+genegene Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I just found a site that talks about old growth forests in western mass. I would love to do one on it but there is no listing in the options for that type of earthcache. Would this fall under "other"? I would sure hate to see it labeled like that . There is one tree that is said to date back before the pilgrims, and most are over 200 yrs old in this area. Is this something that we should ask to have added to the earthcache listing type or just leave it as other? Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 (edited) Old growth is not a geological feature. It's rare enough and has merit, just not as an earth cache as I understand them to be. I could be wrong. Edited June 21, 2008 by Renegade Knight Quote Link to comment
+geoaware Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Biological, ecological etc sites do not meet the 'Earth science realted' guidelines to be an EarthCache. Sorry Geoaware Quote Link to comment
ATMouse Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 If you can find a geological feature, say, erratics, or an interesting drainage, or a rock outcropping that you can show folding or striation or something, you may bring folks for that and add in the description in the cache page:"Oh, and by the way..." I did a talk on Earthcaches at our event and people asked the same thing and I had to patiently explain that Earthcaches were for rocks, in all their wonder and splendor, several times. Quote Link to comment
+geoaware Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 ......there is a lot more to Earth science than just rocks! Quote Link to comment
ATMouse Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 ......there is a lot more to Earth science than just rocks! True...but I loves rocks. (And I didn't really say that exactly. But I thought it. ) Quote Link to comment
+geoaware Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 ..and so do I. Unfortunately some people think that Earth science is just about learning about the types of rocks and minerals (and as a geologist I even find that boring). For me its all about volcanoes, earthquakes, mountain building, wonderful caves, amazing folds and faults and (mainly mstly) how people have worked out how to use all these things for enjoyment, building and profit..... The world of Earth science is just everywhere.....as are the 3200 EarthCaches (at last count) Geoaware Quote Link to comment
+genegene Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 ......there is a lot more to Earth science than just rocks! That's what I was asking about. There is a lot of history behind Old Growth forests. They are just like Glaciers (well not realy), but if one does come down and you cut it in half you can study the growth rings and learn a lot about the type of whether that has happened over the last 200 years if not longer. Tree rings tell scientists about all kinds of things like amount of rainfall, Volcano Activity, winter snow fall, and even Wildfires. If you want to see what I am talking about on a small scale, go into the forest and look for mushrooms on living trees. I recommend looking for ones that are dead of dying and cut it in half, we don't want to kill anything now do we. They have the same growth patterns that trees have, the wider the ring the better the year. A very small ring denotes a poor season for growth. I have done this many times and find that in a particular area, North or South of me the rings can be completely different because of rainfall. Since the mushroom lives off the tree it will show almost the same thing as the rings in the tree. I could get into the whole deforestation aspect as well, A Great example is the Rain forests. That's Old Growth as well. I don't mean to be causing any problems, it is just one of those things that I think would be a great addition to becoming an EarhCache type. I will do an entire write up on the area and hope that some day I can use it. Quote Link to comment
+geosliders Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 ..and so do I. Unfortunately some people think that Earth science is just about learning about the types of rocks and minerals (and as a geologist I even find that boring). Yes, there is much more to being a Geo than rocks. Professionally I am an Environmental Geo which is far from traditional (and the more fun) Geologists work. Ok, I have to admit it - sometimes I can get bored with the endless steam of rocks my kids show me on the trail.. ..sometimes.... BUT for the most part I am truly a rock nerd. I love to pick them up and play with them and I love hiking a trail and following a transition zone. I'm lucky being in NY as we have a little bit of everything - from intense mountain orogenic events to incredible sed fossil bearing formations and even pillow basalts....maybe it's a sickness...but, I fit the typical bill and love looking at rocks as well as the puzzle - how did it get that way. My poor husband is forever lugging my finds home - no fossils, I never take a fossil - I like to leave them for the next person to enjoy as well. As much I agree that a lot can be learned from growth rings, it does sound more like a biological feature....maybe you can come up with a new group..... Quote Link to comment
+Cav Scout Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 And there could be more... The world of Earth science is just everywhere.....as are the 3200 EarthCaches (at last count) Geoaware Quote Link to comment
+climbstuff Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Biological, ecological etc sites do not meet the 'Earth science realted' guidelines to be an EarthCache. Sorry Geoaware It's a bummer, but true. I lost the battle to create an EC at the Hoh Rain Forest a couple years back. Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Biological, ecological etc sites do not meet the 'Earth science realted' guidelines to be an EarthCache. Sorry Geoaware It's a bummer, but true. I lost the battle to create an EC at the Hoh Rain Forest a couple years back. The hows and why's of wind and rain illistrated clearly in unique locations is Earth Science at it's best. While the Rain Forest isn't Earth Science. The features that come together to make that a location suitable for a rain forest could be. It may take the right vantage point. An example of vantage point. When I worked in ANWR there were some interesting coastal features (and the polar ice cap was a nice feature as well) but another thing that really stood out was that you could see entire thunderstorm cells as they developed on the flanks of the Brook Range. Classic Anvil clouds with distant lightning, rain and clear sky above. I have never again had the right combination of circumstances to see the textbook formations common to thunderstorms. I watched them all summer long. Now...it's too dark, I'm too close, it's too hazy, and the storms are not common enough everywhere I go. Quote Link to comment
+TerryDad2 Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 (edited) If you could work in soil profiles or soil formation, that would work. The best place would be a road cut or a river bank. Edited June 23, 2008 by TerryDad2 Quote Link to comment
South Surrey Scavengers Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Biological, ecological etc sites do not meet the 'Earth science realted' guidelines to be an EarthCache. Sorry Geoaware I'm thinking "Biocache" as a new category. Quote Link to comment
+genegene Posted July 18, 2008 Author Share Posted July 18, 2008 Biology EarthCaches, Thats a whole new website asking to be made... Quote Link to comment
South Surrey Scavengers Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Biology EarthCaches, Thats a whole new website asking to be made... You know, eventually most Biology Earthcaches will turn into true Earthcaches if you wait long enough. Quote Link to comment
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