Celebrate!

Well, I've done it! This morning I presented my dissertation research and conclusions, and after some discussion with my committee, I was pronounced worthy of a doctorate in education with a cognate in communication. It was a great experience - one of those days in your life which you will always remember. Yay!

Tomorrow is the big day!

Well, it is finally here. The day that I have been working towards for the past 3 years. Tomorrow morning at 9 am I will be defending and discussing my doctoral research about the emergent interaction system of the letterboxing culture in North America. This is it.

More blogging to come on what I have learned, but for now, I have to get focused.

Stay tuned.

Letterboxers similar to orienteers in their motivation

A 2005 study of orienteers by Koukoris found that participants get involved in orienteering for the following reasons, in order of decreasing importance:

(a) curiosity and a new experience,

(b) love of forests and nature in general,

(c) learning a new multi-dimensional sport, map-reading, compass and orienteering skills,

(d) love of sports, walking, and exercising in natural environments,

(e) Social reasons - being informed by a relative/friend, being motivated by a coach,

(f) recreation and an escape from everyday life,

(g) adventure and exploration of nature.

Although not given in the same order of importance, this closely parallels the reasons given by participants in this study of letterboxers for their motivation to participate:

(a) exploring new and interesting places

(b) the love of the outdoors,

(c) the mental challenge,

(d) the physical activity of hiking, and

(e) the thrill of the hunt and sense of mystery.

More research findings on education and income related to letterboxing

A 2000-2001 study of growth rates for participation in land-based activities in hiking and orienteering (Cordell, 2004) showed that the likelihood of participation in outdoor adventure activities such as hiking rises as income rises through $75,000 per year, after which participation does not rise appreciably. Although this study of letterboxers asked for family income and not individual income, similar increases in participation was noted with increase in family income. A similar pattern to Cordell’s study emerged in this study of letterboxers that participation did not rise significantly after $75,000.

Cordell’s 2005 study showed that participation percentage also increases with level of education; similar participation percentages were evident in this study of letterboxers. The numbers of participants with college educations were much greater than for those with less than some college, particularly increasing with those with a bachelor’s or Master’s degree.

Hogg’s 1995 research on orienteering suggests that orienteers, like the letterboxers in this study, tend to be well-educated. More than 72% of the participants had completed a bachelor’s degree, special training, or attended or completed graduate school.

Surprises

In my literature review I learned that of the U.S. population that participates in day hikes (similar to those in a letterboxing hunt), 42.7% are male (NSRE, 2000) where the sample of letterboxing participants in this study was predominantly female (76.6%). Although the number of participants was high in New England as I expected, the number of participants in the Pacific Northwest (i.e., Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington) was low (4.5%) as was the Pacific Southwest (i.e., Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada) at 7%. According to the U.S. Forest Service’s updated 2005 Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Assessment Report, relative to the total U.S. population, western metro residents participate at notably higher rates in day hiking relative to eastern metro residents (NSRE, 2005). The reported ratio of 1.41 West to East would suggest that a larger number of participants from western states would have participated in the study.

Stamps and stuff...

Letterboxers are a creative bunch. Here's what the 355 people in my study told me they did with stamps and additions to letterboxes they planted:

Stamp variations

• Using thumbprints decorated to look like bugs or flowers when stamping into cootie letterboxes.
• Creating stamps that resemble “tiny relief prints, more art than a rubber stamp image.”
• A shadowbox stamp he or she created that consisted of a large stamp that would frame the subsequent stamps found in a series hunt.
• A series of circus-themed stamps for a letterboxing event.
• Another participant reported that now that she and her husband letterbox together, they have combined their personal stamps into a combined image when they log in on a found letterbox.

Other Stuff

• A first finder’s certificate in letterboxes. “I think it’s just a cool little something extra for being the first to a newly planted box.”
• Rewarding first finders with a laminated image of the letterbox stamp.
• Positive quotes in boxes for finders to pass along to their own boxes.
• A few stamped, self-addressed postcards in the box asking finders to send them when they find the letterbox.
• One participant reported sending a card with his or her signature stamp on it for someone’s birthday surprise collection. Another time he or she did the same for a soldier in Iraq. Both were in response to a call that went out on LbNA’s talk list.

Practice is nine-tenths.

