IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THIS SERIES, PLEASE CONTACT THE SERIES OWNER (SEE BELOW)

We are often told (correctly, if somewhat ideologically), that geocaches should take us to somewhere "interesting", and not simply be placed just for the sake of it. The aim of this series is to try and adhere to this ideal by basing caches around details given on an Interpretation Board about the area in which it is situated. By definition, it is hoped that this information will be "interesting", and will help the cacher discover things about the area that would often not be revealed by a traditional cache.

Many thanks to Manx National Heritage for their permission to place this geocache.

Ballaugh Curraghs

The remains of earth banks provide firm paths for walking in the area but please be aware these may be slippery in places and there are many raised tree roots. There are also boardwalks provided in places. For the safety of yourself and the surrounding flora and fauna, please stay on the paths to help preserve wildlife and care for the countryside in accordance with local by-laws. Wear suitable footwear. You are responsible for yourself, children and dogs, which must be kept under control.

The term “Curragh” loosely translates as “willow scrub”, which describes the most obvious vegetation here. The curragh here inhabits an area first formed around 10,000 years ago when ice formed a depression which then became a lake as the ice retreated. Dead and decaying vegetation then formed a thick layer of peat which was subsequently used as fuel by local residents.

During the Middle Ages, the land was divided into fields by the previously mentioned earth banks and drained for grazing and growing hay.

When the practice of peat cutting was discontinued, the ditches in the area filled with water and bogs were formed.

With declining human influence, the ditches became filled with vegetation and willow scrub, or “carr”. The resulting wetland is now a designated Ramsar site.

The area is home to many species of plant and animal wildlife. When placing the cache, we saw lots of orchids and some ragged robin. But perhaps the most curious is the wallaby population, which divides opinion due to its non-indigenous status. Whilst it no doubt competes to some extent with more native species, its impact on the habitat here appears to have little effect and certainly much less than past centuries of grazing and farming. According to a 2008 study, “they seem to occupy a similar ecological niche to hares”. If you want to see some, the best time to visit is probably around dawn or dusk.

At the posted coo-ords, there is a notice board containing the information you require. There's room to park a couple of cars but you will have to walk from here.

Find the values for A to G and use the formula to work out the co-ordinates of the container. The map also shows the routes which provide safe walking in the area.

A = The number of red dashes (path with harder walking)

B = The number of large areas of water

C = The number of yellow squares (easy flat walking)

D = The total number of areas of water

E = The number of small areas of water

F = The number of named rivers

G = The number of blue dots (hardest route)

Checksum = 106

The cache can be found at:

N54 (A) . (B ÷ 2) (C ÷ 2)  W004 (G – 2D) . (D + E) (F) (D+E+F)

We hope that you find this an interesting variation on the caching experience. For a full list of all FYI caches in the series, please go to https://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.aspx?code=BM4RZ8H
For more details of the FYI series as a whole, you can visit the dedicated website at fyigeocaching.co.uk where you will also find details of how to place your own FYI cache (I'm sure you know of some interesting Interpretation Boards in your area!). You can also join the FYI Geocaching Facebook Group, or contact the Series Owner, John Williams, directly at fyigeocaching@outlook.com