All right, class, by show of hands, who would like to look for buried treasure? Everybody? Good. Now, don’t get disappointed, but the treasure we’ll be looking for isn’t buried…it’s just hidden.

When I was a kid, nothing was as fascinating as looking for treasure. And though things have gotten more complex than “X marks the spot,” heading out and searching for hidden secrets is still something I enjoy.

At this point, I’m sure you’re wondering what on earth I’m talking about. Well, let’s have another show of hands. How many people have a GPS? How many have a GPS function on their phones? And last, but not least, how many of you have heard the term ‘geocaching’?

“Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online.” The game has become so popular that it even has its own official website (www.geocaching.com), which is where I got that definition you just read. It’s so popular that there are currently about 1.4 million active caches hidden worldwide – including at Grand Valley State University.

Discovering treasure just went from something you’d find in an Indiana Jones movie to something you can do in your own town – maybe your own back yard! It’s certainly something you can do right here at GVSU. The Outdoor Adventure Center has geocaches hidden around different sports fields and the ravine trails here on campus. They even have different types of geocaches, in three different sizes, four different difficulty levels, and two different kinds that involve solving a puzzle or following a trail of clues to find the treasure.

And the best part? If you don’t own a GPS, you can rent one.

So, on that note, class dismissed; I have a cache to hide…and another one to go hunting for.
Wanna learn more about geocaching? Visit www.geocaching.com, “Geocache GV” on the the GVSU website at www.gvsu.edu.
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