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Your Cache Was Almost Thrown In The Rubbish


AlexOv

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Hi,

I didn't really want to join up but had to in order to tell you this. Here in Australia, we have an annual "clean up Australia" day in early March. I volunteered for this and was picking up litter in a local park when I found your cache. ( Wow! I thought, maybe this little metal box has cash in it from a bank robbery. Big moral question there: should I return it to the rotten bank via the police or take it....!) It was lucky for your members that it was me who found it because I showed it, and the contents, to someone else who was picking up litter, and he would have thrown it out immediately as part of the rubbish - no questions asked!

 

But I was intrigued that quite a few people had written in the little notebook and taken and left little mementoes, which included two carefully wrapped memory sticks for a computer. Hmmm.... what could be on these, I thought? Porno.....?

 

Anyway, I decided to return the cache box to the place I had found it ( and covered it quite carefully with leaf litter and twigs to make it less noticable than it had been when I first found it) and write to you to make a few positive suggestions. The box did have a notice on it requesting that it not be moved but.... it did not explain much, and certainly would not have meant much to the other person collecting litter.

 

I don't know if other countries have similar community-minded clean up days, but I think it might be a good idea if a new notice on the outside of the box did specifically mention this clean-up day. and maybe the whole thing could be enclosed in a plastic bag, before being more carefully hidden, to ensure the notice was unaffected by rain etc.

 

The new notice could remind finders to keep the cache wrapped in a plastic bag and to hide it very well. The location of this particular cache was in a very popular park where hundreds of people exercise with their dogs every day. The cache was under a fallen tree trunk on which any of these people could have sat for a rest and seen the cache easily. More camouflage with leaf litter would be good.

 

I don't care either way what you do with this well-meant advice. You can delete it if you wish or post it into the forums for other countries: they may wish to take up the suggestion for a better notice and protective method for the cache itself. And, of course, you probably expect to loose a few caches here and there...

 

Good luck with your organisation!

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I narrowly rescued a cache from a shoreline cleanup in the Eastern US last year. Yes, caches go missing all the time, for good reasons and not-so-good reasons. And caches in heavily-used public parks go missing oftener, for the obvious reason. The one you found should have had a note in explaining things better.

 

Why not join us? This is a really fun pastime, and we're a chummy, friendly lot. I've taken a shine to you already...

 

 

edit for big, fat weaselfingers.

Edited by AuntieWeasel
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I don't know if other countries have similar community-minded clean up days,

 

We geocachers have our own. There is an official "Cache In Trash Out" (CITO) day where thousands of geocachers volunteer worldwide to help clean their local parks. Though there is an official CITO day, we do it throughout the year, both as organized groups and as part of the geocacher ethic. Individual geocachers are encouraged to perform CITO during their daily cache hunts.

 

There are some people who consider geocaches to be litter, but when you look at the definition of litter, which is an "untidy accumulation of objects or refuse" you realize that geocaches are quite the opposite. They are usually carefully hidden from view so that the public usually has no idea they are even there. Often they are camoflaged so they fit in with the surroundings.

 

Most geocaches have a letter inside that explains exactly what they are in case a non geocacher finds one.

 

Anyway, thanks for putting the cache back. It is appreciated and if you think exploring the world around you in a somewhat unconventional manner may appeal to you, get yourself a GPS and join us.

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First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to volunteer to do a good thing. We need more people in this world like you :anicute: Second, thank you for placing the cache back and helping hide it from view. Not many people would take the time to do that. Third, like the others pointed out, log the cache and come have fun with us !!

 

You didn't mention it, but caches should have a letter in them explaining what they are just for situations like this so I assume this cache had no such letter. I've only placed one cache so far, but I am putting together several for placement next weekend and will be sure to include a letter of explaination.

 

I do like your idea about putting something in or on the cache referencing CITO, as we call it. I try to pick up trash on every caching visit I make, but a CITO sticker on the cache might remind others to do the same. Excellent idea !

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AuntieWeasel

post Today, 07:52 PM

Post #2

 

Everyone Loves a Weasel

 

I narrowly rescued a cache from a shoreline cleanup in the Eastern US last year. Yes, caches go missing all the time, for good reasons and not-so-good reasons. And caches in heavily-used public parks go missing oftener, for the obvious reason. The one you found should have had a note in explaining things better.

 

Why not join us? This is a really fun pastime, and we're a chummy, friendly lot. I've taken a shine to you already...

 

You have just been propositioned by the Weasel! :anicute:

see link: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=88433

Edited by Robespierre
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Some things to think about:

 

I believe there must have been some sort of note in the cache because he found this site which is usually listed on every note in a cache. It's possible it wasn't thorough enough of a note though.

 

Also I don't believe this nice gentleman will be back, although I wish he would. We should include the ID in our caches so that they may be identified in these cases.

 

Scott

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