geoaware

As part of the wind back of the handing out of physical pins, we are sad to announce that from 15 September 2009 we will no longer be sending out Gold pins to EarthCache Masters recipients. Platinum pins will continue to be sent out indefinitely. EarthCache Masters coins - one for each level - will be on sale in the EarthCache.org store by the end of September. Again we thank you all for supporting EC Masters and EarthCaching. Regards Geoaware

Sorry - we can't take pre-orders. We will post as soon as the coins are available for purchase.

Sept 15....maybe sooner.

30 more EarthCache geocoins are now on sale through the EarthCache.org store.

Unfortunately there is no official EarthCache Day planned for 2009.

Sometimes things need to happen one step at a time. The steps may be small and many - but each one gets us closer to the goal. We could leap ahead and miss some steps, only to find that it was a crucial one.... So it will happen when it happens. Each day we move closer. Each day is another step behind us.

...they sold out in 12 hours! So anther batch has been ordered. AND......new EarthCache Masters coins are on their way. There is a special coin for each level. We will you posted!

A limited number of the EarthCache Geocoin are now available through the EarthCache Store (www.earthcache.org)

We are seriously considering changing the EarthCache guidelines to remove any discussion about the requirement to have a photo to log. We believe that it should NOT be a logging requirement to have a photograph of peoples faces to be able to log. Photos add to the experience, but should not be the deciding factor of a log is allowed or not. We are very disappointed that this is an issue with some EC developers.

This concerns me. NO EarthCache should be approved with that as its only logging requirement....the task should be earth science related and about the site. In the past when we have followed up on some of these issues we have found that developers have changed their requirements after approval. We then have to deal with the developer to repair the issue. EarthCaches have been archived for this type of mishap.

GSA has been doing this for years....it is common practice and not a result of the current financial situation. However, times are tough almost everywhere. This really is a two pronged issue.....one is the pure cost of pins and postage (it is now costing over $15,000 a year) and the second is the incredible amount of time to package the pins and arrange labels and get them out. This has been done principally by volunteers, but the load is getting too high for even them. We will look into the option of selling pins, if people think that is a good option.

Due to financial and administrative constraints, we are sad to announce that from 1 August 2009 we will no longer be sending out Bronze and Silver pins to EarthCache Masters recipients. Gold and Platinum pins will continue to be sent out until further notice. All EC masters recipients will be sent an icon image that they can add to their profiles when they submit for a level from 1 August. Again we thank you all for supporting EC Masters and EarthCaching and hope you will all understand that during difficult fiscal times somethings often have to wound back. Regards Geoaware

We are waiting on stock from Groundspeak. As soon as they arrive we will have them for sale.

At NO stage do we ask any developer to write pages of earth science information. What we ask is that the focus of the EC be on Earth science...and that should be able to be explained in a few paragraphs (tops) for any site. Too often we get submissions that have almost no earth science. Our request to 'add some more geology' is really a plea to make the focus on Earth science (as needed to meet EC guideline 1)....it is really not cause we want pages and paged of text. The trend to have a full semester of Geology 101 lessons in the EC text was not started or encouraged by us as EC approvers. We like seeing brief submissions that provide the user the information they need to enjoy the site and learn something. A page of 'cut and paste' from a website of irrelevant information often adds nothing.

In our opinion a developer should use the words they need to describe the site so people visiting have a great learning experience. If you can do that briefly then great. If it takes the whole form, then great. If we have any concern its the ECs that contains a pile of irrelevant information (mostly cut and pasted from a website) that really does not add to the educational experience. Likewise, we are never happy to see the same information used over and over and over again with just the coordinates changed - such as what we have seen with river gauging stations, waterfalls, hot springs...

