaching in Lincoln, NE (and in the central US)! He is also incredibly inventive and is always coming up with new and interesting ways to geocache… He goes the extra mile in every possible way! ”
Each of the nominees below is an essential part of the global geocaching community. Each will receive a prize package from Geocaching HQ in Seattle, but only one will be the next Geocacher of the Month. A panel from Geocaching HQ will use your comments, community input and other data to decide on the next Geocacher of the Month.
Now it’s your turn to help us select the next Geocacher of the Month.
Write a supportive comment for the nominated geocacher you feel should be awarded the title.
Nominated by vehan, who says, “If you’ve discovered a geocache in Italy, the name Edgar44, is no stranger to you. A geocacher since 2010, Edgar44, has helped lead the geocaching adventure in Southern Europe, including connecting with the local and international community, fostering a love of nature by creating geocaches which showcase hikes, and hiding and maintaining much loved caches.”
But there’s one geocache size he avoids. Vehan writes,”with 500 hidden caches, not a micro but only small, regular and giant caches! Our best in Italy :)”
Nominated by: Henzz and Louwtjie&Vroutjie: “We recently celebrated team iPajero’s 10000th find in Cape Town. An amazing achievement if one considers that there are only 10629 caches currently in Southern Africa (which includes our neighbouring countries). That is more than twice as many caches found in Southern Africa than any other Geocacher.
On their travels around our beautiful country, they would not only seek out caches, but also make an effort to meet with geocachers where ever they go. They have such wonderful personalities that one instantly finds oneself enjoying their company.
And in between all of this they still find time to hide and maintain quality caches as well. Every single one of the 163 caches they have placed is still active. iPajero also owns 36 Earthcaches and ranks amongst one of the top Earthcache placers worldwide. They are always willing to lend a helping hand, give advice, or to walk alongside you. No path too steep, no valley too deep, they are always there, shining like a lighthouse beacon, so that we can find our way.”
Nominated by abesimpson: “In Kansas, you just can’t go very far without finding a barondriver cache. While that could mean someone just puts out a bunch of caches, anyone who knows a barondriver cache knows they are in for something a little more than just a smiley.
He started in 2001, and at that time helped to promote the activity state wide by placing caches in interesting places or near interesting pieces of history. He maintained those well and brought good consistency throughout the region. An avid garage sale visitor, he seemed to be always coming across something new and interesting to turn into a cache.
What is truly inspiring about barondriver was his interest in expanding the activity to others. He was always quick to be the friendly face to muggles to explain what we are doing. He encouraged new cachers and worked with them on finds. He is always good for a story about this hide or that hide that would just get you excited enough to go after it. When it comes down to it, what makes barondriver stand out is that he always appeared to be the guy who just loved this little hobby in a way that made the rest of us want to love it in the same way.”
Comment below to tell us who you think should be the March Geocacher of the Month. Comments accepted through through May 2.
If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, simply fill out this webform.
For many of us, every time a new smiley is earned, there’s a celebration. Whether that’s with your geocaching partner, the new friend you brought along, or even just by yourself. With this geocache, the celebration becomes more than just a high-five and a happy dance: it’s a full-blown rock and roll festival, complete with tons of cheering fans. This geocache is located near the annual Rock am Deister festival in Germany and this emulates the sights and sounds. When you make it to this geocache, be sure to bring along a 9-volt battery to power the concert and enjoy the show as you sign the logbook.
“Every year the Sparkasse promotes and supports the small but awesome Rock Festival “Rock im Deister“…To get a feel for the area, I explored the grounds with the festival organizer. A power distribution box caught my eye and I immediately thought of a large cache, which plays music when you open it (since this location is all about music). But where can you get such an item? A little research, a few emails and phone calls later… I was able to collaborate with 2korn, a geocacher based in Hannover, who not only was able to obtain the box, but also took significant part in developing the idea behind the cache.
Since this is public land, we quickly finalized the exact spot, where the box should go and met with the local government to receive written approval for this cache. This really was a great case study where local organizations, the geocaching community and the government worked together to make this happen.”
“Of course we love all the positive things people have to say. We hope this cache has a long life. With this cache and all the others in the Schatzhüterin GeoTour, we want to let our community know that it is possible to work together with local businesses to get sponsorship and enhance our sport in a positive way. That was our goal for this cache and the whole Tour.”
What geocachers are saying:
[translated from German]
“The highlight of the day, if you have the accessories needed here, you can enjoy the show into the night. Super great job.” – leonberger307
“Today during a little bike tour we found this great cache. When we got there it was literally swarmed by other cachers. Greetings to all. For the great idea we have a favorite point.” – tataonan
“And again a brilliant box from this series! The passing cyclists were amazed at the sound! Amazing craft work, as is the favorite point’s duty! TFTC” – sokosuche
A view of the whole apparatus. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger.To the untrained eye, the geocache is just another random electrical box. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger.A bird’s eye view of the show. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger.
What’s your favorite way to celebrate a find? Tell us in the comments.
Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog.
If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, leave a comment below with the name of the geocache, the GC code, and why you think we should feature it.
The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month Geocoin
A geocacher from the plains of the United States joins the ranks of Geocachers of the Month around the world. Dozens of comments shined a light on a geocacher who reaches out to those who are new to the adventure and helps inspire those who’ve geocached for years. While there is only one Geocacher of the Month, each of the nominees is already a winner, with a prize package headed their way.
All the nominees add an important contribution to their local communities and inspire the global geocaching community. Each will receive special recognition for their contribution to the adventure of geocaching. Before naming the Geocacher of the Month, Geocaching HQ reviews community input and blog comments. Each comment is read and posts in native languages are encouraged.
bjmccacher has been part of the geocaching world since 2011. After cementing hundreds of new relationships fostering the joy of geocaching he’s being named Geocacher of the Month for February 2014.
One comment reads, “Bjmccacher has been a great geocaching collaborator and really helped raise the bar for geocaching in Lincoln, NE (and in the central US)! Many of his creative ideas have led to outstanding geocaching trails and series attracting folks from all over North America (see the numerous posts below). He is also incredibly inventive and is always coming up with new and interesting ways to geocache–it’s no surprise that many of his geocaches are some of the most favorited caches in Nebraska. Finally, as a host and ambassador to visiting geocachers, he is simply incredible. He goes the extra mile in every possible way! ”
If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, simply fill out this webform.
Every nomination must include the following items and abide by the following guidelines:
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 have submitted them for the award. Nominations for Geocacher of the Month are accepted at any time.
Congratulations again to bjmccacher for being recognized as the Geocacher of the Month for February.
Your vision of geocaching cannot be contained by a simple Facebook photo, Tweet or even a mighty blog post. Nay, we say, your vision deserves much more. You need to tell your geocaching story through the majesty of a short video. Ready your geocaching muse. The Geocaching International Film Festival (GIFF) wants your vision of the adventure of geocaching to take flight in video on the big screen this summer in Seattle. It all happens the night before the Geocaching Block Party, which you should also attend.
Enter your four minute video in any family-friendly genre: narrative, documentary, music video, animation, experimental, etc… Hurry up, the deadline for submissions is July 1, 2014. To show you what it takes, and to enter, we have just what you need: A short film.
