Email sent to Countryside Council for Wales, in regards to the GO Outdoors "Geocaching" Promotion.

At the request of UK Geocaching Community Members, I have sent the following email to CCW

Dear Sir or Madam.

                            I am Dave Palmer, Deceangi Volunteer UK Reviewer for Geocaching.com since 2006, but have been a Geocacher since 2002. And in 2004 was the first Wales base Geocacher to make contact with CCW (Mold Office).

I have been asked by members of the UK Geocaching community, to contact you, in regards to a Promotion by GO Outdoors, which describes the promotion as "Geocaching"  http://blog.gooutdoors.co.uk/competitions/.

After having several experiences of Commercial Companies using Geocaching as a Promotion tool, or as a Tourist Promotion Tool, using Commercial PR companies. The results to say the least having been very poor or utterly disastrous. Members of the UK Geocaching Community and I personally. Are now extremely worried about the huge potential negative impact this promotion will have, as the Promotion states

"On the morning of Saturday the 6th of April (Subject to weather) 2013, GO Outdoors will be publishing the rough location of a geocache hidden in Snowdonia."

This given that the Pize for finding the container first, is a High End Garmin GPS receiver, with a value of several hundred pounds. Will lead to a large area being utterly trashed, by those searching for the container. This comes from a collective Geocaching experience of the community as a whole, of hundreds of years equivalent experience (as stated originally, I personally have 11 years experiance as a Geocacher, and 7 years experience as a Volunteer Reviewer, during which I have had a large amount of experience working with both Landowners and the Police, in conection with Geocaching in the whole of the UK). Given the amount of experience, we have no wish to see our concerns come true.

I have posted the following to the Go Outdoors Blog, conected to the Geocache Promotion. At the time of sending, it is still waiting Moderation by them. But I have raised the following concerns with them through it.

"Dave says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.

March 28, 2013 at 8:55 pm

The Geocaching community in Wales have worked hard building up a relationship with CCW, in regards to Geocaches placed in sensitive locations. This relationship goes back to 2004.
Your Blog states “On the morning of Saturday the 6th of April (Subject to weather) 2013, GO Outdoors will be publishing the rough location of a geocache hidden in Snowdonia.” sorry but
a: This is not Geocaching, which at its core, is a container hidden at a set of coordinates, supplied by the Owner
b: you are crating a situation where a unknown number of people, are literally going to tear apart the location, where they believe you have hidden the container, in the hopes of being first to find it. So creating a totally negative situation with the Landowner
c: Do you have Landowner Permission to do this? Have you made the Landowner aware of your plans, and what the potential risk to not only the actual location, but other nearby locations. If your location is within a Designated Nature Reserve, or a Site of Special Scientific Interest, you as well as those Trashing the area, risk a Prosecution under the relevant laws covering such areas.
I have been Geocaching since 2002, and a Volunteer UK Geocache Reviewer since 2006. So have accumulated a huge amount of experience of Geocaching. I have seen several failures of Geocaching Promotions, by very large International Companies, who have either failed to recruit experienced Geocachers, or when they have, have failed to actually follow the advice given by those experienced Geocachers. This creates not only a negative impact within the Geocaching community, towards those companies. The impact can also be negative towards the Geocaching Community, by those outside of the hobby, due to the issues, these companies have created, so increasing the negative impact for the Geocaching community."

On behalf of the UK Geocaching Community, this promotion has nothing to do with the UK Geocaching Community, nor is it a Geocache Promotion. But rather a Company jumping on the Geocaching Theme, but presenting a low tech Pirate Treasure Hunt.

Yours Sincerely

Dave Palmer
Mancunian Pyrocacher (Geocaching.com Member Account since 2002)
Deceangi Volunteer UK Reviewer Geocaching.com (2006-current and on-going)
On behalf of the UK Geocaching Community

I full appreciate that some within the community will disagree with the above email. But given that a large part of Snowdonia, is a Designated SSSI, the fact that GO Outdoors, is calling their Promotion a "Geocache" and Linking to Geocaching.com. Will on their being any issues, create a image, that Geocachers are responsible.

Having been the first person in Wales, to make contact with CCW in regards to Geocaching, way back in 2004. And having to fully explain the whole hobby, and partake in a Site Inspection with one of their Officers. I have seen the working relationship between the Geocaching Community and CCW, build over the years. To a point where they are highly supportive of Geocaching (in fact I am aware of them only ever refusing permission for one cache on Snowdon, due to a rare and protected plant growing at the location), any negative impact caused by this promotion, will affect the UK Geocaching Community, more than Go Outdoors!

Dave