Those words of Ralph Waldo Emerson are good advice. I tell my students this all the time when they are preparing for presentations. I also tell them that the only difference between the professionals and the amateurs are that the professionals have taught their butterflies to fly in formation. As I practice for my dissertation presentation I keep reminding myself of these two wise sayings. I am still learning.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

(The retired Residence Riddle Letterbox stamp)

Today I posted adoption notices on 16 of our letterboxes. They are located in Michigan and Indiana and we are moving to New York. They are all in good shape and popular with letterboxers. I hope that I hear from some prospective new owners soon. I also had to retire 3 of our letterboxes. When I went to check on them, two were missing in action, nowhere to be found. One was mauled by some animal and nearly beyond recognition. Farewell to Prairie Flowers, The Riddle Residence, and the Mother's Day Letterbox.

Ch...ch...ch...ch...changes

Letterboxers find ways to vary both their personal letterboxing journals and logbooks placed in letterboxes. One participant in the study, who described journaling as particularly important, reported using notes and photos in his or her journal when recording finds. Another takes a photo of everyone in the letterboxing group on that hunt and pastes it in his or her letterboxing journal “so we have a better memory of that particular find.”

One described creating and using altered books as the logbook. An altered book is “any book, old or new that has been recycled by creative means into a work of art. They can be rebound, painted, cut, burned, folded, added to, collaged in, gold-leafed, rubber stamped, drilled or otherwise adorned “ (International Society of Altered Book Artists). Others make homemade logbooks.

In the Creative Writing – The Never Ending Story letterbox described by one participant, finders are expected to read the story the creator started in the logbook and then write another page to the on-going story. Their are over 40 pages to date.

Tweaking the clues

Mystery clues were reported by many participants. A mystery clue may only give a state or province location to get the hunt started. However, the remaining clues are cryptic and must be completed before setting out on the hunt. Some participants described using personal mysteries and inviting other letterboxers who knew them to solve the clues to find the letterbox. Another reported stringing together a series of mystery clues in other letterboxes, that when put together in the proper order, reveal a hidden box.

A cuckoo clue was described by other participants. A cuckoo clue is hidden in another letterbox that is expected to be moved from one letterbox to another. There are usually restrictions given as to how far the clue may be moved.

Some letterboxers have returned to the English tradition of letterboxing and only provide their clues by word-of-mouth, both for the intrigue and for the security of restricting finders. Some have incorporated poems and history into the clues for mystery letterboxes.

One family of participants described using a Christmas card photo and a poem as clues for a short-term seasonal letterbox.

Another letterboxer reported using photo clues rather than “traditional word clues.”
Another family hides clues on their website that are revealed when visitors click on pictures they have posted there.

One participant described incorporating a story line around boxes he or she plants and builds clues into the storyline.

Another planted a series of letterboxes with a secret phrase in each one. The creator instructed finders to note each phrase and to email him or her when they had all six. If all six were correct, the creator sent the finder a postal letterbox associated with the series.

More emergent interaction

Letterboxers in my study also revealed letterboxing events they had created. They ranged from the educational to the extreme. One participant described teaching compass skills to second graders and taking them on a field trip to a state park for a hunt of four previously placed letterboxes. Another used letterboxing in his or her Student Against Destructive Decisions group at the school they were teaching. Another teacher has incorporated letterboxing into every level of math he teaches. He created a “Mathman” series of letterboxes where students create boxes using mathematical clues.

Another created a scavenger hunt using letterboxes for a Girl Scout event. He or she provided clues that led not to letterboxes, but to a cache of materials for a mystery craft project. They couldn’t start the project until they had solved all of the clues and had all of the materials.

One participant created an Amazing Race type of letterboxing race through a nearby large city for letterboxers to race through in an event. Others described letterboxing vacations with fellow letterboxers or those they arrange to meet when they are traveling away from home. Another reported creating charity fund-raising letterboxing events.

Three participants described “extreme letterboxing.” They provided details of bundling up the kids in the middle of a blizzard to go hunting letterboxes. Some reported that they “do the ‘nerd with kids’ version of letterboxing – night, snow, driving wind and rain, or bees.”

Emergent interaction

In my survey, I asked letterboxers to describe any variations they had incorporated into letterboxing. 73 of the 355 participants (20.5%) told me about new or novel approaches they had taken. I call these emergent interactions because they are unexpected and unpredictable, but for some unexplained reason they cause dramatic changes in the behaviors of other letterboxers, and in the culture of letterboxing itself.

