The Meeting Tree Multi-Cache

The Meeting Tree is a heritage oak tree in the Westminster Woods, which is 670 years old, the oldest tree in London. 

In order to find the cache, find the "Recognized Heritage Tree" plaque at the posted coordinates near the tree. There is a code on the plaque: RHT-pqrs-tuv, where p,q,r,s,t,u, and v can be used to calculate the final coordinates.

The cache is located a short distance away, outside the Westminster ESA zone, at 

N 42^o 57.ABC W 081^o 13.DEF, where 

A=s, B=p+q+r+s+t+u+v, C=r+s, 

D=q, E=s+t+u+v, and F=p+q+r+s+t+u+v

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The following is an excerpt from a CBC article about the tree from July 24, 2017. There will be an Emancipation Day visit to the Meeting Tree on August 7, 2017.

London's oldest tree has surpassed its average lifespan — and with it — is keeping alive a part of the city's racial history. The 670-year-old white oak tree in south London is believed to have served as a meeting place during the mid-1800s for thousands of asylum seekers who escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad. The province and the city recognized the tree nested between a hiking trail and a dry creek at Westminster Ponds as a heritage site in 2012.

The 670-year-old white oak tree in south London served as a stop during the mid-1800s for thousands of asylum seekers to congregate for safety via the Underground Railroad

The tree stands about 10 stories high. It takes about a dozen people to wrap their arms together around the trunk. 

The Meeting Tree, as it is known, was a safe haven for people who fled plantation life in southern parts of the United States. Many hid in pianos, coffins or carts as they sought refuge north in Canada. Some people stayed to establish a life in London and the surrounding region. For others, the Meeting Tree would be a stop before the next leg of their journey to freedom.

Although there is no physical documentation that the tree served its purpose, there are similar sites across the country acted as safe havens for asylum seekers.

Visiting London's oldest tree

Reforest London, non-profit environment organization, has included the Meeting Tree as a historic site in its nature tours at the conservation area. "It's a great landmark for people to see," said Kaitlin Richardson, projects manager for the organization. "A lot of people develop a healthy respect for the tree. When you tell them how old it is and the history… They go and hug it and feel it".

The average life span of a white oak tree is between 300 to 600 years. Richardson said the Meeting Tree is in good health and could see many years to come.