Northern Ontario GPS Treasure Hunting History
What is Northern Ontario GPS Treasure
Hunting?
The GPS treasure
hunt combines the navigation of a hand-held Global Positioning System unit
and the excitement of a treasure hunt, all within the great outdoors. A
cache is a hiding place for the treasure and the GPS unit is used to find
on the ground where the cache (treasure) is located. “Geocaching” – in a
general form - has been around for a few years. For more general
information go to
www.geocaching.com as one example. Northern Ontario GPS
Treasure Hunting caches are also found on the
www.geocaching.com site (except for commercial caches).
Why GPS Treasure
Hunting?
In 2002 the Canadian Ecology Centre Educational Foundation, a
non-profit, charitable educational organization, initiated a Northern
Ontario GPS Treasure Hunting site to bring more awareness of the great
wealth of natural resources connected to the north's tourism industry. At
the same time, we appreciate our forests. It is a great way to learn
about forest ecology, heritage and forestry. There is an extra opportunity to win significant prizes and receive
value added discounts and packages from Northern Ontario suppliers,
retailers, and other community organizations added to the fun of finding
caches (treasure) scattered throughout the north.
Northern Ontario is a tourism destination
and it wants to share its four-season recreational opportunities,
including, its trails, lakes and rivers, vistas and its culture. Northern
Ontario GPS Treasure Hunting is another tourism product northern Ontario
has to offer. It is an ecotourism activity that combines the application
of an emerging technology, GPS, and the spirit of adventure combined with
seeing and experiencing special places. Vacations and visits will be
heightened with the lure of finding treasure and the chance of winning
other prizes. Communities will benefit from visitors who search, see,
learn and stay
awhile.
It is a little different because the
caches are developed and hidden by those community tourism leaders and
suppliers associated with the Northern Ontario GPS Treasure Hunting
program.
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