Basking Ridge Club Is Cultivating Future Gardeners Through Family Geocache Hunt

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The Basking Ridge Garden Club is looking to cultivate the gardeners of the future with a month-long geocache hunt beginning on Friday.

"The geocaching event for the month of May is a great way to introduce youth, along with their families, to some of the gardens that our club oversees in planting, maintaining and watering throughout our community," said Garden Club member Stella Perna.

Club representatives Perna and Bryn Malcolm said boxes have been placed in the four selected gardens that their club volunteers weed, plant, and water throughout the year.

The event is tied to the club’s youth outreach committee, Oaks & Acorns.

"Geocaching is essentially a mapping treasure hunt," said Malcolm.

Participants will use a map provided by the Garden Club during the hunt.

According to Malcolm, the four geocaches are hidden at community-maintained gardens on public property, and the activity is aimed mainly at elementary school children and possibly younger middle school students.

She said the boxes are hidden "sort of in plain sight," so younger children can feel successful finding them.

Perna said the club wanted a program that could reach more families.

Past offerings included projects such as building birdhouses at the library, but those programs served only a small number of participants at a time.

Malcolm said this format could allow "a lot more community participation."

"It's a way to introduce the community, not only to this event, but also to the Garden Club, you know, in its larger form, because there are a lot of community outreach things that we do in the Garden Club," said Perna.

Registration is required, and the entry fee is $5 per person. Participants receive clues, look for letters in the hidden boxes, and submit their answers.

Prizes include a $25 gift card to Bella’s Burgers and a $25 gift card to Tons of Toys in Bernardsville.

The Garden Club celebrated its 100th anniversary last year.

Perna described the organization as a service group focused on beautifying the town, environmental education, and community outreach.

"Our goal is to give back to the community in a variety of ways, and that can be to beautify our town. It can be to educate our residents on best practices and ways to sustain the local environment, whether you're using native plants or supporting your local habitat with pollinators," said Perna.

She said the club has about 71 active members.

The geocache program is scheduled to run through the end of May, with winners to be determined afterward. Parn said a recap would not happen until June.

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