EXPERIENCE GEOCACHE
CBU Community Studies Class teams up with CBRM Recreation to start geocache at Open Hearth Park
This event will be the official launch of Experience Geocache, a new family activity that has been installed at Open Hearth Park. Please join us for this launch and try geocaching this spring and summer with your friends and family. Experience Geocache is inclusive and open to all ages, abilities and experience levels. Our hope is that geocache will accomplish the goal of encouraging families to pursue outdoor activity in the CBRM community.
The official launch event will be held on Saturday March 19th, 2016 from 1-2pm at Open Hearth Park in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The purpose of the launch event is to provide information to the media, celebrate our partners, and introduce the activity to the public. In case of inclement weather the event will be held on Sunday March 20th, from 1-2pm at the same location. It will be free of cost and there will be light refreshments included.
This initiative is a BACS Community Action Project by a third year Community Studies class, in collaboration with CBRM Recreation and Open Hearth Park. The BACS program, CBU’s inaugural degree that is currently in its 40th year, is well known for student community involvement. We are grateful for our community partners; Charlotte MacDonald of Cape Breton Regional Municipality Recreation generously provided mentorship support and contributed supplies and funding for the project. Frank Potter (Executive Director of Operations for Nova Scotia Lands) and Gerald McCarron, (Operations Manager) kindly welcomed us to establish Experience Geocache at Open Hearth Park. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with all of these partners.
The inspiration for this project was our finding that youth engagement in outdoor activity has declined in recent years in the face of increased social screen time (TV, computers, smartphones, videogames, etc.). The goal of our Community Action Project was to promote inclusive, outdoor activity among families in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. We chose Geocache because this outdoor activity integrates technology (GPS) that may draw the attention of kids who are otherwise less interested in time outside. We anticipate that our project will help families reconnect with the outdoors and allow them to pursue a healthier lifestyle. This event is also not exclusive to Open Hearth Park. In the five geocaches at Open Hearth Park, participants will find clues to other geocaches located at five other parks in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, including: Dominion Beach Provincial Park, Renwick Brook Park, Colliery Lands Park, John Bernard Croak Memorial Park, Membertou Greenlink Trail. To learn more about geocache visitwww.geocaching.com