A 'New Age Scavenger Hunt,' Geocaching Gets A Foothold In Chatham

CHATHAM, NJ — You might be surprised to discover that treasures can be found all around you. They're tucked beneath rocks and high in the trees — small containers at the heart of geocaching, a global scavenger hunt.

Juniper Village at Chatham, a senior living community, hosted a national geocaching launch for Juniper Villages across the country this month.

Despite the pouring rain, more than 50 cachers and their families came to Juniper Village to celebrate, officials said.

"Geocaching is a craze, and people drove as far as sixty miles to try to find the latest caches created and hidden by Juniper," Juniper Village said.

If you've never heard of geocaching, it's a modern-day version of a scavenger hunt in which you use GPS and your mobile device to find what you're looking for.

Participants look for a cache with a logbook to sign and an unexpected artifact to discover but not take. To take part in the game, you must first download the Geocaching app and create an account.

You will then be able to see a map of the locations of the caches, officials said.

Chelsea Sacher, Connections Director at Juniper Village at Chatham, had the idea to start Geocaching at Juniper Villages.

"Our residents very much want to participate in activities within and outside our walls and be part of the greater community," Sacher said. "Using technology to bridge the gap between our residents and the community in this new way has been very positive."

"I want to thank everyone who contributed to this awesome program launch, including my local partner John Neale, local high school and Drew University student volunteers, two of our residents, Marlene and Deena, who went above and beyond to make the event a success, and representatives from the Mayor’s Office," Sacher said.

Hospice of New Jersey and Homewell Care Services contributed generous gift baskets to Juniper Village's launch. Geocachers and residents received gifts, and children received Earth Day herb gardens to nurture at home.

“It was amazing to see the smiles and feel the energy in our building as our guests walked around admiring the spaces, chatting with old friends, building new friendships, and see the geocachers connect with the residents,” Sacher said.

Juniper Village at Chatham is located in Chatham Township, at 500 Southern Blvd. The event was so successful that officials announced that a "Geocaching Happy Hour" will be held once a month, if possible.