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IF you've ever tried to explain geocaching to someone, you know how easy it is for them to misunderstand or get confused about the details. If you've found yourself talking to a land manager you know how easy it is for them to hear only part of what you say. The fact is, simply communicating verbally gives you one shot to get all the information you need to your audience and your effectiveness is completely limited to their ability to pay attention.

After a lot of experiences of trying to explain our little obsession to people I finally came up with an idea for a tri-fold brochure. Most people are already used to being handed a brochure when someone is sharing a new idea with them. I think in some ways actually having something to give to someone, rather than simply explaining Geocaching to them, adds to the legitimacy of what we're doing.

I've designed the brochure to be colorful, with some great pictures taken by some wonderful geocachers and tried to fill it with just enough information that people will "get it" from the brochure. My thought has been that it would be a great thing to leave in the brochure rack at state parks, at the counter in stores where GPS's are sold. It would also be a wonderful thing to take along for a small geocaching presentation and walk a group of people through to familiarize them with what we're doing. In fact, I think the layout is especially helpful for that kind of use.

The front cover contains a great picture of a geocaching family digging in to their treasure. Open the brochure up and there's a quick explanation of the history of geocaching and how to go looking for your first cache. The middle and left columns on the inside provide a step-by-step guide for the geocaching process—from hiding to finding to logging as well as a break down of some of the more common cache types.

The back provides the reader with some important CITO information (be sure to emphasize this with land managers...maybe even highlight or circle it for them) and some important "Do's and Don't's." The final column deals with how to make personal contact with local geocachers and provides a blank rectangle for your own contact information or your local organization's contact information.

NOTE: The "Contact Info" rectangle contains a form that will accept text. Simply type your personal or group contact information in the box and it will be printed on the brochure (be sure to "click out" of the text box, though, or your information won't print).

The whole brochure is available as a free download from Geocacher-U. All I ask is that you not alter it in any way (I've secured permission from Geocaching.com and the photographers for their work, the text is my own). You will need the free Adobe Reader in order to read the document.