USN Radio Chief

I think Geocaching and Environmentalism are very very compatible. Anything that gets folks away from the boob-tube and gets them outside in nature and moving is bound to be good. But I have seen caches placed in off the beaten trail areas and guess what, there are new trails made from folks trekking out to the cache. We as a geocaching community need to be aware that if we place a cache far from the trail, yeah it’s a 4 or 5 difficulty, but will a new trail be created by folks rushing grab a hot Geocoin hidden in the cache. Before you place a cache, ask yourself, “How will this cache affect the surrounding environment and its solitude, beauty, natural treasures, and enjoyment by others. Being a backpacker, way before I was into Geocaching, let me express a few rules of "No Trace" hiking and packing: 1. Take only pictures and leave only footprints--this includes things like cigarette butts and toilet paper. (It’s not fun, but in arid areas that TP will hang around for a year. Do you wanna be hiking in the wilderness and stumble upon a pile of used TP in the woods? You could bury it, but what happens when an animal digs it up?) So bring a Ziploc bag and pack it out. Ask any backpacker, if it goes into the wilderness – it comes back out. Geocachers should follow the same rule. 2. Take a bag and pack out the trash left behind by some bone head that wasn't nice enough to pick up after him or her self. i.e. “Cache in – Trash Out. Sure we all are supposed to be doing this, but do we? 3. Stay on the trail! If that means walking through mud, walk through it, but stay on the trail. This is applicable in areas where the environment is fragile and delicate, which are most truly wild areas. Why? Because diverting from the trail, to walk around the mud or in our case looking for that ammo can full of McTreasures, creates a new trail. I live in Memphis, but I’m from the Ozark Mountains. I go backpacking on the Ozark Highlands Trail at least three times a year to hike and camp for three or four days at a stretch. I both hike and Geocache. I am a member of the Sierra Club and The Ozark Highlands Trail Association. I think more Geocachers should work closely with environmental organizations because ideally we should have very similar goals, preservation of our natural and historical places for everyone (both us and future generations) to enjoy. Regardless of how that enjoyment is derived – Geocaching, Backpacking, ATVing, Cycling, Hunting, Fishing, Canoeing, Bird Watching, Plant Identification, cemetery exploration, whatever. There is a lot of wilderness out there and specific places to do the things that each of us enjoys. But if that wilderness is overused you might as well build a Wal-Mart there. What items do environmentalists specifically object to Geocaching? How can we work to fix those items or compromise with the green groups that oppose our greenish hued hobby?

Wow! I opened or reopened a can of wiggly worm. Thanks to everyone who provided input to this post a few weeks ago. It's neat to see how discussions morph and branch out to everything under the sun from Religious Themed Caches to Sweet Potato Pie Recipes to mutilated TB's. Here is what I have decided to post. I still like the location for this cache, it is historical and picturesque. Here is the quote from the cache page..... "Park in the lot behind the church. Please be respectful of this church, cemetery, and grounds -- especially if services are going on. This beautiful country Church simply commands attention. Cover the Church and the nearby cemetery with snow, and you would have a picturesque Christmas card right out 19th century Germany. Located in the community of New Dixie, Arkansas on Hwy 60 about 8 miles southwest of Toad Suck. The church was organized by a few German families and built around the turn of the century, on 40 acres of land donated or sold cheaply, by the Choctaw Railroad now known as the Rock Island Lines. The railroad provided the lumber needed to build the church. Recently celebrating its 100 year centennial, it is one of the few remaining original structures in the New Dixie community. The parish is known across the region for hosting outstanding BBQ Brisket Dinners and Spaghetti Suppers as well as the annual Bazaar, which are attended by the entire community and persons of all faiths. Local families donated the leaded glass windows imported from their German homeland. The inside has beautiful old-world style, hand carved wood workings. The church still has the old communion rail; a feature that has been omitted from modern Catholic Churches. Its simplicity makes it one the most beautiful churches in Arkansas. The cemetery has some old and historical graves dating back to the 1800's and contains many of the first settlers of Perry County. Take a minute to stroll around here and say hi. I’m sure these folks would like to have a few visitors. The cache, an ammo can, is located in the woods just south of the cemetery. Please note that the cache does contain a few catholic oriented items, but it also has the normal trade swag. This cache isn't designed to convert anyone to any faith, just wanted people to see this beautiful church and learn a little bit about the history of New Dixie." If the moderators disapprove it, fine. I will rework it and try a different approach. (And yes the church is also a bench mark.) Again thanks for all your inputs, but I think it is time to let this topic sink into oblivion. We have literally beaten this horse to death.

Thanks mqbmusic - I might just place a micro at the church and stash my ammo box with neutral swag somewhere else. I was just trying to think of cache items that I myself would like to find. I'm so tired of getting to a cache in a rather boring spot (and there are a lot of them out there), opening it and finding the following contents: half a barbie doll, an old hot wheels, a used eraser, a rusted pocket knife, a dirty matted stuffed animal, a you're going to hell phamplet, a plastic spider ring, and a broken happy meal toy. I carry pretty good stuff to swap, though I leave it in my bag most of the time and sign TNLN. Often I leave something nice and take nothing at all. (I would never never leave a religious item of any kind in someone else's cache, but I wouldn't take offense to finding a religious cache either.) If people are going to take me to an uninteresting spot please have some good swag for me to trade. I don't mind a junky cache if the location is historical, beatuiful, neat, or otherwise of the beaten trail. But I agree with you now-- neutrality is the best policy, simply because folks are too thick to read the cache discription that I will post. Then they find a box of Catholic oriented items and instead of just signing the log and moving on or skipping to the next cache, they start complaining about whatever. It takes a great deal to offend me. Sometimes I just assume that others are as hard-skinned as myself but I know that most people arn't.

I am considering placing a cache on the grounds of a historical local Catholic Church. I know that there has been much debate about religion and caches....but I'm being very clear about the contents of this cache. Is this appropriate? The cache, an ammo can, is located in the woods just south of the cemetery. The cache contains some rosaries, prayer cards, Saint Medallions, and other Catholic oriented swag. Trade these items with anything you wish, so we can get some regular swag in this box too. The FTF prize is a cookbook compiled by the Ladies of St. Boniface (full of good southern dishes and deserts that you would find on the table at any of the Church’s many potluck dinners.)

Today I was out caching and getting a few TB's to haul back home for Thanksgiving. I found a bug with a specific goal and I got it to take with me. I put it in my backpack and headed out. When I got home I relized that somewhere along the trail my backpack pocket was left unzipped and Mr. Travel Bug had fallen out along the trail. I contacted the bug's owner (it hadn't traveled out of the area yet) with an email and offered to replace his bug. I feel really bad that I lost someone's bug. For those of you out there with lost bugs I am sorry my carelessness caused a bug to go MIA. Hopefully a fellow GeoCacher will find him along the trail. Is there anything else I can do correct my mistake of loosing this bug.