Gulf of Maine Council launches 25th anniversary geocache tour

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment has developed a geocache tour of the Gulf of Maine watershed, according to a recent press release.
The GeoTour — a collection of interesting locations that can be found using a smartphone or GPS device — encourages people to get out and experience the beauty of the region, and learn more about its important features.
Wolfes Neck State Park in Freeport, Maine, contains one of the five sites included in the Gulf of Maine Council 25th anniversary geocache tour in 2014.

Wolfe’s Neck State Park in Freeport, Maine, contains one of the five sites included in the Gulf of Maine Council 25th anniversary geocache tour in 2014.

“We wanted residents and visitors to explore our region, and to experience the Gulf of Maine’s true natural treasures for themselves,” said Sophia Foley, chairperson of the Gulf of Maine Council Working Group, in the press release.

The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment was established in 1989 by the Governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts to foster cooperative actions within the Gulf watershed. The Council’s mission is to maintain and enhance environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine to allow for sustainable resource use by existing and future generations.

The council partnered with organizations and geocachers in each of the five states and provinces around the Gulf of Maine to create the tour. Five sites are found in each of the five provinces and states — Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia — making 25 sites to celebrate 25 years of the Gulf of Maine Council’s work in the region.

Sites were selected to highlight important natural historic, cultural and economic features of the region.

“This is a great opportunity to celebrate the coastal ecosystems and heritage of the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine,” said Matt Abbott of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick in the press release.

The GeoTour is like a scavenger hunt, but instead of collecting objects, participants bring back answers to questions. Participants accumulate points for answering questions related to each site. Once they visit enough sites and accumulate enough points, they can send in their GeoTour passport to receive a limited edition Gulf of Maine Council 25th anniversary geocoin.

“We are pleased that three of the Gulf of Maine sites are part of Maine’s State Parks, said Gary Best, Maine State Parks assistant regional manager and geocache program director. “[We] look forward to being part of the 25th anniversary Gulf of Maine Council Geocache Tour.”

The GeoTour sites:

Nova Scotia

  • Cape Forchu Light, Yarmouth
  • Annapolis Royal Marsh, Annapolis Royal
  • Grand Pré National Historic Site/World Heritage Site, Grand Pré
  • Burntcoat Head, Burntcoat
  • Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Joggins

New Brunswick

  • Sackville Waterfowl Park, Sackville
  • Shepody Bay National Wildlife Area, Harvey
  • Fundy National Park, Alma
  • Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area, Musquash
  • St. George Gorge, St. George

Maine

  • Cobscook Bay State Park, Dennsyville
  • Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site, Bristol
  • Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Parks, Freeport
  • Scarborough Marsh, Scarborough
  • Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Wells

New Hampshire

  • Bunker Creek, Durham
  • North Mill Pond, Portsmouth
  • Odiorne Point, Rye
  • Awcomin Marsh, Rye
  • Great Bay Discovery Center

Massachusetts

  • Newbury Marsh, Newbury
  • Belle Isle Marsh, East Boston
  • Boston Harbor, Boston
  • Sandy Neck’s Great Marsh, Barnstable
  • Cape Cod Tidal Flats, Brewster

To download a GeoTour passport and find out more, visit www.gulfofmaine.org/geocache. To learn about the council’s ongoing 25th anniversary activities, visit www.gulfofmaine.org/25thanniversary/.

Aislinn Sarnacki

About Aislinn Sarnacki

Aislinn is a Bangor Daily News reporter for the Outdoors pages, focusing on outdoor recreation and Maine wildlife. Visit her main blog at actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com.