The purpose of this event is to meet fellow geocachers, share our love of the great outdoors, swap tall tales of caches lost and found, discover and trade trackables, and maybe grab a cup of coffee while we're there.
Note: Event will be cancelled in adverse conditions (e.g., rain, excessive heat, smoke). Please log your Will Attend so that you'll receive event updates.
Optional - Following the event, anyone who's interested will hike the nearby Cities of Orange County power trail to celebrate Urban Wildlife Conservation Day. For more information about the hike, skip to the end.
Urban Wildlife Conservation Day was established in 2018 through the efforts of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Its purpose is to recognize and celebrate the more than 100 urban wildlife refuges that function near towns and cities across the United States.
Since its inception, this event has been celebrated annually as a reminder that it's both possible and beneficial to access, protect, and enjoy natural spaces within an urban setting.
Humans thrive on nature, no matter where they live. And given that 80% of the US population lives in or near an urban area, it's vital to consider ways to protect and stay connected with wildlife and nature.
Urban Wildlife Conservation Day encourages everyone to not only visit urban nature areas but also support and care for them in a variety of ways:
- Get Into (Urban) Nature - This is a perfect time to check out local natural spaces. Walking and biking trails, fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and more can all be experienced nearby.
- Create Wild Urban Spaces - Individuals or businesses who have even the smallest amount of property can get involved with Urban Wildlife Conservation Day by considering how to better use their natural space. Re-wild areas of the city by eliminating the use of pesticides, letting weeds grow, taking back abandoned parking spaces, or even adding a rooftop wild space.
- Plant Wildflowers - Forget the trouble of taking care of grass lawns or strips of green in a parking lot. Instead, create a habitat for butterflies and other pollinators by planting a host of native wildflowers.
- Become an Urban Beekeeper - Consider promoting urban wildlife by keeping bees. It’s a unique and fascinating hobby that can bring nature to the city and produce honey at the same time.
Optional hike details:
Following the event, there will be an optional hike. We will explore, on foot, a portion of the bike trail that runs along the west side of Los Patrones Parkway to complete the Cities of Orange County power trail.
The bonus cache GC9PKG4 has more information about the series, trailheads, and parking waypoints.
We will drive to the south end of the trail and leave some of the cars at WP3 of the bonus cache, N 33° 33.157 W 117° 35.762 (Los Patrones Business Park, 28522 Airoso St, Missiion Viejo, 92694).
From there, we will carpool to the north end of the trail and leave the rest of the cars at WP1, N 33° 35.103 W 117° 36.787 (Tesoro High School, 1 Tesoro Creek Rd, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688).
After the hike, don’t take off until we’re sure that everyone who left a car at the starting point has a ride back.
Hike is 3.25 miles, which equates to roughly 1.5 hours of actual walking time. There are 30 caches, so you can judge for yourself how much time that’s likely to add - 1 minute per cache = ½ hour, 5 minutes per cache = 2 ½ hours, or......?
Forecast is currently for low 80s.
Be sure everyone in your group is prepared for hot weather hiking:
* Start out hydrated and bring more water than you think you’ll need (min ½ liter per person per hour)
* Dress appropriately and don’t forget sun protection, including a hat
* Bring salty snacks to help replenish electrolytes – pretzels, trail mix, energy bars, etc.
* Listen to your body and know the signs of heat stroke