Make sure that the date is reserved. We will keep you posted as the planning and arrangements by the organising committee progress.

Generally the answer to this question is “I don’t know what happens to the geocaches that I have hidden during my time on the geocaching game board (earth)”.  I want to suggest that the more appropriate answer should be: “I have made arrangements!”

In this time of the year that CITO (Cache In Trash Out) events are in focus I thought that it is also appropriate to think a little about the impact that our beloved geocaching game can have on the environment. The game takes us into the environment and helps us to celebrate our love for history, nature, geology, interesting places, friendship and even extreme adventures.  We all know that we should play the game responsibly and with respect to the environment.  However, if a geocache is muggled (compromised and damaged or destroyed by a non-geocacher) a once active geocache can be reduced to geolitter.  Geolitter is the remains of previously active geocaches lying out there if the geocache is damaged or not properly maintained.  As all geocachers (should) know, a key element of being a Cache Owner is regular maintenance of your geocaches.  While we cannot control the inadvertent or intentional damage to geocaches by muggles, the rules of the game tries to ensure that such damage is addressed through cache maintenance.

Unfortunately geocachers can themselves also contribute to geolitter.  If for example a Cache Owner decides to no longer participate in the game or fails to properly maintain his hidden geocaches, then the slow demise of such geocaches can contribute to geolitter.  A sad consequence of un-maintained geocaches is also that prime hiding spots for a good and interesting geocache may be sterilised for as long as the geocache is not archived.

The rules of the game provide that if a string of DNFs (Did Not Find logs) appear on a cache listing, then the Cache Owner is provided with a reasonable time to perform maintenance of the geocache.  If the issue is not addressed within a reasonable time (normally 30 -60 days) then a Reviewer Note may be issued to the Cache Owner requesting maintenance.  If the problem still continues then the cache can ultimately be archived.  This string of events takes quite a long time and while it ultimately frees up the hiding spot for future geocaches, it does not specifically address the geolitter.  I suggest that if you are a Cache Owner and you decide to relocate to another area that will make maintenance of your geocaches difficult or if you decide to stop geocaching altogether then you should either arrange for the adoption of your geocaches by other geocachers or ensure that you remove the geocaches and archive them.

In the event that a Cache Owner dies, then the geocaches that he used to own will follow the same slow route of demise - unless proper arrangements are in place to address the situation.  The difference in this case is that the Cache Owner is sadly no longer around to make the arrangements.  Therefore, I suggest that while you are still alive and well enough to enjoy your geocaching adventures you should put the necessary arrangements in place to prevent your geocaches from ending up as geolitter after your death.  Two of the ways in which you can put such arrangements in place is

Examples of arrangements that a Cache Owner can make in this way are:

With the assistance of the GOSA Committee and some of our Groundspeak Volunteer Reviewers I have prepared some examples of the provisions that you can include in a will for this purpose as well as examples of Reviewer Notes that you can submit to indicate how you prefer that your geocaches should be dealt with when you pass away.  These examples can be viewed on the GOSA Website at the link here.

I hope that I have sparked some thought with these ideas and happy and responsible Geocaching to you all. If you have any comment, question or further thoughts about this topic you are welcome to contact me through the message facilities of the Groundspeak website - my Geocaching Profile is JPMZA.

Last year we featured a Meet the Reviewer series where we asked our local reviewers, Pte Curb, Afrika Rocks and ROTSIP some questions and shared their advice and experience from reviewing with our readers. Shortly after we ended that series, Knagur Green began reviewing in South Africa.
 
Knagur Green caches under team AvanClan along with her husband who is also a reviewer as Xanthe Terra. They are South African expats who are based in the UK after relocating from Abu Dhabi. Xanthe Terra handles the Middle East, Arabian Gulf and Cyprus and also helps with Northern Africa when needed. Knagur Green is the ROT13 encoding of Xanthe Terra. 
 
