The
Department
of Parks and Recreation
Fourth
Hosting of the GPS/Geocaching Program at
COMLARA Park/Evergreen
$10
Non-Refundable Fee to the Public
Lunch &
Materials Provided at Cost
Volunteer
Professional Instructors and Assistants
Class Room Size
Limited To First 25
Ages 12 and Older
(10
& 11 with paired adult)
For More Class Details
See 2nd Page
Registration
Required - Deadline: Wednesday, October 17
To
register call 309-726-2022 Ext. 221
Michael J.
Steffa, Operations
Supervisor,
Evergreen
Lake/COMLARA Park,
(309)726-2022
ext. 230, Fax (309) 726-2025
michael.steffa@mcleancountyil.gov
The Trainers: Jim Meizelis and Steve Sewell are outdoorsmen and also
professional trainers. They both love to
volunteer their time to share their knowledge of GPS/Geocaching in terms and
explanations that the whole audience can understand. The program is a well balanced combination of
lecture, discussion, questions, and hands on activities which will be held in
the class and in the field. They have
put together over 50 pages of training/reference material that is very useful
and comprehensive.
Intended Audience: This program is designed for beginners through intermediate. In other words “I have interest but don’t know
much about GPS” to “I have a GPS and have used it some, but feel like I could
be much more acquainted & comfortable.”
The GPS/Geocaching Program Content: Here is a very high level summary of the content
of the program:
·
How
to Use a Compass
·
What
Is A GPS Receiver Used For
·
GPS
Buyer’s Guide & Glossary
·
How
Does A GPS Work
·
Basic
Operation
·
GPS
Accuracy
·
Software
Use
·
Geocaching
·
Geocaching
Research Methods
·
Misc
Appendix Information
Program Objectives: The main objectives
are basically for each student after completing this program to
:
·
Explain
some navigation principles that apply to a GPS
·
Comfortably
use all basic features of a GPS in the field
·
Explain
some steps one may take to research a geocache or any destination of interest.
Your Preparation For Attendance:
·
If
you have your own GPS unit please feel free to bring it along.
·
Also
bring your GPS instruction book for any referencing needed.
·
If
you do not own a GPS there will be several provided for use during this
program.
·
Dress
appropriately for the expected weather of the day for there will be lots of
field activities.
GPS Units Have Many Uses: Map your highway travel to the vacation spot; Find that hot
fishing or hunting spot again; Share destinations with others with a GPS; Have
fun doing GeoCaching; Canoeing and knowing where the next rapids are; Best
answer to: Are we there yet?; Hike in unfamiliar territory and find your way
back out without getting lost; Confirm your current location relative to a BWCA
map; etc.
What is GeoCaching: Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for
Global Positioning System (GPS) users. Participating in a cache hunt is a
good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a GPS
unit, plus visit nature. The basic idea is to have individuals and
organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these
caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find
the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of
rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should
try to leave something for the cache. How do you pronounce Geocaching?
You pronounce it Geo-cashing, like cashing a check. For more information go to www.geocaching.com.
Use your zip code for a local sampling of the placements of some
geocaches.