BG & NWOGEO in the news!
Posted: Mon 2012-07-23, 09:03:45
How did we miss this article?
http://www.bgnews.com/entertainment/geo ... 963f4.html
"Geocaching provides outdoor adventures"
Posted: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 6:26 pm
by Zach Knapp
Geocaching is a dream come true for people looking to get in on the treasure-seeking adventures that made up their childhood fantasies.
According to geocaching.com, geocaching is a free real world outdoor treasure hunting game.
University senior Sam Houf said the appeal of geocaching is all about the endless possibilities for adventure.
“It is always fun when you actually find the cache and get to see what is inside, but a lot of the time it is the trip to get the geocache that gets me into it,” Houf said. “Sometimes it will take you 10 minutes, and other times it will take hours. Either way the hunt for the geocache is enjoyable.”
Houf said the geocache, a sealed container holding the treasure, is hidden by other people playing the hunting game and the coordinates to the geocache are put up on geocaching.com for other geocachers to find. Directions can be printed out, sent to your GPS or smartphone.
If something is taken out of the geocache, then something of equal value should be put in the geocache, Houf said.
Approximately 20,000 geocache coordinates are listed in the Bowling Green area, according to geocaching.com.
The number of geocaches that were hidden in the area surprised University senior, Brandon Bustillo, who was unaware of the worldwide hunting game.
“It seems like a really cool idea that just took off,” Bustillo said. “As long as people keep contributing, the game will just get bigger and more limitless.”
Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department is actively involved in hiding geocaches around many of the public parks.
Mike Buchele maintenance specialist for the Parks and Recreation Department, used his 10 years of geocaching experience to get publicity for the city’s public parks. By hiding geocaches in the city’s public parks, Buchele hoped that it would attract new people to the park.
“We don’t have these parks for deer to just run around in and go ignored by people,” Buchele said. “We want people to come and enjoy these parks. That is why we put so much work into the parks.”
Buchele said there are currently 16 geocaches he has hidden for the Parks and Recreation Department. They are moved around periodically to keep people constantly involved in finding the geocaches.
Houf said the search for geocaches can reveal places to visitors that they might not have otherwise noticed.
“I have never looked for any in the public parks in Bowling Green, but I think it is a great way to attract people to new parts of the park, and make them enjoy it more fully,” Houf said. “I have found some cool hidden places before that I never noticed before.”
Adventure and collecting treasure aside, Buchele said that the sense of community built around geocaching is important.
“You meet a lot of people geocaching,” Buchele said. “A bunch of us actually made a group called the Northwest Ohio Geocachers. We sponsor meet-and-greets, yearly events and roadside garbage cleanups. We really became a small community.”
The Northwest Ohio Geocachers events and updates can be found at nwogeo.org, and free accounts and immediate access to all geocaching needs can be found at geocaching.com.
http://www.bgnews.com/entertainment/geo ... 963f4.html
"Geocaching provides outdoor adventures"
Posted: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 6:26 pm
by Zach Knapp
Geocaching is a dream come true for people looking to get in on the treasure-seeking adventures that made up their childhood fantasies.
According to geocaching.com, geocaching is a free real world outdoor treasure hunting game.
University senior Sam Houf said the appeal of geocaching is all about the endless possibilities for adventure.
“It is always fun when you actually find the cache and get to see what is inside, but a lot of the time it is the trip to get the geocache that gets me into it,” Houf said. “Sometimes it will take you 10 minutes, and other times it will take hours. Either way the hunt for the geocache is enjoyable.”
Houf said the geocache, a sealed container holding the treasure, is hidden by other people playing the hunting game and the coordinates to the geocache are put up on geocaching.com for other geocachers to find. Directions can be printed out, sent to your GPS or smartphone.
If something is taken out of the geocache, then something of equal value should be put in the geocache, Houf said.
Approximately 20,000 geocache coordinates are listed in the Bowling Green area, according to geocaching.com.
The number of geocaches that were hidden in the area surprised University senior, Brandon Bustillo, who was unaware of the worldwide hunting game.
“It seems like a really cool idea that just took off,” Bustillo said. “As long as people keep contributing, the game will just get bigger and more limitless.”
Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department is actively involved in hiding geocaches around many of the public parks.
Mike Buchele maintenance specialist for the Parks and Recreation Department, used his 10 years of geocaching experience to get publicity for the city’s public parks. By hiding geocaches in the city’s public parks, Buchele hoped that it would attract new people to the park.
“We don’t have these parks for deer to just run around in and go ignored by people,” Buchele said. “We want people to come and enjoy these parks. That is why we put so much work into the parks.”
Buchele said there are currently 16 geocaches he has hidden for the Parks and Recreation Department. They are moved around periodically to keep people constantly involved in finding the geocaches.
Houf said the search for geocaches can reveal places to visitors that they might not have otherwise noticed.
“I have never looked for any in the public parks in Bowling Green, but I think it is a great way to attract people to new parts of the park, and make them enjoy it more fully,” Houf said. “I have found some cool hidden places before that I never noticed before.”
Adventure and collecting treasure aside, Buchele said that the sense of community built around geocaching is important.
“You meet a lot of people geocaching,” Buchele said. “A bunch of us actually made a group called the Northwest Ohio Geocachers. We sponsor meet-and-greets, yearly events and roadside garbage cleanups. We really became a small community.”
The Northwest Ohio Geocachers events and updates can be found at nwogeo.org, and free accounts and immediate access to all geocaching needs can be found at geocaching.com.
