CITO April 2016

Prepárate para dos semanas CITO el 2016

Es hora de desenterrar esos guantes CITO

Los eventos Cache In Trash Out® reúnen a los geocachers con el fin de cuidar el sitio en el que suceden nuestras actividades de geocaching: el planeta Tierra. Los eventos CITO pueden centrarse en plantar árboles, recogidas de basura o rehabilitación del hábitat del evento. Son una oportunidad para los geocachers de contribuir con sus comunidades y medio ambiente local.

Este año, tendrás dos oportunidades de conseguir souvenirs especiales CITO 2016, al asistir a eventos CITO durante las semanas del 14º Cache In Trash Out: del 16 al 24 de abril y del 17 al 25 de septiembre de 2016.

Prepárate para mancharte las manos con material CITO de la tienda de Geocaching, y revisa los artículos de este blog en busca de consejos para celebrar tu propio evento CITO el 2016.

CITO April 2016

Tenez-vous prêts pour deux semaines de CITO en 2016

C’est le moment de ressortir ces gants de CITO

Les events Cache In Trash Out® rassemblent des géocacheurs afin qu’ils prennent soin du lieu où nous exerçons nos activités de géocaching : la planète Terre. Les events CITO peuvent avoir comme objectif la plantation d’arbres, le ramassage de déchets, ou l’embellissement du lieu de l’event. Ils sont une chance pour les géocacheurs de faire une bonne action pour leur environnement local et leurs communautés.

Cette année vous allez avoir deux opportunités de gagner les souvenirs spéciaux CITO 2016 en participant à un event CITO pendant les semaines du 14ème Cache In Trash Out : du 16 au 24 avril et du 17 au 25 septembre 2016.

Préparez-vous à avoir les mains sales avec du matériel spécial CITO de la boutique Géocaching, et surveillez les articles sur le blog pour avoir des conseils afin d’organiser votre propre event CITO en 2016.

Geocacher of the Month

And the January 2016 Geocacher of the Month is…

A few weeks ago we read about three geocachers who go above and beyond for their local geocaching community.

Staubfinger0702, wer2ys4u, and OrigamiFolder are a trio of amazing geocachers spanning two continents. Their CITO events, gadget caches, and challenging puzzle caches are loved by all who encounter them. And all three of them are known for their extraordinary willingness to share their love of geocaching with others.

Each of the nominees is already a winner, with a prize package headed their way. But only one geocaching person, or couple, can be named the january 2016 Geocacher of the Month. Before naming the Geocacher of the Month, Geocaching HQ reviews community input and blog comments.

PicMonkey Collage
staubfinger0702, wer2ys4u, and OrigamiFolder (and friends)

 

Of OrigamiFolder, Anthony Stealth says:

“OrigamiFolder is one of the most well rounded geocachers I have the pleasure of knowing. Not only that, but he is one of the greatest people I know. I have often said, and others have as well, that it is the people we meet through the game that matters the most. There are several I have met who are not just excellent cachers but are TRULY EXCEPTIONAL people and OrigamiFolder is one of those few.”

Of wer2ys4u, Craig Wells says:

“Wer2ys4u deseves this award … and then some. Geocaching can be more than just hiding and finding things. He utilized this hobby of ours as an avenue for a higher purpose, namely connecting kids that are in the foster care system (many for years without a real family or home) to adults that were interested in adopting them. What the description above didn’t tell you is that four of those kids that participated in this actually did connect with adults who are adopting them, giving them a permanent, loving home. Those kids found a lot more than geocaches that day!”

Of staubfinger0702, Jenny says:

“My vote definitely goes to staubfinger0702! He’s created a great diversity of geocaches: multi-caches for kids (even old kids like us!) where you have to go on a scavenger hunt using a metal detector etc.; the amazing Dexter caches, where you first create your personal blood bath (still got the pics, that was a fun day!) with “Dexter 1” and then investigate a murder in a rented garage with “Dexter 2″. He’s created some fabulous night cache Wherigos, and organized an astonishing Lost Place Event at the Heppenheim Asylum. I could go on for ages. His caches are my favorite ones among the approximately 2000 caches I have found. Hardly any owner puts that much dedication to his work.”

Although all three of these geocachers deserve accolades, there has to be one winner.

The January 2016 Geocacher of the Month is staubfinger0702!

The exceptionally high quality of staubfinger0702’s geocaches was a recurring theme in comments left by the community. His geocaches, as paedeldreter says, aren’t just boxes hidden in the woods, they’re “adventures and experiences.”

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Geocachers pose at staubfinger0702’s famous Dexter 2 cache.

The detail and precision with which staubfinger0702 writes his geocache descriptions is rivaled only by the caches themselves, which are often complex, interactive adventures that take geocachers from the middle of the woods, to the middle of a vineyard, to a spooky garage.

Staubfinger0702’s caches have garnered such fame, that geocachers outside of his province, many even outside of Germany, have his geocaches on their bucket lists. Once you’ve done a staubfinger0702 cache, lamp post caches feel like child’s play, and even a crafty birdhouse cache may garner less praise. With his caches, staubfinger0702 is raising the level the the game for hiders and finders alike.

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staubfinger0702 at the site of another very famous German geocache.

Staubfinger0702 is often found geocaching with his family, friends, or canine companions.

