YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Have you ever walked down the street and seen something you thought was interesting and thought to yourself, “Who would leave this here?” Well, more often than not, it is. You could simply be a local geocacher.
What is a geocacher?
“Geocaching is essentially a treasure hunt,” said Dan Shepherd, a member of Southwest Arizona Geocachers (S*W*A*G). “All we do is put all the satellites up in the sky and use those satellites to find little containers wherever they're hidden.”
Geocaching is for people of all ages, men and women, who are looking for adventure or want to explore their surrounding area. It's no wonder that more and more people are participating in geocaching every year.
“We have a website called geocaching.com and an app for cell phones,” Shepherd said. “Anyone can join. You don't have to be a member, but if you become a member, you'll get more information and get more geocaches.”
Geocaching “prizes” come in all shapes and sizes.
“Each 'cache' itself tells us its size,” Shepard says. “They come in all kinds of sizes, from micro to something else.” [smaller than your hand] Even really big things like big boxes. ”
Geocaching doesn't require a lot of knowledge to participate. All you need is an open mind and a passion for adventure and exploration.
“You probably don't know this, but chances are someone in your neighborhood is a geocacher. That really applies to everyone,” Shepherd said.
Southwest Arizona Geocachers celebrates 20 years in Yuma County. They say the continued support year after year is what makes this event so special.
“It's really nice to see the city and the parks department getting involved,” Shepherd said. “For us, it means a lot because this event brings a lot of people together. We get people from all over the world. A lot of them are from Europe, South Africa, Australia, [the] the Czech Republic; and of course all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico. ”
If you want to join in on the fun, join us at the huge S*W*A*G event at West Wetlands Park on Sunday 4th February. A flag dedication ceremony will also be held by the City of Yuma and the American Legion.
