EARTHCACHE AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL IN WESTERN NEW YORK

Geocaching is a fairly new hobby where people place “treasures” in hidden containers at certain locations then publish the GPS coordinates on the internet at a central web site. Others then use a GPS receiver to find the cache and take a prize or sign a guest book. This hobby has been growing in popularity over the past few years and is often the topic of news articles about technology or weekend events. As an activity where anyone with a GPS can take part, Geocaching has been referred to as “Treasure hunting for the 21st century.”

Earthcaching is a form of Geocaching where, instead of the treasure being a physical container, the seeker is rewarded with a lesson about the Earth. Using a GPS unit and a descriptive write-up of the geologic importance of a site, the seeker is led to a geologic feature where they will gain an understanding of the site. Earthcaching is organized and run by the Geological Society of America, and each new Earthcache site must meet specific criteria (such as having an educational write up and a question which must be answered in order to prove that the reader has gained an understanding of geology) before being accepted to the earthcache.org web site. Although visiting many sites is a goal for some Earthcachers, the real prize is in learning more about geology.

As a Geology major who is not originally from Western New York, I had very little exposure to the regional geology. Instead of taking a traditional approach to learning about the geology, I used the technology of GPS and the internet as an educational tool. This project therefore served several goals: 1) to introduce me to the use of GPS and topographic maps, 2) to allow me to learn about the regional geologic history of Western New York including 10 especially interesting geologic features, and 3) to develop and publish Earthcaches for the 10 sites that can be used by residents of or visitors to the Buffalo-Niagara Region to learn about a wide range of geologic features. The features that are being submitted to the GSA's Earthcache site include fluvial and glacial features such as the Whirlpool Rapids in the Niagara Gorge, a drumlin north of Buffalo, world-class glacial striations, and lake deposits from ancient glacial Lake Tonawanda. The idea of a geological treasure hunt is a novel way to introduce students and non-students alike to interesting geologic features.