Geocaching Honor - Advanced

Recreational Activities

Requirements

1. Have the Geocaching Honor.
2. Briefly describe the origin of global positioning satellites. What is their history - when and how were they placed there? By whom?

   Answer: GPS (Global Positioning System) was created by the United States Department of Defense, starting in the 1970s-1980s, initially for military use. It is made up of a constellation of about 24 to 31 satellites in orbit around the Earth, which send signals allowing a receiver to calculate its exact position. It was later released for civilian use, becoming essential in navigation, in maps and in geocaching. — GPS was born military in the USA and today, with its constellation of satellites, guides civilian navigation and geocaching.

3. Define latitude and longitude. What do degrees, minutes and seconds mean?

   Answer: • Latitude: the angular distance of a point north or south of the equator (from 0° at the equator to 90° at the poles). • Longitude: the angular distance east or west of the Greenwich meridian (from 0° to 180°). Together, they give the exact coordinate of any point. Coordinates are measured in DEGREES (°), which are divided into 60 MINUTES (') each, and each minute into 60 SECONDS ('') — to pinpoint a location precisely. — Latitude (north-south) and longitude (east-west), in degrees, minutes and seconds, give the exact 'address' of any point on Earth.

4. Complete two or more of the following items:
   • Establish and maintain a new cache in your region for at least six months.
   • Send out and follow a TB (travel bug) for six months.
   • Find two Travel Bugs and follow them for six months.
   • Take part in a geocacher gathering or event in your area (attend).
5. What are the laws, rules and regulations for placing caches in the following locations:
   • State, National and Service Parks
   • Highways and freeways
   • Placing caches while traveling
   • Wilderness areas in forests
   • Environmental Police posts

   Answer: 1) State, National and Service parks: in these areas and conservation units you need to ask prior authorization from the park administration, as many prohibit or restrict geocaching. The rules aim not to disturb nature: no burying caches, damaging plants or leaving the permitted trails. 2) Highways and freeways: it is forbidden and dangerous to hide caches on the shoulders and verges of highways and freeways, due to the risk of accidents and disrupting traffic. Avoid any spot that forces the seeker to stop or walk where vehicles travel at high speed. 3) Placing caches while traveling: when traveling, especially to another state or country, you must know and respect the local laws before hiding a cache, since the rules change from place to place. When in doubt, prefer not to place one and just look for the caches that already exist. 4) Deserted areas in forests: in woods and forest areas, do not damage the vegetation, do not bury the caches and do not alter the natural environment when hiding or searching. Always tread carefully and take all litter back with you, leaving the place as you found it. 5) Environmental Police posts: never hide caches at Environmental Police posts, military areas, or inspection or security areas. These places are restricted and can lead to legal trouble; respect official areas and, in case of inspection, cooperate and explain the activity. The golden rule of geocaching is always to ask permission and cause no damage. — Before hiding a cache, respect the rules of the location and nature — authorization and common sense avoid problems and protect the environment.

6. Locate and log at least 18 geocaches, including:
   • Traditional cache, with difficulty level 3
   • A multi-cache
   • A virtual cache
   • A micro cache