The participants told me about box variations such as

• Drive-by letterboxes - those that can be found with little or no walking, usually close to trail heads or parking lots.
• Bonus boxes were reported by several participants. A bonus box is a traditional letterbox; however, clues to it are placed in a nearby letterbox with the permission of the owner.
• A virtual physical letterbox. “The clues were written on the walls of a restaurant (the restaurant encourages graffiti) and they led to a final item. The finder has to tell me what the item was. I carry the actual letterbox with me and the finder can either wait to stamp into the box when they see me next or I can email them a scan of the stamp.”
• Others use micro boxes or nano boxes, film canisters or similar small containers, particularly in urban areas, to hide letterboxes where a traditional box would not fit or would be too noticeable.
• Glow in the dark boxes were described for night letterboxing.
• Memorial boxes to mark special events or milestone birthdays have been created by participants.
• Three participants described indoor letterboxing, where a letterbox is placed in a business establishment with the employees surrendering the letterbox to when requested with a secret password. One participant described placing one in a coffee shop where the letterbox is handed over for stamping when the customer asks for a “spinach latte.”

I realize that just by blogging my research, I am contributing to this emergent interaction. Readers will hear something interesting that other letterboxers are doing, and accept it and incorporate it into their own experience of letterboxing. And then they'll tell two people, and they'll tell two people, who will tell two people... This picture shows an urban letterbox made out of duct tape and googly eyes with a tiny stamp and journal tucked inside.

The thrill of the hunt!

I asked participants in the study to tell me about their motivation to letterbox. Their responses were varied and ranged from the practical to the sentimental. The thirteen chief motivations for participation (in decending order based on the number of responses):

1. the physical activity - hiking and exercise,
2. the thrill of the hunt,
3. love of the outdoors,
4. the mystery and mental challenge,
5. the artistic component and creative outlet,
6. exploring new and interesting places,
7. visiting places they never would have gone to on their own,
8. fun,
9. it is an activity that can be enjoyed by the entire family,
10.social aspect and connection with others,
11.a sense of purpose or accomplishment,
12.all aspects of letterboxing combined, and
13. miscellaneous reasons.

The 51 responses that I grouped as miscellaneous included competition, history, relaxation, learning, "it was something for myself", insanity, break from norm, obsession/addiction, being part of something bigger, and low cost activity.

One respondent entered “Zeitgiest” on the survey question. I had to look up the term as I was unfamiliar with it. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language (2000) describes zeitgiest as “The spirit of the time; the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation.” Well put.

How do people get started in letterboxing?

It was amazing to learn of all of the various ways that letterboxers in the study heard about letterboxing in the first place. By far, being told by a friend, family member, or co-worker was number one. Following that, some read about letterboxing in a magazine or newspaper article or in an Internet search. Other ways included:

• previous or current involvement in geocaching
• a radio or television news program
  
• discovering a letterbox by accident
• hearing about it in a scouting program
• connections through an art program
  
• homeschoolers' resources
  
• community education programs

I got a kick out of the responses about accidental finds - “I found a box in one of my fav. hiking spots, went to the web page listed on the box and I was off and running!” or ”I was searching the Internet in 2002 for art projects for my students. Through a link from a rubber stamping site I landed on the ‘How to Carve’ page of www.letterboxing.org website – Screeched in amazement and have been hooked ever since!”

Letterboxers are social animals

Letterboxers in the study liked to connect beyond logging their stamp in the letterbox log of boxes they found. Gatherings are regional events organized for and by letterboxers to socialize with others who participate in letterboxing. 61.3% of the participants in the study had attended at least one gathering. Those participants with bachelor’s degrees and Master’s degrees (20% and 13% respectively) were most likely to attend letterbox gatherings.

63.3% of the participants communicate with other letterboxers via E-mail, while others preferred personal visits, instant messaging, and Yahoo groups and talk lists.

Study participants reported Letterboxing North America (www.letterboxing.org) and Atlas Quest (www.atlasquest.com) as the most popular sites they used to find clues. Personal letterboxing websites were used in smaller numbers, and only 10% of the participants reported having their own letterboxing website.

Today I put four of my letterboxes up for adoption.

Since I am moving to NY in a few months, the boxes that we have planted in Indiana and Michigan will need new caretakers. This weekend I visited our three at Saugatuck Dunes State Park in Michigan and "The Potato Creek Letterbox". I gave them new resealable plastic bags for protection, new journals, and new pens and made sure that their hiding places were secure. After bidding them a fond farewell, I went home to put them up for adoption with letterboxers who live in the local area. I will be sending them all individual e-mail. Adoption in letterboxing terms involves someone other than the original letterbox planter taking over the care and maintenance of a letterbox " either because the box has been abandoned and the owner cannot be located, or because arrangements have been made with [another letterboxer] to look after the letterbox” (Letterboxing.info, 2004).

