Author: Eric Schudiske

/ Eric Schudiske /

Write a Comment – Nominees for the February Geocacher of the Month

The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin
The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin

It’s a month to celebrate the quiet geocacher, the geocacher whose kindness reaches people one-by-one. They’re the reason bonds form across town and across political barriers – because they let us follow them along when we’re new to geocaching, or offer us that gentle nudge closer to finding the geocache.

Each geocacher mentioned here is already a winner. They’ll receive a prize package from Geocaching HQ for their contributions to the global community.

Now, this is your opportunity to  help decide who will take home the earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin (at left). 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.

MikeOtt – January Geocacher of the Month

In January,  Mike Ott was named the Geocacher of the Month.

A  geocacher who commented wrote, “He is not the reason I joined Geocaching but he is certainly one of the reasons I am still involved. He has taken a huge role in our state with organizing events and special caches. He has a unique way of finding the “right spot” for a cache. Always an educational experience in one way or another. Thanks. Mike for all you do for new cachers as well as veteran cachers!!.”

Now it’s your turn to help us select the next Geocacher of the Month. Write a supportive comment at the bottom of this blog for the nominated geocacher that you feel should be awarded the title. A panel from Geocaching HQ will then use your comments to help guide the decision of which geocacher is awarded the Geocacher of the Month honor.

Here are your nominees for the February 2014 Geocacher of the Month. Some testimonials have been edited for length.

witch24

Witch24 - Nominee for Geocacher of the Month
Witch24 – Nominee for Geocacher of the Month

I have nominated witch24 because she is my geocaching inspiration. She has placed many caches in my area and have enjoyed finding many of them. On the few of the caches that i have needed help on, nothing has been to much for her. She has also gave me many new cache ideas and introduced me to this amazing game, i am now getting a geocaching membership this Christmas.
Thank you for reading my nominee letter and I think that Witch24 is well worth of the prize.

Yours Sincerly, Alex Age 13

 

bjmccacher

 

bjmccacher - Nominee for Geocacher of the Month
bjmccacher – Nominee for Geocacher of the Month

I would like to nominate Brady, aka bjmccacher, as the Geocacher of the Month.

I first made Brady’s acquaintance in late 2013. I was driving from my home in Kansas to South Dakota, and stopped off along the way to find a few caches in Nebraska City, Neb. I found a few and DNF’d a few. Shortly after posting my DNFs, I received an email from bjmccacher. He very kindly inquired about my experience to both make sure the caches I had DNF’d were there, and also to provide a helpful nudge in the right direction. That was the first of many great experiences with Brady.

Several weeks after our email encounter, I visited Lincoln, Neb. (Brady’s hometown) to attend a lunch geo-event and do some caching. He ended up spending several hours… showing me some wonderful examples of great geocaches. I was blown away. But I later learned that my experience was similar to what many others have had with Brady. Just last month, he again spent a few hours taking me around Lincoln!

Since our first meeting, Brady has continued to be amazingly helpful and a great influence on my enjoyment of the hobby. He is kind and incredibly giving of his skills and knowledge. All in all, Brady Holmes is an example of the geocacher we should all aspire to be. To me, he’s a slam dunk as the Geocacher of the Month!

Sincerely,

Chris Ronan
Running Jayhawks

 Wee Willy

Wee Willy - Nominee for Geocacher of the Month
Wee Willy – Nominee for Geocacher of the Month
Wee Willy is a beloved geocacher, known all around north Texas for his love of hiking and finding places to hide geocaches, large and small but not nanos.  Although he is one of the most prolific cache-hiders in our area (current number of active geocaches 594), it is his heart for people that make him so special to geocachers.  
Most who share a story about finding a Wee Willy cache describes a memorable geoadventure of a long walk in a park and the joy of discovering a cache large enough to put trackballs or fun swag.  Yes, we all grumble that Wee Willy takes us on trails that end up in some really uncomfortable place (itchy Cedar trees), but that doesn’t slow us down as we find his geocaches.  His reputation for responding quickly to a DNF or Needs Maintenance is legendary and sets a high standard for all to follow.  If every cache owner followed Wee Willy’s example, there would be no grumblers on Groundspeaks’ [Geocaching HQ’s] forums. Finally, we appreciate Willy’s endless attention to new geocachers, inviting all to come and meet local cachers at events and welcoming all to SWAG.  Wee Willy is the best of geocaching!!
 
