And the March 2015 Geocacher of the Month is…

The time has come. Earlier this month, three outstanding geocachers were nominated for March 2015’s Geocacher of the Month award. A winner has been chosen, but first, let’s take a look at the nominees.

PicMonkey Collage

 

Schlurie is famous in Rheinland-Pfalz for creating fun and inspiring geocache hides. His particular specialty is birdhouse caches, which have generated a lot of “WOW” moments for geocachers over the years.

Fivebales is a geocaching team from Idaho, whose behind-the-scenes work for an amazing annual Mega Event and their local geocaching organization has gone a long way in strengthening the local geocaching community.

chuck80196 is always willing to help another geocacher out, and if you know him he is probably number one  on your PAF (Phone A Friend) list. He has over 880 FTFs (first-t0-finds) and of late holds back to allow others the chance to get their first FTF…especially if he has already gotten his geocache for the day.

Although it’s tough, there has to be a winner. Say congratulations to the March 2015 Geocacher of the Month,

Schlurie!

 

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Our March 2015 Geocacher of the Month is based in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Schlurie sets an incredible example as a geocacher maker, maintainer, and finder. His contributions to the local geocaching community are best described by local geocachers, like Geo-Tootles, who sing his praises:

“There are lots of cachers outside in the woods, searching for caches, for great and for special moments. But without having creative owners these experiences would be reduced to a minimum. Schlurie spent months of crafting new hides, this time with an incredible range of different bird-houses to let cachers smile and especially children laugh. Next to that he had to organize everything else with the local forestry commision office to determine the spots for placing the hides. All that time he could have spent for searching caches by himself, but statistic seem not important for him, much more important is giving other cachers a great time during their trips. Being that unselfish is the reason for my wholehearted vote. And even if he will not be decorated with this little award … every single cacher in our area will know exactly that he will look forward to the next Schlurie-caches.”

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Schlurie’s birdhouse geocaches have garnered a lot of attention (and favorite points) from geocachers far and wide. One needs only to read the last few logs on his cache, “VHT 11 schlüsselfertiges Mehrfamilienhaus,” to get a sense of how carefully crafted his hides are. This particular cache earned 75 favorite points in less than two months.

As a geocache finder, Schlurie goes to great lengths — and heights — to sign a logbook. He’s found a whopping 440 T5 (terrain 5) geocaches.

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In recognition of his contributions to geocaching, Schlurie will receive a prize package from Geocaching HQ, which includes the earned, never-for-sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin.

Send your congratulations to Schlurie!

The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month Geocoin.
The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month Geocoin.

 

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor next month, simply fill out this webform. You’ll need to 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 Featured Geocacher of the Month

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

 

Tools Of The (CITO) Trade

Germany's Frühjahrsputz am Kemnader See 2015 CITO group photo
Germany’s Frühjahrsputz am Kemnader See 2015 CITO group photo

Cache In Trash Out®, also known at CITO, is an ongoing environmental initiative supported by the worldwide geocaching community. Since 2002, geocachers around the world have been dedicated to improving parks and other cache-friendly places. Through these volunteer efforts, we help preserve the natural beauty of our outdoor resources.

Geocachers around the world celebrate International Cache In Trash Out Weekend annually by hosting and participating in CITO events in their local area. Events might be focused on litter clean-up, removal of invasive species, revegetation efforts or building trails. Together, we make an enormous positive impact. Did we mention that we also have a bit of fun while we’re at it?

The 13th Annual Cache In Trash Out Weekend is scheduled for April 24-27, 2015.  So it’s time for you to roll up your sleeves. But what should you bring? What should you do? And my goodness, WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR? Don’t worry steadfast geocachers – we gotcha covered!

Lackeys Cindy, Carly, and Annika CITO up a storm
Lackeys Cindy, Carly, and Annika CITO up a storm

If you’re hosting a CITO, make sure to have:

  • A well stocked first aid kit
  • Directional signs so people can find the CITO location
  • Garbage bags – lots and lots of garbage bags
  • More garbage bags
  • Extra work gloves to protect hands
  • Necessary tools such as shovels, buckets, rakes, etc.
  • Water and snacks
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Safety vests for high-traffic areas
  • A lanyard for your whistle, camera, GPS, or any other gear you may need within reach
The Geocaching CITO Host Kit includes: 10 Official CITO Trash Bags 1 CITO Vest 1 Pair CITO Work Gloves 1 Standard Lanyard 1 Lanyard Pen 1 CITO Geocoin- Gold 5 CITO Trackable Tags
The Geocaching CITO Host Kit includes:
10 Official CITO Trash Bags, 1 CITO Vest, 1 Pair CITO Work Gloves, 1 Standard Lanyard, 1 Lanyard Pen, 1 CITO Geocoin- Gold, 5 CITO Trackable Tags. The Kit includes some items for getting the job done, as well as some very sought after give-a-ways for your guests.

If you’re attending a CITO:

Definitely dress for the weather, and for the area you’ll be working. For example, if you plan to clear blackberry bushes, shorts probably aren’t your best choice. Always bring work gloves, water, snacks, sunscreen, plus any tools that might come in handy like a grabber, shovel, or rake. Pro tip: labeling your tools with your name and phone number is a great idea in case your tools get mixed up during the event.

Tools of the (CITO) Trade
Tools of the (CITO) Trade

What about CIRO (Cache in, Recycle Out)?

Did you know that blue is the new green? Recycling bags are for anything that we can reuse, so make sure to bring some recycling bags to pick up those discarded water bottles, beer/soda cans, and the like. We found 50 bags selling on Amazon (30-gallon capacity) for about $20.00.

