Welcome to the WGA Haiku Contest! Before submitting your entries, please review the following rules to ensure your poems meet the contest criteria.
Prizes:
First place: $25 WGA store gift certificate. Second place: $15 WGA store gift certificate. Third place: $10 WGA store gift certificate.
Submission Guidelines:
Submissions must be emailed to [email protected] (note updated email address from previous post)
Each contestant may submit up to three haiku poems.
All haiku must follow the traditional 5-7-5 syllable structure:
First line: 5 syllables
Second line: 7 syllables
Third line: 5 syllables
Each haiku must incorporate a geocaching-related theme — examples include, but are not limited to, adventure, discovery, GPS navigation, hidden treasures, nature, or the thrill of the hunt.
Poems must be original and written by the contestant.
Submittal deadline is Noon, Wednesday October 8, 2025
By submitting a poem, you agree to allow the WGA to publish the poem in any WGA publication or social media in the future. The poem remains your property and may be submitted to other publications after the contest ends.
The contest ends November 15, 2025 with announcement of winners.
Judging Criteria:
Adherence to the haiku format (5-7-5 syllables).
Creativity and originality in expressing geocaching themes.
Evocative imagery—does the poem paint a vivid picture?
Emotional impact—does it capture the spirit of geocaching?
Example Haiku: Trail bends out of sight, GPS senses the way, Treasure waits ahead.
CITO season 2 (September 1 – November 30) has kicked off for 2025. Are you planning to host a CITO event this year? Did you know the Wisconsin Geocaching Association offers grants to CITO event hosts across Wisconsin for up to the amount of $50 that can be used towards the costs associated with purchasing supplies? To receive this reimbursement, send an email to your Board of Directors at [email protected] as you begin your planning process. Please let us know your GC#, event location and date. We have funding for up to 10 events, so get your request in early!
Have an Ice Age Trail community near you? Host a geocaching event in October to coincide with the Mammoth Hike Challenge from the Ice Age Trail Alliance.
To support this challenge, the Wisconsin Geocaching Association is looking for members to “adopt” one of the Trail Communities and host a geocaching meet and greet event during the month of October. To help coordinate the effort, go to www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DADAD2BA3FDC34-51330347-mammoth# to sign up to host an event in an Ice Age Trail Community near you. Let’s aim to host an October geocaching event in all 26 Ice Age Trail Communities!
Each year, in the month of October, the Ice Age Trail Alliance hosts the “Mammoth Challenge” www.iceagetrail.org/mammoth-hike-challenge To complete this year’s October challenge, hike 45 miles on the Ice Age Trail and visit 3 Trail Communities to earn a special Mammoth patch. You can take on the challenge as a solo, team, or family activity. (Team/family miles and trail community visits can be pooled together to reach the 45 miles.)