GoSA: How did you start geocaching?
Knagur Green: The first cache we found was when we accompanied another caching family into the desert as back up, while living in the UAE. It never really bit then, although we found a few while on a work trip to Scotland and then on holiday in China. The bug really hit home, when back in Vereeniging we made contact with Team Antron, who befriended us, showing us the ropes, and introduced us to amazing caches.
 
GoSA: How did you start reviewing?
Knagur Green: I started living with reviewing when Xanthe Terra took over reviewing a lot of smaller countries up North from erik88l-r. As he was a solitude reviewer with no back up team, I learned the ropes so I could discuss and debate the guidelines and legitimacy of a cache with him. Later I took over reaping or cleaning up those areas, responding to need archiving logs and checking when caches had coordinate changes.
I officially became a reviewer last year after the Cape Town Mega, when I also started reaping Africa. It no longer made sense to be part of a team, but rather an identity alone so that there was no confusion and a separate email link so cachers could contact me. Although I reap in South Africa, I only publish in our original countries, new listings are handled by the local reviewers.
 
GoSA: What do you enjoy about reviewing?
Knagur Green: Being a reviewer is about giving a little back. I enjoy the interaction with cachers at events, and knowing that in a small way I have been able to help maintain healthy caches in an area. As a cacher I hate planning a route and being disappointed over and over by DNF’s so by helping get caches back to health again, I feel that the wider community benefits.
 
GoSA: How much time do you spend reviewing and what do you do when you are not geocaching or reviewing?
Knagur Green: Reviewing new cache listings takes up only a small portion of my time given to caching. Reaping takes up a good few hours a week at the computer. In the beginning, it was longer but since older missing caches have been removed from the listings and more cachers are maintaining their caches, as soon as they realise there is a problem, I find that the lists I receive are a lot shorter.
When not reviewing or geocaching, I am involved with dog training, community volunteering work and an adult and children’s pastoral care volunteer.
 
GoSA: As you mentioned, you don’t review new South African listings but rather act when there are DNFs and needs maintenance and needs archived logs. What advice do you have for geocachers to help them keep their geocaches active and available to find for many years to come?   
Knagur Green: Reaping is not the glamorous part of reviewing, sometimes people get annoyed that their cache has been disabled, and get angry at the reviewer rather than the situation. It is also not a perfect art, mistakes can be made, too many factors come into play and reviewers work only with information provided on the cache page, and by other cachers. That is why is so important to respond on the listing within 30 days if your cache has been disabled to prevent it being archived.
Guidelines state 30 days, life states differently. Posting a note with definite time lines above the reviewers note alerts them you are taking care of the situation. Communication is key. If your cache has been repaired or if indeed it was there all along and you know it is, and it is maybe a tricky hide, just enable the listing again with a note. I read every cache listing when it first comes to my attention, especially the DNF’s. Sometimes the log gives clues to cache health or it is a newer cacher who is less experienced just saying they cannot find it. If I decided nothing should be done, I often just place the cache on a list and check back in a few months. I also check the owners profile, are they active or not, are they still in the country? Sometimes I leave it for a few weeks to see if the owner will respond and then place a note giving another 30 days. Sometimes I will place the note immediately; it really depends on the listing logs. As a reviewer even though I will disable the cache, it is the cache owner’s responsibility to enable it again, because it shows that they have taken care of the situation. Placing an owner’s maintenance note removes the red NM flag and takes it off future lists.
 
GoSA: What advice do you have for new geocachers?
Knagur Green: To new cachers, I would say go out there and enjoy the caches you find. Find a variety of caches before you place your own. Chat to other cachers, find out likes and dislikes.
 
GoSA: What advice do you have for geocachers who have placed a hide and are about to submit their listing?
Knagur Green: Read what you agree to when you submit your cache. You agree to look after it and to abide by current guidelines. Do not just tick the box. Try to continually improve your cache hides and listings, but keep them within the guidelines. It is really not about numbers, as you enjoy and grow in geocaching the numbers happen. It is about experiences and people, they are the things you do not forget.