Signal is a fan of Cache In RECYCLE Out
Signal is a fan of Cache In RECYCLE Out

Treat yourself:

You’ve worked hard. You smell like sweat and garbage. You’ve taken good care of Mother Earth. How about treating yourself to something pretty like a CITO Geocoin, Travel Tag, patch, pin, or a fresh T-shirt?

treats
All these CTIO-licious items can be found in our shop at shop.geocaching.com

Make it a daily habit:

Why wait for a special event? How about you always bring an extra bag or two, and help keep Mother Earth happy whenever you’re out searching for that next smiley?

CITO whenever the opportunity arises - Cheers!
Why wait? CITO whenever the opportunity arises!

Will you be attending or hosting a CITO event this year? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Das CITO-Wochenende naht! Nimm an einem Event teil und erhalte dafür ein Souvenir.

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Nur noch zweieinhalb Wochen bis zum CITO-Wochenende 2015

Bald ist CITO-Wochenende! Vom 24.-27. April treffen sich Geocacher aus aller Welt bei Events, um die Landschaft zu säubern, Bäume zu pflanzen oder eingewanderte Arten zu entfernen und ein Souvenir zu bekommen. Falls Du ein eigenes Event planst: Denke daran, dass alle Events zwei Wochen vor dem Event-Datum eingereicht werden müssen.

Wenn Du vor hast, an einem Event teilzunehmen und Dir Dein Souvenir zu verdienen, solltest Du im Event-Kalender nach CITOs in Deiner Nähe suchen. Logge Deinen Teilnahmewunsch, um die Event-Veranstalter über Deine Teilnahme zu informieren.

Such nach einem CITO-Event in Deiner Nähe.

Falls Du es verpasst hast: Die Reise zum Mittelpunkt des EarthCaches

Am 1. April haben wir eine kurze Dokumentation über eine Gruppe mutiger Geocacher und ihre Reise zum schwierigsten EarthCache der Welt veröffentlicht. Die Tour war einfach unglaublich. Sieh Dir das Video hier an, falls Du es noch nicht gesehen hast.

Bist Du bereit, dem Team beizutreten? Zeige mit dem T-Shirt und Aufkleber aus dem Geocaching-Shop, dass Du ein stolzer HARDCORE-EARTHCACHER bist.

 

Journey to the Center of the EarthCache

Earlier this year, the Geocaching HQ video team followed a team of brave geocachers on an endeavor that is unprecedented in the Geocaching world. Their ultimate goal: to find the most difficult EarthCache in the world. The video detailing their journey is now live for the geocaching community.

EarthCaches were created as a joint partnership with Geocaching.com and the Geological Society of America. There’s no physical container, but each EarthCache teaches you an Earth science lesson. Once at the coordinates, geocachers must answer certain questions in order to log a find.

Find an EarthCache near you.

Ready to join the team? Get your HardCORE EarthCacher shirt and decals at Shop Geocaching.

Puppies

It’s Time for Tick Talk

 

Yes indeed - this image of ticks is disgusting - Image (c) California Department of Public Health
Yes indeed – this image of ticks is disgusting – Image (c) California Department of Public Health

It’s time to get serious about staying safe in the outdoors this year. It’s time for Tick Talk.

Most ticks do not carry diseases, and most tick bites do not cause serious health problems. But it’s important to avoid, check for, and remove ticks as soon as you find them. Removing ticks may help you avoid complications such as Lyme disease. Avid geocacher (and dedicated nurse) Kelley Piekarek* put together these safety tips so all outdoor enthusiasts can keep themselves safe during tick season.

 

 

Different types and sizes of ticks
Different types and sizes of ticks – Image (c) eMedicineHealth.com

How to prevent ticks:

  • Cover as much of your body as possible in grassy or wooded areas by wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants (with the legs tucked in to your socks), and a hat
  • Wear light-colored clothes – ticks are easier to spot on light colored clothing plus it’ll keep you cool
  • When you come in from the outdoors, check your entire body from head toe
  • When you come in from the outdoors, also check your entire pet from head to paw
  • Heat and sunshine can kill the ticks on clothing. Put your clothes in a hot dryer or lay them in direct sunlight for at least 15 minutes
  • Consider using insect repellents that contain DEET
  • Remember to check any gear (cameras, backpacks, dog collars) you were wearing for ticks, too!
Pants inside socks is actually quite fashionable
Pants inside socks is actually quite fashionable – Image (c) marisaincopenhagen.tumblr.com

GAH! I found a tick! How do I remove it?

  • Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick key or  – do not handle the tick with bare hands
  • Grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible
  • Pull the tick straight away with even pressure
  • Do not grab the tick around its swollen belly or squeeze it – that could push infected fluid from the tick into your body
  • Do not twist the tick – this may break off the tick’s body and leave the head in your skin
  • After the tick has been removed, wash the area of the tick bite with lots of warm water, soap, and rubbing alcohol
  • Apply an over the counter antibiotic ointment on the bite
  • Dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet or placing it in a sealed bag or container
  • If you cannot remove a tick, call your doctor or veterinarian

Puppies

If you’ve been bitten by a tick and develop a rash, headache, joint pain, fever, or flu-like symptoms with a few weeks, you may have a tick-borne illness. A healthcare provider or veterinarian should evaluate you to determine the best course of treatment.

Stay safe out there my friends, and cache on! How do you stay safe while enjoying your favorite hobby?

This blog post was written with help from geocacher extraordinaire Kelley Piekarek. If her name sounds familiar, it may be from this story that made national geocaching news.