Leslie 
aka Winstonsmom

 

Comment below to tell us who you think should be the January Geocacher of the Month. We will be accepting comments through March 28.

If your nominee wasn’t recognized here, please submit your nominations again next month. We’re always looking for the next Geocacher of the Month. To nominate a geocacher, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@geocaching.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 have submitted them for the award. Nominations for the next Geocacher of the Month should be received by April 3. Once Geocaching HQ has received 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 that we might learn from each other.

/ Eric Schudiske /

You’re Part of the CITO Equation

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Cache In Trash Out (CITO) needs you. It’s simple: you geocache in an area and then take trash out. One weekend per year, geocachers around the world join together to help remove trash from geocaching-friendly locations. Last year, geocachers around the globe created the most successful CITO year ever. Over 640 CITO events helped clear more than 50 tons of trash from parks and wild places around the world. That’s a staggering 100,000 pounds (45359.2 kg).

Each person who logs an “Attended” for a CITO event on April 26 or April 27 this year earns a 2014 CITO souvenir for their Geocaching profile. They also earn a sense of accomplishment and probably a few finds along the way. Find or host a CITO event near you and help make this year even more successful.

And just because CITO weekend hasn’t arrived yet, doesn’t mean that CITO hasn’t started. We encourage every geocacher to practice Cache In Trash Out every time they go geocaching. There are also plenty of CITO events that happen throughout the year. You can look for CITO events in your area or host your own.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocache Makers Now Have Their Own Mark

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maker-madness-t-shirt_180

 

The geocache Maker leads us into adventure and weaves a story where we write the next line with our log. Now geocache Makers have their own mark and mantra, “Go Forth & Create”. Celebrate and honor the geocache Maker who inspires and challenges you with a collection of Maker Madness supplies.

Check out Maker patches, shirts and creative geocache containers. Celebrate Makers in person and learn tips for creating a clever geocache at a Maker Madness event near you. Hundreds of Maker Madness events are already planned. Now Go Forth & Create.

Maker-Patch_180From March 28 – April 7, geocachers around the world will join together to celebrate the people in their community who make geocaching possible. We call this celebration Maker Madness.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Dear (Aspiring) Geocache Hider: Earn a Souvenir

MailerImage_03102014_MakerMadness_vFINAL_blog (1)You’ve found geocaches that leave you in awe, now unlock the secrets of making those creative geocache hides. Celebrate Maker Madness. Hundreds of Maker Madness events around the world aim to inspire geocachers. Learn the magical formula that weaves innovative containers, inspiring locations and powerful storytelling into creative geocache hides. While amazing geocaches live on and on, Maker Madness is for a limited time only. It runs from March 28 through April 7. Everyone logging an “Attended” for a Maker Madness event earns a digital “Maker” souvenir for their geocaching profile.

Visit the Maker Madness Event Center to find an event near you, or find out how to create your own Maker Madness event. Now “Go Forth and Create”!

/ Eric Schudiske

Announcing the January Geocacher of the Month

he earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin (sun flare optional)
The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month Geocoin

Geocachers from around the globe commented on their favorite geocachers, even if they only know them through their glowing reputation. It’s a small geocaching world out there and through nominees,  the worldwide community learned about three amazing geocachers this month.

Each of the nominees is already a winner, with a prize package headed their way. But only one geocacher can be named Geocacher of the Month.

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.

A geocaching pioneer from a progressive geocaching state in the U.S. claimed the title of January’s Geocacher of the Month: MikeOtt.

One comment reads, “He is not the reason I joined Geocaching but he is certainly one of the reasons I am still involved. He has taken a huge role in our state with organizing events and special caches. He has a unique way of finding the “right spot” for a cache. Always an educational experience in one way or another. Thanks. Mike for all you do for new cachers as well as veteran cachers!!”

MikeOtt is one of geocaching’s top geocache makers. Celebrate makers, learn the craft of creating clever geocaches and earn a new digital souvenir for your geocaching profile at a Maker Madness event near you.

MikeOtt - January Geocacher of the Month
MikeOtt – January Geocacher of the Month

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@geocaching.com. 

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 Mike  for being recognized as the Geocacher of the Month for January.