Question 11: Communicating with Landowners and Authorities

[heartradio]

Since the last GAGB election we in Great Britain have seen several horrific incidents for instance at Manchester Arena back in May. This has resulted in Mrs May fiddling with the terrorist threat level, and also heightened security. People rummaging in hedges searching for boxes could be perceived as a threat, particularly in urban areas where there may now be more of a police presence.
So - my question to candidates is how do you as the GAGB committee, representing UK Cachers, feel you can work positively with landowners to reduce any 'bad reputation' that Geocaching may have? How can you help authorities so that any misunderstandings, which could have a negative impact on the caching community and gain our much loved hobby a bad reputation, concerning cache containers and geocachers are reduced in times of heightened security?

[GCHarribo]

I have so many friends who aren’t Geocaching and I’m going to tell them to share this lovely hobby over social media and I’ll share myself on all the social media


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[geocaching womble]

That's a good question
Thank you for asking it

If elected I would work with reviewers from all listing sites to come up with a geocaching card with your username and have it say that this person is a geocacher and explanation about geocaching on the other side to help reduce misunderstandings. I would also work with the committee to reach out to local police forces to get these cards recognised and work to get geocaching officially recognised by sport england to help reduce misunderstandings.

I would also like to work with landowners to ensure safety for geocaching and take help to create some positive press by reaching out to organisations such as the BBC to positively reinforce the idea that geocaching is a positive and good way to keep fit.

As for cache containers I would try to offer a sign or sticker to identify the cache as a geocache

[GCHarribo]

I’m gonna recommend people using labels on there caches and contacting people. I will share to Facebook groups and put it on social media


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[GCHarribo]

I’m going to share on social media and I’ll contact my local council and county council to see what can be done to help with it.


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[GCHarribo]

I’m going to share on social media and I’ll contact my local council and county council to see what can be done to help with it. Also I agree with Geocaching womble where we create cards to give to police etc. I also think creating a pdf and it’s like a business card to give to muggles and local charities


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[Antreid]

There are three ways to help with this.

1. Cache owners need to label geocaches clearly on the outside. GAGB stickers are the best way of doing this and we need to promote "good news" stories on social media. These help to explain packages when found by neighbours or police.

2. Cache owners need to get permission from landowners. Not doing this is how half of our problems. Seeker can help everyone understand why this is important and social media (and GLAD) are how we explain how we can do it.

All police can access all geocache details. Any published cache should not be causing a problem, only not-yet-published. Getting COs to do both of the above should go a long way to reducing tension. But with the vast majority of cachers having never heard of GAGB, most of the solution is communication, awareness, and following our advice!

3. Business cards explaining geocaching. GAGB ran out this year, we need more, but we can improve the wording. We can give them out, and you all can carry them in your own packs. If challenged, give them our card. They can phone us, we can explain geocaching it all can be defused without need for the bomb squad this time! We just need a committee who can agree a design and print them!

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[geocaching womble]

There are three ways to help with this.

1. Cache owners need to label geocaches clearly on the outside. GAGB stickers are the best way of doing this and we need to promote "good news" stories on social media. These help to explain packages when found by neighbours or police.

2. Cache owners need to get permission from landowners. Not doing this is how half of our problems. Seeker can help everyone understand why this is important and social media (and GLAD) are how we explain how we can do it

3. Business cards explaining geocaching. GAGB ran out this year, we need more, but we can improve the wording. We can give them out, and you all can carry them in your own packs. If challenged, give them our card. They can phone us, we can explain geocaching it all can be defused without need for the bomb squad this time! We just need a committee who can agree a design and print them!
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Of course the idea has been done before but I think it needs to be done a greater scale this time.

[Griff Grof]

I agree with what has already been raised here: geocaching business cards, labelling caches etc.

As Ant says, it is important to ensure that cachers seek permission before placing their caches. However, there might be obstacles standing in the way of that. For example, some might hit a brick wall when trying to work out who owns what land. Others might not know what to say to the landowner - they might feel uneasy about it.

If re-elected, I would like to help the GLAD manager publish a guide to seeking permission, which would include tips and a template letter to a landowner. We can direct cachers to this resource (via social media, events etc.), which should help eliminate misunderstandings and prevent geocaching having a bad reputation.

[abiherts]

Having personally been stopped by the police three times in regards to caching ( once had to try explaining why you, as a woman, are with 3 men in a field in the dark!), I think it would be great to have a card on your person that explains geocaching - perhaps a membership card system for the GAGB might help?

Caches in this day and age should be stickered on the outside if they are of a size to be considered a bomb. And cache owners too should consider the implications of where they position their caches, in my opinion, so as not to attract suspicion. So I feel we, as the GAGB, should encourage permissions,promote our wonderful GLAD database and encourage sale of our GAGB stickers - that way with any caches that are considered a worry - we can liaise between the public and cache owners.

[Leonards193]

Great question there, Heartradio.

I've encountered police too, even customs officials in Paris (armed!) whilst backing out of a bush near Charles De Gaulle airport.

Thankfully, I speak fluent French, but was still pretty flustered explaining why I was there, showed him the container etc... But I must have done an OK job as he left said cache in place.

I, as the CO of a few caches now, 500+, always think about urban cache placement. So, if you would look suspicious loitering whilst finding a cache.. Probably best not to place it there.

The Reviewers are there to assist with guidelines too, so if in doubt, I just check in with them first.

To avoid looking suspicious in urban areas, I also give a very clear hint on the listing. For caches large enough, I label the outside, this is a harmless Geocache... Using GAGB labels.

[UKCACHEMAG]

I have started going to a number of events to do with sports, activity, oudoors, travel tourism conferences with what I do with UK Cache Mag and my GAGB hat on.

Getting to meet some of the landowners and organisations is starting to break down barriers, pre-conceptions and raise awareness of the positive aspects of Geocaching.

I think in recent years were people are downloading an app, with little way of introduction to what geocaching is, the sense of community that many of us have, and also perhaps the most important one - RESPONSIBILTY, that the bigger picture is lost.

People are not seeing much of what geocaching is all about, they are not understanding the culture...

Many of the caches now are so small they cant carry a label, or people don't even realise that they should....

Perhaps we need to put pressure on listing sites to drum this into people, perhaps they need to submit a picture of the cache or tick a box to confirm it is labelled of has the intro card inside?