wrote: "sandymess"
> they were a completely good thing for this sport.
I considered this long and hard last November when I came across
Letterboxing via a classroom curriculum. This is how I was introduced
to this hobby - I spent about several months reading the talk list in
silence and researching into the hobby on my own.
In March I gathered some things for an environmental "Earth Day -
Going Green" Fair in the area. I had letterboxing out in the open -
right next to the local water district and talked to them about their
trails, they were interested...etc.
The reason that this hasn't been openely debated as of yet, is because
it is such a specific hobby - think about it... you have to be willing
to get wet, dirty, disappointed, and on top of that - be fairly adept
at map reading if not *at least* car navigation - compass use- web
search engines - like hiking at least in some small way - love an
adventure and being outside.
I think it's a unique combination of interests that really defines a
"Letterboxer"....
In speaking with David Sobel earlier this summer, I concluded that
"it" (letterboxing) really is a good activity for children. He has
authored the book (and several others) "Mapmaking with children"... I
have read through this book and also done several of the mapmaking
exercises. Although I have no children, I can understand how this
hobby might spread through other means in addition to the newspress
articles and TV skits.
There ARE curriculum guides out there that have letterboxing/questing
as part of the focus...
There ARE nature centers (ie: Maine Audubon) that are experimenting
with the QUEST idea.
You and everyone else has no control over anyone else and what they
choose to write/carve/publish/not-publish. As Memlili said, as soon as
you place a box out there- you relinquish your control over it. You
either love this, or you spend all your free time (like NO-one I
know...) checking up on your boxes and tweaking the finer points.
As with many other unique interests, only time will tell how it
changes, but I like this thought -
"If you don't like something - change the way you think about it."
-phyto