For those of us that love navigating the outdoors with a GPS unit in hand, I have some exciting news to share. During the National Trails Day celebration on Saturday, June 7, two official geocaches will be activated at Tyler Arboretum! If you are unfamiliar with geocaching, check out the short introductory video below.
Maybe you aren’t a geocacher, but you would like to learn more. You are in luck! Andy Harobin and I, both on the Board of Trustees at Tyler Arboretum and avid geocachers, will be at Tyler for National Trails Day from 11AM to 3PM to teach you about this outdoor game (think of a scavenger hunt). We will have handheld GPS units to loan you if you want to practice geocaching on a mini-course we have set up “in the fence” at the Arboretum, appropriate for young and old, individuals and families. Then, if you are feeling adventurous, you can head out and find the two official geocaches set up on the official Geocaching network.
Of course, if you have your own GPS unit, bring it along to try our practice course and to find the caches on your own. Don’t have a GPS unit and want to get a jump start geocaching on your own? The official Geocaching app is also available for download on the iPhone, Android, and Windows 7 phone at: http://www.geocaching.com/mobile/default.aspx. Get your app downloaded and ready ahead of time to join us for the fun.
Don’t forget that there are several other activities going on at Tyler Arboretum for National Trails Day, such as:
- From 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. volunteer your time to work with our horticulture crew on some much needed trail maintenance and gain free admission for the entire day. Pre-registration required by contacting Julia Lo Ehrhardt at 610-566-9134, ext. 205 or jlo@tylerarboretum.org; must be 13 or older to participate.
- Orienteering demonstrations led by the Delaware Valley Orienteering Association (DVOA) and self-guided hikes from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. They will offer maps with a shorter family hike and maps for a longer adventurer hike, perfect for Boy Scout requirements.
- Adult Critter Hike from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Bluebird education from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., with a Bluebird Hike appropriate for all ages at 11:30 a.m.
- Adult History Hike from 1:30-3 p.m.
- Educational displays
I hope to see you at Tyler for National Trails Day!
Journeys of Dr. G at Tyler Arboretum 