The Series
PandaMania was a public art project led by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities that took place in the summer of 2004 throughout DC where 150 panda statues were created by artists and exhibited in public around the district. After the project ended, the panda statues were auctioned off with the proceeds going to further the commission's work. Twenty years later, some of these pandas continue to be on display around DC businesses and residences. This series is meant to bring geocachers to revisit DC's local art history; created by Aliengirl back in 2015, I've decided to pick up the mantle.
Please let me know if you run into another panda on your geocaching adventures so that I might add to this series!
The Panda
One of the best parts about tracking down these pandas is that you get tips from the most random of places. In this case, I got a tip from a reddit user by the name of /u/Just-Grapefruit1800 that there was a panda inside the headquarters of the World Wildlife Fund (I assume they work here and sees it on the daily.) Funny enough, even though I've seen photos of the WWF panda, it never struck me that it could be at the WWF building- I didn't even think the WWF had a building in DC!
I decided to take the afternoon hours off from work to try and make a quick visit- through the front doors, up the stairs on the right, and there it was!
For a Living Planet was made by David Ciommo, was sponsored and originally displayed by the World Wildlife Fund. It was auctioned off at the live event for $2300, and presumably donated to the WWF right after. The two missing puzzle pieces represent areas still in need in conservation (I don't believe the literal areas are on the puzzle pieces, only that there is still more work to be done.)
The Geocache
Since this is a panda sponsored by the WWF, it is only fair to learn more about the WWF to find this cache. From Wikipedia:
"The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. WWF is the world's largest conservation organization, with over 5 million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries and supporting around 3,000 conservation and environmental projects. It has invested over $1 billion in more than 12,000 conservation initiatives since 1995. WWF aims to 'stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.'"
I encourage everyone to read it over and educate yourselves on their work and history. Once you have, come back here and answer some questions for some coordinates!
N 38° 54.ABC′ W 77° 03.DEF′
A. The WWF is based in which country?
- Germany = 5
- Switzerland = 4
- Netherlands = 3
- Belgium = 2
B. Multiple positions of royalty has been presidents of the WWF, including:
- The Duke of Edinburgh = 4
- The King of Thailand = 6
- The Prince of Wales = 1
- The Emir of Kuwait = 2
C. In 2000, the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) sued the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) for unfair trade practices, despite having shared the initials for over twenty years. The WWF (the wrestling one) would eventually relent and change their name officially to the WWE (World Wrestling Enterntainment) following a marketing campaign called "Get the 'F' Out". In what year did this change happen?
- 2001 = 9
- 2002 = 1
- 2003 = 4
- 2004 = 8
D. The logo from the WWF was named after a real life panda. What was that panda's name?
- Ling Ling = 0
- Bao Li = 3
- Qing Bao = 2
- Chi Chi = 1
You will also need to visit the panda itself at the WWF building for the last few numbers. The building is located at the original coordinates for the cache. Going by the building's website, it is staffed (and presumably accessible) Monday through Friday from 5:30 AM to 6:30 PM, barring federal holidays. All you need to do is enter the front doors and go up the stairs on the right side, no special access needed.
Below the panda you will see an informational plaque. Find the year underneath the artist's name. Multiply the first digit times the last digit for E. Then look for another year in the second paragraph. The last digit of that year will be F.
Checksum: A + B + C + D + E + F = 19
The cache is a short walk away from the WWF building. The hide shouldn't be too difficult, but use stealth when appropriate.