The logging requirement for any EarthCache is undertaking and answering the educational task. The current guidelines state : "Logging of EarthCache sites must involve visitors undertaking some educational task that relates to the Earth science at the site. This could involve them measuring or estimating the size of some feature or aspect of the site, collecting and recording some data (such as time of a tidal bore), or searching and sending via e-mail to the developer, some earth-science fact that they find from signage that relates to the site. Developers should try to involve visitors in learning from the site rather than just logging a visit. Logs should show that the visitors have 'learnt' by visiting your EarthCache site. Taking a photograph alone, having visitors sending a word from a sign, or asking people to do internet research does NOT meet these logging guidelines." The photograph is a completely secondary task. In my opinion no log to an EC should be deleted if a person has met all the educational logging requirements. Taking a photograph at the site is only one task and not considered in the guidelines to be educational. Therefore, deleting a log because of the lack of a photo, or the lack of the desired content in a photo is outside of the requirement for a logging task. At the end of the day it is the discretion of the EC owner. However, I am very concerned and saddened to hear that EC logs are being deleted ONLY because of the photo requirement, even when all the other tasks are completed. I feel that this is not in the spirit of EarthCaches and maybe the guidelines need to be changed to reflect the issue and all the EC not meeting the new guidelines archived.

This is the official EarthCache coin...it was designed and approved by both Groundspeak and EarthCache.org. The name is spelled perfectly....when using all caps EARTHCACHE is correct.

The new coins will also be available form the EarthCache store (www.earthcache.org) as soon the stock arrives. They are the same price ($9.99). Shipping and handling from GSA is a set price ($5.00) anywhere in the world.

Hi folks The coin is still in production - but should be here shortly. Sorry for the delay! The design is fantastic....and they will make a great addition to peoples collections. Geoaware The EarthCache name and logo are the copyright of the Geological Society of America. The right to use them is very restricted, and GSA does not give permission for any group to use them without express written permission. As a general rule, permission is not given for the EC name or logo to be used for trinkets (pins, coins, shirts etc). GSA will use the full force of the law to protect its copyright.

The following has been sent out to all owners of active EarthCaches featuring caves in the United States.... Please note that there are several regional cave closures and related regulations on cave entry for much of the eastern United States. As we at the Geological Society of America are committed fostering and maintaining a positive stewardship of the Earth, we ask that you keep abreast of these restrictions, and post a notice of any pertinent information directly to your EarthCache listing. If the land where your EarthCache is located has issued a cave closure, PLEASE HAVE YOUR CACHE TEMPORARILY DISABLED. Failure to do so may result in your cache being archived if the land manager or agency personnel voices concern. Resources and information can be found at the National Speleological Society’s White Nose Syndrome page: http://www.caves.org/WNS/ Additional info from the US Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service can be found here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/ http://www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html Thank you. Geoaware

Nothing has been decided...and we take all suggestions very seriously. However the current EC Masters process is a time consuming one, and making it more complex will add more burden on us when we are trying to make sure that we can manage the influx of new EC as well as meet the EC Masters demands. That said, maybe an idea would be to have a panel of volunteers who would like to peer review EC in some system and then award the very best with some kind of recognition on the earthcache.org website?

It is currently taking less than a week to get an EarthCache published. If you want to ensure that your EC is published as soon as possible, please make sure your submission meets ALL the guidelines. The main reason some EC seem to take so long to be approved is because we have to go back and forth between the CO and GSA because the CO has not followed the guidelines. So please please please also read the guidelines again before you submit and make sure you meet all of them..and that way we can keep EC approval as fast as possible.

GSA no longer requires the permission for the nearby cache owner (but feel that it is common courtesy to contact them). There has never been a 30 foot rule (and to be honest, we wonder where that idea even came from??????) Our only requirement is that it must not have the same coordinates as an existing cache.

A "Historical Feature" is a place that in the past has been important for geology. This may be an old mining site, a place where fossils of a type were first found etc. Its MUST follow the guidelines and be Earth science related. Historical sites not related to Earth science are not approved. Hope that helps Geoaware

We are so very pleased that Terry had the strength and persistence to work for so long to get these EarthCaches approved. W have been working with the US National Park Service since EarthCaches were born to get approval withing the ranks. I think that this is a sign that people in NPS are seeing how wonderful EC can be to get people back to their parks..... Thanks again Terry! Its a wonderful breakthrough!