WWF and Edmonton and Area Land Trust Go Wild with Geocaching

WWF

This summer, WWF and Edmonton and Area Land Trust (EALT) present “Go Wild for Geocaching”, an innovative project to get Edmonton residents and visitors exploring and conserving nature.
Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt where participants use their mobile phone or GPS devices to find hidden containers. With over 2.5 million geocaches hidden worldwide, EALT is now on the map for those looking to explore nature in their backyard in Edmonton.

Edmonton and Area Land Trust Geocaches are now hidden, waiting to be discovered.
Edmonton and Area Land Trust Geocaches are now hidden, waiting to be discovered. © Stephanie Weizenbach

Often people do not realize the nature that surrounds them, even in major cities. Geocaching is a fantastic way for people to find out what they’re missing.
Created and implemented by EALT and supported by WWF-Canada through the Go Wild program, this project uses interactive geocaches to both entice new visitors to experience EALT’s natural areas and to promote stewardship activities by local conservationists and citizen scientists. Each hidden geocache contains interesting facts about the local environment. “Geocachers” come away with a new experience engaging with nature, as well as practical applications and knowledge they can use to protect nature at home.
EALT staff have hidden a dozen containers across six conservation areas. The caches have been listed at geocaching.com or on EALT’s website. After being found, geocaches are returned to their hiding place, so all are still ready for discovery for new explorers.
Since being launched last week, there has already been an amazing response to the geocaches. According to Stephanie Weizenbach, outreach coordinator at EALT, people are discovering new natural areas close to home, learning new facts, and raving about it online.
For more information on the “Go Wild for Geocaching” and to start your own adventure, visit: https://www.ealt.ca/go-wild-geocaching.
Here is what two “geocachers” had to say:
“I can’t believe that I never knew about this place, or about EALT! … Thanks so much to EALT for placing these caches – encouraging nature exploration and education, promoting stewardship and conservation of our natural areas, and giving us extra incentive to get out and have fun! …” – jorura
“Thank you so much for bringing us to this awesome nature area! We had no idea this place existed, and fairly close to home. … It is really cool that you are ‘promoting’ visitors to local nature areas. If it was not for caching we would have never found this awesome place. …” – ChristopherRobin1431
Have an idea of your own to get people involved in conservation? Fall applications open November 3, 2015.