/ Eric Schudiske /

Refer a Friend – Help Kids Learn about GPS

Karla

This is Karla. She is a student at a low income elementary school in Texas and a member of the after-school technology club, Tech-Click.

In 2009, Groundspeak was able to provide three GPS devices to Karla’s club through DonorsChoose.org. DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that connects teachers with donors to fulfill classroom needs.

These three GPS devices allowed Karla and others in her club to learn about latitude, longitude, spatial concepts and more. Karla sent us this letter to thank us for the donation:

Now, you can help others like Karla learn about GPS technology simply by telling people about geocaching. From June 1- 30, 2011, for each new member that you refer to Geocaching.com, we’ll donate $1 to DonorsChoose.org.

How it works:

  1. You introduce someone new to geocaching. You can take them out on the trail with you, send them our new “tell a friend” email, write a blog or simply shout about it from the rooftops.
  2. The person that you introduced to geocaching signs up for an account (Basic or Premium) between June 1 and June 30 and fills out the “referred by” field on the account creation page. (Make sure to give them your Geocaching.com username so that they can fill out this field.)
  3. He or she logs at least one geocache between June 1 and June 30.
  4. We give US $1 to GPS-related projects on DonorsChoose.org.

 

The more people you refer, the more money we can donate to classrooms in need, up to a total of $10,000 USD!

Teach your friends about geocaching and help provide students like Karla with the tools they need to have engaging learning experiences.

We will be providing regular updates on the number of referrals here on Latitude 47 and on Facebook. Thank you for helping!

We also wish our brother was as nice as you.

Cheers,

The Groundspeak Lackeys

 

 

/ Eric Schudiske

Explore Canada’s Beautiful Parks by Geocaching during Canadian Environment Week

For the first time, Canadian Environment Week uses the GPS enabled treasure-hunt of geocaching to share the beauty of Canadian Parks.

The Canadian Environment Week geocaching contest runs from April 30 to June 11, 2011. During this time, geocaches containing a password can be found in National Parks, at National Historic Sites and on National Wildlife Areas throughout Canada. It’s an opportunity for geocachers to explore these areas and even have a chance to win prizes. Adventurers wishing to participate in the contest must collect a password from the selected geocaches and submit it on the Canadian Environment Week website. Contest participation and the password are not required in order to simply log your finds on any of these great caches.

Click here to view the bookmark list of the Canadian Environment Week geocaches that are listed on Geocaching.com, thanks to the Atlantic Canada Geocaching Association. A few others can be found through Environment Canada directly.

Even without prizes, geocaching during Canadian Environment Week is a great opportunity to explore Canada’s natural beauty. Canadian National Parks, National Historic Sites and National Wildlife Areas are located on the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts, across the interior mountains and plains and Great Lakes, reaching as far north and south as Canada goes!

Geocachers will enjoy the breathtaking scenery and inspiring natural surroundings of Canada. National Parks provide the perfect setting for tuning into nature, learning about it, appreciating it, respecting it and pledging to protect it. Celebrate Canadian Environment Week by doing just that, and don’t forget to CITO to help preserve the environment.

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

“Glaciar Perito Moreno – Patagonia” GC1JPHG GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – May 23, 2011

View of "Glaciar Perito Moreno - Patagonia

The search for the EarthCache “Glaciar Perito Moreno – Patagonia” (GC1JPHG) brings geocachers to a natural wonder of South America. The Southern Patagonian Ice Field represents the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water. To claim a smiley on this EarthCache adventurers must email the answers to two questions and a picture to the cache owner. Geocachers will only be able to find the answer to the questions if they’ve arrived at the coordinates on the cache page.

Glaciar Perito Moreno - Patagonia

Dutzig created the difficulty 2.5, terrain 2.5 cache in 2008. So far, nearly 80 geocachers have logged a “Found it.”

The cache page details the powerful potential of the “Perito Moreno Glacier.” Dutzig writes: “The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that are not retreating. Periodically the glacier advances over the L-shaped “Lago Argentino” (“Argentine Lake”) forming a natural dam which separates the two halves of the lake when it reaches the opposite shore. With no escape route, the water-level on the Brazo Rico side of the lake can rise by up to 30 meters above the level of the main lake. The enormous pressure produced by this mass of waters finally breaks the ice barrier holding it back, in a spectacular rupture event.” The last rupture of the glacier was documented in July of 2008.

View inside the glacier

Continue your exploration of some of the most engaging geocaches from around the world. Explore all the Geocaches of the Week on our blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocacher Viewing the Endeavour Launch: “Right place at the perfect time”

Courtesy: Lorriebird

You never know where you’ll find a geocacher. Avid geocacher Lorrie LeBlanc (Lorriebird) was piloting an airliner over Florida just as the space shuttle Endeavour launched through the clouds this week. She snapped these pictures. Her pictures went viral, even posting on CNN.com.  Here’s her story.

Courtesy: Lorriebird

Lorriebird writes, “I was flying a route from Miami to Montreal on Monday, May 16th. I hadn’t paid much attention to the shuttle launch because I knew I would be working at the time and would miss it. We were cruising at 37,000 feet, and the chatter began on the Jacksonville radio frequency about the launch. Other aircraft started asking for permission to turn toward the launch, but they were denied.

“Then we received a message that the Endeavour was launching in one minute. I started looking at our position relative to the launch site and realized that we were VERY close at only about 40 nautical miles away. I told the Captain that I was flying with that we were the closest plane to this thing! I started looking for it and at that very moment the Endeavour punched up through the clouds in perfect position outside my window! The frequency erupted with questions….JAX center and other planes started asking us what we could see…but I was too busy taking photos to answer them! I mean, if I could have snapped my fingers to re-position our aircraft anywhere else, I wouldn’t have moved it! We absolutely lucked out and were in the right place at the perfect time.

Courtesy: Lorriebird

“I cannot write what I was saying out loud at the time. But all the while I was shooting, I just kept thinking that we were watching history being made. I really cannot describe the feeling properly, because words like amazing and incredible truly don’t cut it for trying to describe that thrill.  It took quite a while for the adrenaline rush to cut me some slack! The other pilot and I just looked at one another….did we REALLY just see that????”

Check out even more of her photos here.

 

Courtesy: Lorriebird

 

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Groundspeak Weekly Newsletter – May 18, 2011

Version 2.0 of the Geocaching Application for Android Devices Now Available!

Groundspeak developers are pleased to unveil the latest update to the Geocaching.com Android application. Version 2.0 of the Geocaching.com app for the Android platform is now available in the Android Market. Geocachers will enjoy a new look and feel for the app.

Check out the Geocaching.com blog, Latitude 47, for a full list of updates. We expect to release the latest version of the iPhone Application in the next couple of weeks.

 

Find the Gecko Sweepstakes

The GEICO Gecko has teamed up with Groundspeak to give away 20 Magellan eXplorist GC GPS units and release 6,000 trackable Geckos into the wild. It’s free and easy to participate in any (or all!) of the following ways:

1. Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to win one of 20 Magellan eXplorist GC GPS units, valued at $150! This is one of the top-selling GPS devices among geocachers.

2. Help the trackable Geckos meet their goals by moving them from cache to cache. 6,000 Geckos will be released to spread the word about the Sweepstakes. Note: You don’t need to actually find one to enter the Sweepstakes!

3. Request a Free trackable Gecko and we’ll mail you a brand new, un-activated one (while supplies last) as long as you agree to place it in a geocache and help it get started on a geocaching journey.

Check the promotional website for official rules.