Letterboxers hunt far and wide for their quests

The 355 participants in my letterboxing study reported finding letterboxes in all 50 states and in the province of Ontario, Canada. The top three states for letterbox finds were Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Illinois. There were 39 letterboxers who found letterboxes in 20 countries outside of the United States.

65.3% of the participants will search for letterboxes in their state or province.
42.8% will search in their region.
63% will letterbox when travelling.

While 24. 5% are only willing to travel 50 miles or less, 42% said there was no limit to how far they would go to find a letterbox.

Who went with them when they letterboxed?
32% responded that they went alone.
52% with family members.
53% with a friend or groups of friends.
Those that responded with "other" went with their dog, grandchildren, or other letterboxers they had met online.

Planting letterboxes.

Planting a letterbox involves selecting a great location and a special hiding place, writing the clues, providing a letterbox stamp and journal, packaging the stamp and journal in a weatherproof container, and sharing the clues with others. Finding letterboxes seems to be more popular than planting them. 58.3% of the letterboxers in my survey had planted 10 or fewer letterboxes - this includes those who had just started letterboxing and those who had been involved for 5 or more years. There was a handful - 9 of the 355 - of really ambitious letterboxers who had planted over 100 letterboxes.

Stamps - More than 80% prefer to carve their letterbox stamps and 3.4% do the designing, but have someone else carve for them. Purchased stamps were clearly in the minority - 5.9%.

Clues - More than 60% of the study participants provided map and/or compass directions, 39.4% used riddles, 39.1% used some type of mystery clues, and 48.6% used poetry or literary references. Math clues are used by 20.2% of the participants. Cryptograms accounted for 6.9% of the responses.

Even more interesting were the 105 letterboxers who said they used:

anagrams,
art history,
binary code,
Braille,
crossword puzzles,
counting steps,
famous peoples’ birthdays,
historical references,
humor,
hieroglyphics,
horticultural references,
landmarks,
metaphors,
Morse code,
movie quotes and trivia,
native American mythology,
narratives,
obscure languages,
photographs,
pop culture references,
quizzes,
rebus clues,
scientific knowledge,
songs,
specific step by step directions,
true/false questions,
virtual clues, and
word searches.

The picture above shows a trail description marker that I used when creating clues for the "Potato Creek Letterbox." Letterbox hunters were encouraged to read and remember details from that description that later asked them to calculate the bearing of the box's hiding place by working some math using the year mentioned in the description.

Here's what I learned about their letterboxing activities:

• 89% percent of the participants refer to letterboxing as a hobby or an activity/pastime.

• Some described it as a sport (1.1%) or a game (3.1%), with 5.6% describing it with these words:
  
• an addiction
  
• a combination of art, hiking, and scavenger hunting,
  
• hiking in the woods or biking on rails-to-trails with a twist,
  
• a hobby/pastime/activity/game/exercise all in one,
• a lifestyle,
  
• a life changing experience,
  
• my portal to nature’s wonders, and
  
• performance art.
  
• Of the 355 study participants, 29.6% have been letterboxing for less than 1 year with those participating for 1-2 years accounted for 65.1%.
  
• 9% of the letterboxers reported that they had found less than 10 letterboxes, while 20% reported they had 200 or more. Nearly 6% reported finding 500 to 1000, and 1 letterboxer reported having collected 6000+ stamps in his or her personal journal.
  
• 42% of those who have been participating for 1-2 years had found more than 100 letterboxes each.
  

Stay tuned for more details about planting, adopting, hitchhikers, and letterbox gatherings.

Here's what I learned about 355 letterboxers:

• Of the 355 participants, 76.6% were female, 90.7% were white, 74.9% were ages 49 and younger, and 75.8% were married or living with a significant other.
  
• Study participants came from all but nine of the United States and one Canadian province. The largest numbers of participants resided in New England (19.2%) and the Midwest (19.4%).
• 33% have a bachelor’s degree while 35% have attended or completed graduate school. Only 4% of the participants had a high school education or less.
• 37.2% have family incomes of $35,000 - $75,000 per year, and 39% have family incomes of more than $75,000 per year.