Geocaching HQ Lackeys attend dozens of Mega and Giga-Events around the world, shaking hands, sharing stories of adventure, and of course, geocaching! jtcoffee, Head of Community at HQ recently traveled to Germany to attend 6. IEE – 6. Internationales EarthCache Event (GCAMM0N).

This year, I had the opportunity to celebrate International EarthCache Day with hundreds of geocachers while attending 6. IEE – 6. Internationales EarthCache Event (GCAMM0N) in Germany. The Event was hosted by the Erdzwerge, a group of geocachers known as “earth dwarves,” who are passionate about EarthCaches. Their goal is to make EarthCaches accessible and enjoyable for everyone by focusing less on complicated science and more on sharing the joy of discovery.

The Event was hosted at the Rüdersdorf Museum Park, an industrial monument and active quarry in Brandenburg, just outside Berlin. The location was perfect for exploring the geology of the area, with exhibits and activities spread throughout the grounds and buildings.

Vendors, geocoin collections, and workshops were all located in the historic kiln house. I was impressed by the creative displays and the variety of geocoins geocachers shared.

Many of the German Geoawares (reviewers who publish EarthCaches) attended this Event, and gave helpful tips for having EarthCaches published: make sure your logging requirements are clear and the cache page sticks to geology you can see at the location!

The Earth Dwarves gave us Events to attend, friends to meet, and new ways to discover the magic beneath our feet. I’m deeply grateful to the entire team for their dedication and hard work in creating a joyful weekend that celebrated both geology and community.