geoaware

We are very pleased to announce that the new EarthCache Discovery Award program has been launched. This program rewards people who have visited a high number of EarthCaches. There are five levels. Quartz - for people who have logged 50 or more EarthCaches. Mica - for people who have logged 100 or more EarthCaches. Garnet - for people who have logged 250 or more EarthCaches. Emerald - for people who have logged 500 or more EarthCaches and Diamond - for people who have logged 1000 or more EarthCaches. (The number of logged EarthCache finds is based on your official numbers as shown on your profile in Geocaching.com). To apply for each award, just visit the EarthCache Discovery Award page at www.earthcache.org and complete the form for each level. These awards are in addition to the already popular EarthCache Masters Program and finds can be used for both programs. You can also reward yourself by getting a corresponding trackable EarthCache Discovery Award Tag through the EarthCache store. I hope you enjoy being part of this new program...and as always, thank you from the whole EarthCache team for being part of EarthCaching! Geoaware

I disagree. The earthcache is about two things: the location and the lessons learned there. Show me what's different about this spring or this waterfall, AND teach me a site-specific lesson that's different from other earthcaches at other natural features. But if it's another artesian well, and all you're going to ask me is flow rate, and you can't showcase something unique about that feature and teach me about it, then you've basically created the EC equivalent of a lamp post micro. And maybe you really like lamp post micros. Fair enough, but I don't, and obviously geoaware and the other reviewers don't want just cookie cutter earthcaches diluting the experience. Really, it's not just springs and waterfalls -- those are just the two most abused earthcache subjects. Bottom line is, it's harder to make an earthcache than it used to be in order to inject more quality control into the process. Case in point: I tried submitting one on a glacial lagoon in western Iceland. It's a beautiful spot, and I thought it deserved an earthcache. I knew there was an earthcache at a more popular lagoon, Jökulsárlón about 20 miles away, so I tried to focus on different lessons and avoid copying the other earthcache. My submission was denied, because there wasn't enough difference between the two lagoons themselves, even though I was tring to teach different information to cachers. I wasn't thrilled, but I get it: I had the lesson side of the equation, but I didn't have a unique enough natural feature. I needed both sides of the coin, I only had one. Thank you! You get it...and said it so well!

Autoresponders are now strongly discouraged by the EarthCache review team. They lead to weak logging tasks and no communication between the developer and the visitor - especially when a person has not understood the questions.

A month seems strange knowing the current queue situation. Emil me and let me know the GC code and I will look into the issue. Geoaware

I respond to every email I get about the few EC I look after.....I think its good etiquette!

Sorry for the lack of news...but sometimes these things take time for testing and getting all the parts of the puzzle together. We are VERY close...and hope to be making an announcement very soon. Geoaware

Earth science can be defined in many ways...however, for EarthCaches, Earth science refers to those process that have created the physical (not biological) landscape which includes geology, hydrology, tectonics, sedimentology, glaciology, petrology, mineralogy etc etc So, more simply put, it is about the rocks and how they have forms and how they influence the landforms. It can also be about those geological proceses that have or still are forming the landscape. It is about mineral and energy resources and how humans have used those resources. It can also be about how Earth science ideas have changed over time - such as historical sites where geological ideas formed. This is not an endless list...it is one with examples to see how the definition works. What it shows is it is NOT just about geology (rocks and minerals)...its broader than that. However, it is not about biology, ecology, archeology etc. I hope that helps.

We liked the ones where you would have to take a temputre reading and figure what magnitude the rate of flow the spring was. The waterfalls were great also, they took us to some wonderful places of great natural beauty. Now with all the restrictions we just use the Waymarking site. EarthCaching is just not as fun for us anymore, we are just not into geology that much. We really just enjoyed the WOW factor. Sometimes the WOW factor is the lesson....and that you would normally just walk on by if you were not out learning through an EarthCache. I am sorry you feel this way - and to be honest, I really don't understand the 'all the restrictions' comment. The guidelines have had some minor adjustments - but there have always been guidelines. They are there to help ensure that EarthCaches provide a great experience for as many as possible....and for the vast majority of people, that still seems to be the case!

Each submission is taken on its merits...however, we have been in the past flooded with EC submissions with almost exactly the same logging tasks (cut and paste) for waterfalls, glacial erratics, springs, stream gauges etc etc Some categories are therefore restricted...but if you have strong unique site-specific Earth science related logging tasks and the lesson is unique (not repeated within a short drive away)...go for it!

