Okay - so here's a question for more experienced letterboxers. HOW
do you approach a park ranger / park manager / site caretaker, etc
about planting a box in their space?
I'm going camping in a few weeks, to a spot I love and visit every
year without fail. It is PRIME letterboxing fodder, and I had hoped
that in my week there, I could plant two or three.
However, I'd like to be respectful of this site and get permission.
Now, considering that letterboxing is practically unheard of in my
state - I can't just ask "can I plant a letterbox here".
Is there a good way to broach the subject, without coming across like
someone who just wants to leave tupperware under a rock somewhere???
I want to contact this person in advance to get permission, as I'd
like to carve my stamps in advance of my camping trip.
Anyone have any successful angles on this?
Autumn
Asking park rangers and caretakers ...
3 messages in this thread |
Started on 2003-07-11
Asking park rangers and caretakers ...
From: Autumn (Autumn@shadowslight.com) |
Date: 2003-07-11 06:12:25 UTC
Re: [LbNA] Asking park rangers and caretakers ...
From: todd carden (cardentm2002@yahoo.com) |
Date: 2003-07-10 23:21:13 UTC-07:00
hi autumn,print this and take it with you and just explain how much fun adults and children can have with this hobby.this is good clean fun,right?
ABOUT LETTERBOXING
by Der Mad Stamper
What is this all about?
Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining map-reading skills and artistic ability with delightful "treasure-hunts" in beautiful and scenic places. Boxes such as this can be found in various locations throughout the country, and the clues to find them are being shared among friends and posted on Internet web sites.
How can I participate?
1) Help yourself to a copy of this info sheet and check out the references listed.
2) If you are intrigued, get yourself a personalized rubber stamp, either hand-carved or commercially made, with something of importance to you in the image. You will use this to sign in to the guestbook contained in each box you find. (This is optional; some just write their details in the book with a pen, though stamps are heartily encouraged!)
3) Obtain a small journal (such as an artist's sketch book) and an inked stamp pad. Each time you manage to locate a letterbox, you will find a rubber stamp waiting to make its mark in your personal book as proof of your visit.
4) Now, all you need to begin your search are clues. Many clues are available from Internet sites. Some of the letterboxes you find will contain clues to others locations. Eventually, you will meet other Letterboxers and learn of their experiences. Likely, many of the clues you come across will require a compass to follow. If you want to visit Great Britain, a book of clues is available for Dartmoor, the birthplace of Letterboxing. (See the references below.)
How did this all get started?
According to legend, in 1854 a Victorian gentlemen hiker put his calling card in a bottle and stuck it into a bank at Cranmere Pool, in a remote part of Dartmoor in southwestern England. Over the years, the hobby developed; current reports indicate that as many as 10,000 letterboxes are presently hidden in Dartmoor, now a National Park. Visitors from around the globe prowl the heath at Dartmoor in search of the elusive boxes and the artful stamps inside.
How did the hobby get started in the United States?
In April of 1998, Smithsonian magazine published an article on the Dartmoor letterboxes. Within a very short time, a loose alliance of adventurers and rubber stamp enthusiasts pioneered the introduction of the hobby to the US. With the Internet as a primary means of communication, the idea soon spread around the country. Web-sites and a discussion group were established. Letterboxes began to be placed in inconspicuous but interesting locations throughout the country.
Are there any rules?
Letterboxes should be hidden on land to which the public has access. They should be placed so as to make a casual find by a "non-letterboxer" unlikely, yet must be accessible without impacting the natural surroundings. They are not to be buried in the earth, but placed under rocks or in existing natural holes, crevices or cavities. They should not interfere with native wildlife or habitats. They should not be placed close to one another (to avoid damage from over-intensive use of an area), nor should they be located in any potentially dangerous situation. A contact number/address should be provided so that information pertaining to the box can be passed to the owner.
When hunting for letterboxes, please respect the land upon which they are hidden. Do not disturb any historical landmark or private property. Do not break sod, remove native vegetation, disturb natural rock formations, or interfere with animals or their habitats. Leave the site better than you find it; you are encouraged to remove any litter left behind by people who care less for the land than you.
Also, please respect the contents of each letterbox and the effort put into it by its sponsor. Replace the box carefully and leave it as you would hope to find it: hidden from view, with contents intact. If a box is damaged, please notify its owner.
Finally, you may wish to create some boxes of your own and hide them in interesting places. There are no rules as to size or format; helpful suggestions can be found at the sources below... ENJOY!!!
Reference Sources:
United States:
"Letterboxing North America" website: http://www.letterboxing.org
Letterbox USA" Internet e-mail discussion group:
to join, send an e-mail message to letterbox-usa-subscribe@egroups.com
Dartmoor:
"They Live and Breathe Letterboxing," Smithsonian magazine, April 1998.
Dartmoor Letterboxes and More Dartmoor Letterboxes
by Anne Swinscow, Kirkford Publications (Totnes, Devon, U.K.)
101 Dartmoor Letterboxes by John Hayward with Anne Swinscow, Kirkford Publications
Catalogue of Dartmoor Letterboxes
by A. R. Moore, 100 Club, 25, Sanderspool Cross, South Brent, Devon, TQ10 9LR, U.K.
Autumn wrote:Okay - so here's a question for more experienced letterboxers. HOW
do you approach a park ranger / park manager / site caretaker, etc
about planting a box in their space?
I'm going camping in a few weeks, to a spot I love and visit every
year without fail. It is PRIME letterboxing fodder, and I had hoped
that in my week there, I could plant two or three.
However, I'd like to be respectful of this site and get permission.
