"I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." - Dr. Suess
NOTE: This is a locationless geocache. There is no box to find. Instead you will use your GPS to find an arboretum, mark its location, share photos, and tell us about your visit.
Is there an arboretum in your life? An arboretum is a place for the study and exhibition of trees. As one authority suggests, "It is a living museum where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes." Our model for this geocache is the
Pass Arboretum in Syracuse, New York. Here each tree has been given a sign stating both the common and latin name of the species, and a few of its defining characteristics. If you haven't paid much attention to the subtle beauty of the trees in your town, here's an opportunity to stop and smell the pine cones. Turn off the computer, get outdoors, and hug a tree today!
Defining the Vision: A Botanical Garden & Arboretum for Onondaga Park is a public report that explains how the Onondaga Park Association envisions the future development of the Pass Arboretum.
Another example to consult as you begin your quest is the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. No discussion of trees would be complete without mentioning Arbor Day, which is often held on the last Friday in April. Click here to learn more, and see when it's celebrated in your state.
Here are the rules to log this locationless geocache:
1. Use your GPS receiver to mark the location of an arboretum. You must be able to show that your location has been officially designated as an arbortum. This may be done with a photo of a park sign, or with a link to a website. The waypoint used must be for a specific location, such as an official arboretum sign, park gate, or trailhead. NOTE: An arboretum is not a botanical gardern. Please do not log botanical gardens here, unless you can show a sign that indicates there is an arboretum within the garden. There is another geocache for botanical gardens here: About that Garden (Botanical that is).
2. Take a photo of the arboretum that shows you and your GPS receiver at the spot where you mark the waypoint for your log report. One or two additional photos showing the surroundings will greatly enhance your report. The photos linked below will serve as examples. Try to include a close-up view of a tree sign and a wider view of the park.
3. Submit a log report that includes the coordinates of the arboretum sign or main entrance, and some descriptive information. Be sure to tell us the address, city, state (province), and country. If you can find a website with additional information about your arboretum, please include a link, too.
4. Then immediately upload the required confirmation photo to log this cache as found. The usual locationless cache rules apply: one log per geocacher, and each location may be logged only once. Please read all the logs to be sure your arboretum has not already been logged. All photos must be originals, and logs without GPS photos will be deleted.