Geocaching

NSPS Geocaching Program

Setting Geocaches for a Surveying Organization

1.) NSPS Board of Directors requests that the Board of Directors for each state society formally endorse the NSPS Geocaching Program and request statewide volunteers to assist with program implementation.

2.) Geocaching sites that are part of this program must be established on public grounds and be in compliance with all regulations posted by www.geocaching.com and  by the responsible governmental unit. Parks are ideal sites, but each Park system may have different regulations as to whether Geocaching is permissible.

3.) Geocaching sites should include:

a)  Recommended cache container (clear or translucent plastic gallon jar)  b)  NSPS logo trinket (provided at no cost from NSPS - contact trisha.milburn@acsm.net)

c)  "Did You Know" cards (See example*)

d) Log Book (Zip-lock bag will help insure that log book remain dry.)

e) Pencil  and small inexpensive pencil sharpener (Pens don’t work when cold)

f)  Small, inexpensive pencil sharpener

g)  “What you should know about Surveying” brochures, lapel pins, small items with society logo and some inexpensive trinkets suited for young children. Items used by Kansas Society...

4.)  Criteria for establishing coordinate values, describing cache site, and posting on website are as follows.

a)  Select a Society Coordinator to a establish a Geocaching site at www.geocachiong.com.

b)  Determine what your cache containers should be. 

c)  If possible choose locations that have some significance to surveying

(meridians, guides, benchmarks) or historical events (Pony Express station, historic trail, interesting rock formation).  “Hide” without disturbing the environment, double check the coordinates, give the site a name, inform the local coordinator.

d)  When a cache is set, the surveying society’s coordinator will enter the name of the cache and the coordinates on the Geocaching website. Before the site is actually published, i.e., allowed to be listed on the web, a State Coordinator for the national Geocaching organization will check to determine if there are any conflicting sites nearby. (Note:  Every state has a volunteer who acts as a clearing house for the national organization) If there are no conflicts, the site will be approved and listed on www.geocaching.com). 

IMPORTANT LAST STEP                             

e)  When your cache locations have been established, your society's coordinator should contact Ernie Cantu, LS, at geocacher@sktc.net (the Kansas Geocaching Coordinator, who has agreed to    be the NSPS coordinator for project). Ernie has already created a NSPS folder with subfolders for    each State Affiliate at www.geocaching.com.  After being contacted, Ernie will connect the link so    that all state caches will be listed under the NSPS Geocaching site as well as the State’s site.             Currently, Kansas is the only highlighted link on the NSPS Geocaching site.