Geocaching Club

Treasure Hunting with Satellites–

     Geocaching Club

by Sarah Tetzlaff, Talented and Gifted (TAG) Coordinator

     Over 50 WMS and WHS students are participating in the new Geocaching Club. Geocaching is a worldwide game using technology to search for and hide treasures. With a $2500 grant from the Arrow Education Foundation, GPS (global positioning system) units were purchased to start the club. A geocacher can hide a container (cache), pinpoint its location using GPS technology and post its location on the internet. A searcher then tries to locate the cache using latitude and longitude coordinates. The GPS unit can determine locations within six to twenty feet using its computer that receives signals from GPS satellites.   Geocaching enthusiast Scott Walker ‘91, WHS head debate coast and teacher, provides leadership for the club.

     Geocaching utilizes math, science, geography and the latest in technical skills.   The club meets to disseminate information and build caches, but the main activities take place outdoors, outside of the normal school day. The club has created caches for the Watertown Convention and Visitors Bureau and joined the American Legion Post 17 in an event.  

     In the six months since receiving the GPS units over 250 1^st to 12^th graders will experience geocaching.   This summer, student experts will shared geoaching with kids at the Watertown Police Department sponsored Camp Chance and the WSD Bridge Academy.   An additional 300 students will learn using the GPSs in WHS Geography classes during the school year.   Mr. Walker reports,”   The response is much bigger than we expected.   Some kids have over 100 finds and the units have been used in Europe and Canada.”