A strong set of onsite logging tasks solves this - they should be impossible to do prior to an EarthCache being published.....

I agree. I respectfully ask this thread to be closed...as it keeps being hijacked and taken off topic.

Good on you! ...and 108 finds should elevate you to the second of the new levels (I think). Thanks for being an active EarthCacher. Yes...you will be at Mica level!

Indeed! There are five levels...Diamond at the top down to Quartz. You have had to find more than 50 EarthCaches to have reached Quartz level.... To get the new levels, you have to complete an online form (like for the EarthCache Masters existing levels) for each level for which you want to apply. When approved you will be sent an icon to display. More coming....

There are official ways to deal with individual EC - including contacting the EarthCache team using the email shown on www.earthcache.org - if you have a concern, please use those methods rather than bringing up individual cases in the forums.

EarthCaches are about teaching about Earth Science (not just geology) and through this program we have been working with another professional group and Groundspeak to look at possibilities. As mentioned earlier, this is trial program and your feedback is valuable - but also give us some scope to test the concepts. This process was not started with the concept of creating a power trail. A series of EC being created in one diverse area is open to all...and we have no plans to promote or to discourage those efforts.

It seems to me a waste of intellectual time and energy to pose hypothetical about non-existent programs However, if that is your wish, I suggest you do so in a new thread instead of muddying the waters in this discussion about EarthCache Masters. That said, I will say that the positive side of the EarthCache Masters program has been overwhelming. But, like all programs that reward people, there will be a negative side. Pointing out the negatives is important when we develop/design any new programs or redevelop existing ones. Dwelling on the small negative side and ignoring the vast positive side is unhealthy... I am not saying that forums are not a good place to discuss the negative side of the game - but I wish people would keep things in balance (positive and negative). And finally - please keep things respectful. You all deserve and have my respect and I would like you to extend that to each other. Gary

Why all the debate? As I have already mentioned, the new levels will be based on finds only.

Why does a thread like this end up so off topic??? It is so sad that a topic about rewarding good players has to be dragged into an old closed issue. I will respectfully ask for this thread to be closed if people continue to head down this pathway.

Snippets...... It will be solely based on finds (not hides). It will be a separate program from the EarthCache Masters program and they will not be linked. Gary

Snippet of details..... There will be five levels - based on the number of finds. Some of you will already have reached the first two..and maybe one or two of you have made it to the third level. The upper levels will require some serious EarthCaching! But super worth the effort....

These will be worth a visit on your way to the EarthCache (Mega?) Event in September 2012!

The only EarthCache guideline that comes into force is that you MAY NOT place an an EarthCache at the exact location of a cache with a container....as that violates the 'non-container' guideline. However, the other rule that comes into force is the moral rule of being courteous to your fellow cache owners

The new program will be launched in just a few weeks.....

The official event is Sunday 2 Sept 2012. There will be activities to attend on Saturday pre-event and no doubt activities will be planned on the Monday! It will be very much worth coming to Maine for a few days (or longer). Its a beautiful place to visit and cache!

I am very pleased to announce that the very first large International EarthCache Event is being planned for 2 September 2012 (yes - that is NEXT year). The event will be like no other large Geocaching event as participants will be able to take part in learning lessons about EarthCaches, meet EarthCache reviewers and participate in many other activities. There will be opportunities to trade geocoins and tags, meet vendors of geocaching merchandise and meet and mingle with geocachers who are interested in EarthCaches from around the globe. Portland is easy to get to from anywhere around the planet - you can fly into Portland International Jetport (PWM) or into Boston, MA (BOS) and shuttle bus up to Portland. There is a wide range of accommodation in Portland from camping to high-end hotels. The city has a friendly atmosphere of old world charm mixed with modern facilities. The Event date is the Sunday of the US Labor Day weekend - giving people opportunities to spend a day either side to explore Maine and visit a wide variety of geocaches - including a swath of new EarthCaches! The Event is being held on a phenomenal site with walking trails through farm and forest lands, wonderful meeting rooms and exceptional catering. There will be great activities for geokids including farm visits. A special reception will be held for high-level EarthCache Masters as well as an opportunity for you to show us all your very best EarthCache! The event website is www.earthcacheevent.org. If you would like to get onto the email list so that you receive updates as the Event develops, please follow this link. The event will be listed on gc.com following the event cache listing rules.