Geocaching: FVCC offers outdoor scavenger hunt

Flathead Valley Community College and students in the Natural Resources Conservation and Management program invite the community to participate in the second annual FVCC Geocache Adventure on Oct. 18.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the FVCC campus.

Geocaching is an outdoor recreational scavenger hunt that involves participants using global positioning system coordinates to locate hidden objects.

The real-world, real-time scavenger hunt has drawn more than 2.5 million active geocaches and over 6 million geocachers worldwide. It is estimated there are approximately 4,500 geocache items hidden in the 59901 zip code alone that anyone can hunt for at any time.

The FVCC Geocache Adventure will be have an easy course and a competitive course. The easy course will be designed for families and children ages 12 and under and will consist of 10 caches hidden around the immediate campus on the FVCC property.

The competitive course will be timed and more suited for avid navigators: It will consist of 16 geocaches scattered across the entire 216-acre FVCC property. Additionally, the competitive course will involve a number of “challenge stations” that will test participants’ skills.

Each course is designed and tested by the college’s Natural Resources students and is intended to improve participants’ skills in using navigational tools, including a compass and GPS, while providing fun for the whole family and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

Prizes for each easy course participant will be stored within the hidden containers at each of the 10 geocache locations. For the competitive course, the first-place winner will receive a Garmin GPS. Second and third place prizes also will be awarded.

Preregistration is required by Oct. 15.

Space is limited so early registration is suggested. Participation is free, however, participants are asked to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the Northwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry.

Registration forms are available on the FVCC website at www.fvcc.edu/geocache. Participants must provide their own GPS or mobile phones with GPS capabilities. More detailed descriptions of the courses are provided on the online registration form.

For more information, contact Christina Relyea at 756-3946 or email crelyea@fvcc.edu. More information on geocaching can be found at http://www.geocaching.com.