Now, considering that letterboxing is practically unheard of in my
state - I can't just ask "can I plant a letterbox here".
Is there a good way to broach the subject, without coming across like
someone who just wants to leave tupperware under a rock somewhere???
I want to contact this person in advance to get permission, as I'd
like to carve my stamps in advance of my camping trip.
Anyone have any successful angles on this?
Autumn
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---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
ABOUT LETTERBOXING
by Der Mad Stamper
What is this all about?
Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining map-reading skills and artistic ability with delightful "treasure-hunts" in beautiful and scenic places. Boxes such as this can be found in various locations throughout the country, and the clues to find them are being shared among friends and posted on Internet web sites.
How can I participate?
1) Help yourself to a copy of this info sheet and check out the references listed.
2) If you are intrigued, get yourself a personalized rubber stamp, either hand-carved or commercially made, with something of importance to you in the image. You will use this to sign in to the guestbook contained in each box you find. (This is optional; some just write their details in the book with a pen, though stamps are heartily encouraged!)
3) Obtain a small journal (such as an artist's sketch book) and an inked stamp pad. Each time you manage to locate a letterbox, you will find a rubber stamp waiting to make its mark in your personal book as proof of your visit.
4) Now, all you need to begin your search are clues. Many clues are available from Internet sites. Some of the letterboxes you find will contain clues to others locations. Eventually, you will meet other Letterboxers and learn of their experiences. Likely, many of the clues you come across will require a compass to follow. If you want to visit Great Britain, a book of clues is available for Dartmoor, the birthplace of Letterboxing. (See the references below.)
How did this all get started?
According to legend, in 1854 a Victorian gentlemen hiker put his calling card in a bottle and stuck it into a bank at Cranmere Pool, in a remote part of Dartmoor in southwestern England. Over the years, the hobby developed; current reports indicate that as many as 10,000 letterboxes are presently hidden in Dartmoor, now a National Park. Visitors from around the globe prowl the heath at Dartmoor in search of the elusive boxes and the artful stamps inside.
How did the hobby get started in the United States?
In April of 1998, Smithsonian magazine published an article on the Dartmoor letterboxes. Within a very short time, a loose alliance of adventurers and rubber stamp enthusiasts pioneered the introduction of the hobby to the US. With the Internet as a primary means of communication, the idea soon spread around the country. Web-sites and a discussion group were established. Letterboxes began to be placed in inconspicuous but interesting locations throughout the country.
Are there any rules?
Letterboxes should be hidden on land to which the public has access. They should be placed so as to make a casual find by a "non-letterboxer" unlikely, yet must be accessible without impacting the natural surroundings. They are not to be buried in the earth, but placed under rocks or in existing natural holes, crevices or cavities. They should not interfere with native wildlife or habitats. They should not be placed close to one another (to avoid damage from over-intensive use of an area), nor should they be located in any potentially dangerous situation. A contact number/address should be provided so that information pertaining to the box can be passed to the owner.
When hunting for letterboxes, please respect the land upon which they are hidden. Do not disturb any historical landmark or private property. Do not break sod, remove native vegetation, disturb natural rock formations, or interfere with animals or their habitats. Leave the site better than you find it; you are encouraged to remove any litter left behind by people who care less for the land than you.
Also, please respect the contents of each letterbox and the effort put into it by its sponsor. Replace the box carefully and leave it as you would hope to find it: hidden from view, with contents intact. If a box is damaged, please notify its owner.
Finally, you may wish to create some boxes of your own and hide them in interesting places. There are no rules as to size or format; helpful suggestions can be found at the sources below... ENJOY!!!
Reference Sources:
United States:
"Letterboxing North America" website: http://www.letterboxing.org
Letterbox USA" Internet e-mail discussion group:
to join, send an e-mail message to letterbox-usa-subscribe@egroups.com
Dartmoor:
"They Live and Breathe Letterboxing," Smithsonian magazine, April 1998.
Dartmoor Letterboxes and More Dartmoor Letterboxes
by Anne Swinscow, Kirkford Publications (Totnes, Devon, U.K.)
101 Dartmoor Letterboxes by John Hayward with Anne Swinscow, Kirkford Publications
Catalogue of Dartmoor Letterboxes
by A. R. Moore, 100 Club, 25, Sanderspool Cross, South Brent, Devon, TQ10 9LR, U.K.
Autumn
do you approach a park ranger / park manager / site caretaker, etc
about planting a box in their space?
I'm going camping in a few weeks, to a spot I love and visit every
year without fail. It is PRIME letterboxing fodder, and I had hoped
that in my week there, I could plant two or three.
However, I'd like to be respectful of this site and get permission.
Now, considering that letterboxing is practically unheard of in my
state - I can't just ask "can I plant a letterbox here".
Is there a good way to broach the subject, without coming across like
someone who just wants to leave tupperware under a rock somewhere???
I want to contact this person in advance to get permission, as I'd
like to carve my stamps in advance of my camping trip.
Anyone have any successful angles on this?
Autumn
Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: [LbNA] Asking park rangers and caretakers ...
From: (Gurudybaker@aol.com) |
Date: 2003-07-11 09:10:33 UTC-04:00
You might tell then about the ones the Ct Department of Environmental
Protection
have put in to celebrate their anniversay.They have a site.
http://www.dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/forestry/centen/nipmuck.htm
that's for the one in Nipmuck State Forest
STAR:W+S=DRR
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Protection
have put in to celebrate their anniversay.They have a site.
http://www.dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/forestry/centen/nipmuck.htm
that's for the one in Nipmuck State Forest
STAR:W+S=DRR
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]