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staubfinger0702, top center

Congratulations to staubfinger0702, and to all three nominees for their outstanding contributions to the game we all love!


 

Please keep an eye out for a few changes to the Geocacher of the Month program in February 2015.

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, simply fill out this webform. You’ll need to include the following information:

  • Your name, the name of your nominee, their username
  • Description (200 or more words) explaining why he or she deserves to be the Featured Geocacher of the Month. These descriptions can be written in any language.

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

 

 

 

 

The Geocaching Blog Has a Brand New Look!

Here at Geocaching HQ, we are inspired every day by stories from people who have discovered that adventure still exists in the real-world — stories of exploring the unknown, rocketing a trackable into space or seeing a child connect to the world for the very first time.

One of the best parts of working at HQ is getting to share these stories with all of you. That’s why we’re excited to announce that the Geocaching Blog has a new look — one we hope matches the extraordinary stories it holds.

Here are some of our favorite geocaching stories from over the years (now with a fresh, new look!):

Behind the Scenes: My Travel Bug®’s Mission to Space

geocachinginspaceclassroom

The World’s Oldest Unfound Geocache — Getting the FTF After 12 Years!

Canoeing in lovely weather.

Geocachers Find a Message in a Bottle from 1970. It says…

Message in a bottle dated July 7, 1970

A Powerful Father and Son Connection Through Geocaching

Tony's son 2.5

Geocacher Finds a Veteran’s Lost Dog Tag – 25 Years Later

Raymond's lost dog tags

Oldest Unfound Geocache in Europe… Found! (12 Years Later)

Fabio, one second after making history: Found!

What’s your most story-worthy geocaching moment? Tell us in the comments below.

Aloha from Hawaii! — Honu Beach Cache (GC102CV) — Geocache of the Week

Traditional
GC102CV
by GeoGerms
Difficulty:
2.5
Terrain:
1.5
Location:
Haleiwa on the island of Oahu, Hawaii state, USA
N 21° 37.123  W 158° 05.122

Geocache_of_the_Week_vCOMP_120815

Why this is Geocache of the Week:

Cache, Surf, Sand
Cache, Surf, Sand

This traditional cache is located on Oahu’s North Shore at Laniakea Beach, a well known surf spot where the swells are big. The beach is beyond beautiful, and the geocache usually has a good number of trackables inside that have traveled from near and far since Hawaii is a mecca for international tourists and geocachers.

But the magical part of this geocaching experience is the high likelihood of encountering a green sea turtle, or “honu” as they are known in Hawaii. The turtles often come to the shore to feed on seaweed growing on the rocks, or since they are cold-blooded, will come onto the beach to warm themselves in the sun.

You’ll be able to get close, but make sure you give them plenty of space. Hawaiian green sea turtles are federally protected, and it’s illegal and harmful to touch or get close to them. They do not lay eggs until they are 25 to 30 years old, and when the eggs finally hatch, only 1 in 1,000 will mature completely to adulthood.

Encountering a honu is considered “good mana”, or good energy, by Hawaiians. If you see a honu, will you chances of finding this geocache increase?

What geocachers have to say:

“We loved this place. We saw a number of sea turtles coming up to the shore. Many people were snorkeling to see the turtles better. If it was not for this cache, we probably would never have seen this beach.” –SP4FUN

“Wow! What a great view at this cache site. Wes-rx and I wanted to make it up to Turtle Beach and discover the north shore of Oahu, and we were not disappointed. Lots of turtles just a few feet out in the water, so plenty of excitement to distract the muggles. TFTC!” –pharmanimal2016

“What a beautiful place for a geocache! We arrived at a fortunate time. There were 2 sea turtles sunning on the beach and at least 2 more out in the surf. Kudos to the volunteers who care for the area and keep us people from disturbing the turtles.” –MuStash

What the Cache Owner has to say:

We’ve contacted the cache owner, GeoGerms, to let him know his geocache is being featured as Geocache of the Week. He was very excited, but also busy. He is helping with the dengue virus outbreak on the Big Island of Hawaii. He’s an avid geocacher with over 4,700 finds, but hasn’t had time to geocache since fall of 2015. His profile states, “GeoGerms is a tad busy right now helping with the dengue virus outbreak currently happening on the Big Island. Sorry about the lapse in cache maintenance and lack of timely responses to your emails. Hope to be back fully caching soon!”

We wish everyone a speedy recovery, and hope you’re back out enjoying your hobby soon, too.

 

Photos:

The real name for this beach is Laniakea Beach
The real name for this beach is Laniakea Beach

 

Turtle TB, meet Turtle
Turtle TB, meet Turtle

 

This is a great geocaching experience for kids of all ages
This is a great geocaching experience for kids of all ages

 

Green sea turtles are federally protected so make sure to stay at least 10 feet away from them
Green sea turtles are federally protected so make sure to stay at least 10 feet away from them

 

Aloha from Hula Girl TB!
Aloha from Hula Girl TB!

 

It's considered good "mana" or good energy to encounter a honu
It’s considered good “mana” or good energy to encounter a honu

 

Going back out to the ocean
Going back out to the ocean

 

Wait! Come back!
Wait! Come back!

 

Will you be lucky enough to find the cache and see the turtles?
Will you be lucky enough to find the cache and see the turtles?

Continue to explore some of the most amazing geocaches around the world. Check out all of the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, fill out this form.