Geocaching with CIGA

EVENTS



SOUVENIRS




GIFF 2023 on You Tube

Entries  in the 2023 Geocaching International Film Festival can be viewed on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grFaQbmJSJQ&ab_channel=Geocaching.

New Round of Virtuals

Geocaching HQ has announced that 4000 more virtuals will be awarded sometime in 2024.  To qualify for the random selection, there are requirements to be met, among them placing a new cache in 2023, along with other rules.

Group Photo Updated

The group photo at the top of the page has been updated for the June picnic in East Peoria.   This one is year two of the MIG/CIGA clubs joining forces for an event. 

GIFF is Back

After skipping last year,  Geocaching HQ is bringing back the Geocaching International Film Festival for 2023.  The actual festival will be in November.  The announcement went out now to alert cachers to make a short geocaching related film.  Details on submissions will come later.

New Locationless Cache

Geocaching HQ has added a new locationless cache (GC9FAVE).  The theme is a favorite place you discovered thanks to  geocaching.  Available August 17, 2022, to December 31, 2023.  There are rules, like a photo (not an old one) that make some places hard to revisit.

Title Photo Updated

CIGA is getting back to holding events.  So, the group photo at the top of the page has been updated to show the MIG/CIGA hot dog picnic in East Peoria.  It was a two club event, supporting the Mid-Illini Geocachers.

Adventure Lab Caches Expanded 

Adventure Lab Caches started as a test.  Geocaching HQ awarded them on a limited basis, usually up to five locations comprising an adventure.  Now, HQ has awarded an adventure (five locations) to every premium member, only premium members.  To determine if you have a credit use your geocaching ID/password to log onto labs.geocaching.com/builder/adventures.

New Virtual Caches Awarded

April was a big month for the new virtual geocache.  Congrats to those in Central Illinois who received an award, only 4000 worldwide.  Geocaching HQ brought back virtuals, with no containers, on a test basis.


Picnic and CITO Kick off 2022 Season

With COVID, there have been fewer geocaching events.  There are hopes it might be changing.  Mid-Illini Geocachers hosted a picnic in Washington, the first purely social event this year in Central Illinois.  A CITO was held earlier in Peoria.  

Hide a Cache, Earn a Souvenir

Geocaching HQ has added a 2022 digital souvenir to encourage placing a cache.  Earn one souvenir for adding a new geocache hide or event that is published through December 31, 2022.

New Home for CIGA on the Web

CIGA has a new Web URL and a new look.  The site is rebuilding the pages it used to have.  The shortcut cigacache.org  now points to the new address.  The Web site is findable on Google Chrome.  However, a search may not work on other search browsers.

Pantagraph Features CIGA and Geocaching

Bloominton-Normal newspaper The Pantagraph ran a  feature on geocaching with CIGA board member Tom Gossamar Hankins.  The text and video story shows how  to find and log caches.


Lackey Hosts Event

Emily (em_adventuring), a lackey at Geocaching HQ  in Seattle, hosted an event in Bloomington, while visiting her hometown.  


Peoria Ice Cream Social 

There was a brief summer of optimism before another COVID surge came.  During the apparent safe period, an ice cream social in Peoria drew cachers from various towns.  COVID uncertainty has limited the number of local events.

Published by the Central Illinois Geocaching Association to encourage geocaching in and around central Illinois