MARION — A group of adults spent their Saturday morning on Oct. 5 trekking through the Sippican Lands Trust’s Pierson Woods property, hunting for sentimental treasures in an activity known as “geocaching.”

Geocaching involves the use of a GPS and navigational techniques to hide and seek “caches” at coordinates all over the world. Typical caches are small waterproof containers with various trinkets and a logbook for successful geocachers to document their findings.

On Oct. 5, geocacher Jack “Moe” Molander and Alan Harris of the Sippican Lands Trust led an expedition of five adults through Pierson Woods on a journey filled with twists, turns, scenic views, and hints like “choose the right one” and “duck down.”

Harris said that the lands trust tries to get the public engaged in outdoor walking events, and with 1,370 acres of land, “we’d like people to get out there and get connected to it.”

Molander said that Pierson Woods makes for a good geocaching location with a medium level of difficulty, due to a variety of possible paths, but a well-maintained terrain.

As the group made their way through the woods, they were able to find both caches in the area by following GPS coordinates, hints, and checking in hidden areas in trees and rocks that less-observant travelers may never notice.

Geocacher JoAnn has over 5,000 total finds and said that the activity “brings you to great places. And a lot of it is right in your backyard.”

Geocachers are responsible for the maintenance of the caches they hide, ensuring that they can be safely accessed. They must also replace trinkets with something of equal, or greater value, and place containers back exactly where they were found. 

Molander said that he also has a policy of “cache in, trash out” where he removes litter from the area he explored on his way back from hunting for caches.

To get involved in geocaching, go to: https://www.geocaching.com/play.