The name forestfauna is actually the geocaching name I selected for myself. It is what I write on all physical log sheets in every geocache I find, and how I appear to others online. If you want more details on what geocaching is, go to www.geocaching.com, or maybe wait a while until I decide to write a blog on it. :)
I actually first stumbled onto geocaching back in 2004. I bought my
first GPS and set up a geocaching account (CrazyMoose). However,
at the time I was working for a non-profit environmental group on a short-term
contract that was expiring. I was tired of the lack of direction/guidance, the lies, and the disrespectful
attitude shown to me by the Executive Director, so left my contract a month
early. With no income and a 7 month old daughter to support, I was left
with no choice but to return the GPS, having never found a geocache.
Flash forward to September of 2007. A friend of my wife's (Roaming
Red Retriever) was starting to geocache and encouraged us to take it
up. After some begging and pleading, my wife let me purchase a GPS (a
Magellen initally, but the non-user friendly interface had me trading quickly
for a Garmin Etrex Legend), and we were off looking for our first cache.
That was September 17, 2007, and I have not stopped since.
When we started caching full-on, I couldn't remember my original password,
so I decided to start fresh with a new geocaching,com account. The
original name I chose for myself was MarkWild_Bio; not very original,
for sure. After about 500 caches I decided I wanted a new caching name,
one that better reflected my varied outdoor interests, my career aspirations,
and that allowed flexibility in logging when my whole family was out with
me. So, after weighing my options, I choose the name forestfauna,
all one word and all lower case for simplicity's sake.
As of July 16, 2012, I have found 3,119 caches in 4 Canadian provinces and 1
U.S. State. I estimate that my family has been with me for at least half
of those finds. Considering the demands of a career and a young family, I
am pretty happy with those stats. My proudest stat, however, has to be
the fact that I have lost over 30 pounds because of geocaching.
Geocaching has been great exercise. Hey, who doesn't love a reward at the
end of a hike?
Two other members of my family currently have their own caching
accounts. My wife Elizabeth goes by the name forestflora.
She and I met while attending the forestry program at the University of New
Brunswick; I went in the direction of wildlife conservation/management, she
pursued studies in forest mensuration. I set up an account for my oldest
daughter, Hannah, last year. She goes by the handle aquakid,
because she likes swimming and wants to be a marine biologist when she grows
up. I told her she would be better off pursuing something where she can
actually have a career, maybe a nurse like her aunt. :)
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