By Chase T. Brooke, GIS Intern
Scavenger hunts have been popular across the United States for decades. Participants seek to gather items – or take photographs of them — on a list prepared by organizers. In the 1990s, the game migrated to the internet to encourage exploration of the World Wide Web.
The concept’s latest manifestation is geocaching, a high-tech scavenger hunt that uses smartphones and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) devices to locate hidden treasures or caches.
You simply put the coordinate location in your GPS device, then use that point to find the cache. Caches exist around the world, including the Texas A&M campus, College Station parks, and even on the International Space Station.
The City of College Station’s GIS Department will teach geocaching basics on Friday, Dec. 12 at The American Pavilion at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex. The free session starts at 2 p.m. and will last about an hour.
Attendees will learn how to use the GPS functions in smartphones, how GPS works, and how to get involved in the adventurous sport of geocaching. Hands-on instruction will be provided, and people of all ages and skill levels are welcome.
We’ll search Veteran’s Park for at least three geocaches. Appropriate clothing and closed-toe shoes or boots are recommended since we’ll be walking off-trail through light brush.
For more information, contact me at cbrooke@cstx.gov or 979-764-3430.
About the Author
Chase T. Brooke has been a GIS intern in the City of College Station’s Information Technology Department since October. A native of Southlake, Chase will graduate from Texas A&M on Dec. 19 with a Bachelor of Science degree in spatial science and a minor in forestry. He plans to attend graduate school.
Photo Copyright: leaf / 123RF Stock Photo
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