Will County Forest Preserve Says ‘Be a Trailblazer’
After a successful winter session, the Forest Preserve District of Will County is inviting people to hit the trails again for the spring edition of Be a Trailblazer.
The challenge returns with new missions, fresh prizes and even more opportunities to connect with nature.
The spring sessions runs from though Saturday, May 24. To get started, download the free Goosechase app to your smartphone. To find the experience, search for Be a Trailblazer on the app or enter the code PQNL75.
The new batch of missions won’t populate and go live until noon on the start date. Please read the rules on the Forest Preserve’s website, ReconnectWithNature.org, before you head out the door.
The Be a Trailblazer experience is sponsored by The Nature Foundation of Will County, and throughout the year, more than $10,000 in prizes will be up for grabs.
Prizes funded by the Nature Foundation include kayaks, sleds, Fitbits, Yeti coolers, tent and sleeping bag packs, fishing equipment, hiking poles and picnic packs and more. Prizes will be connected to specific missions and those who successfully complete the mission will be entered in a random drawing for that prize.
Also, more than 30 local businesses and organizations have donated items for the challenge. Restaurants and shops are donating gift cards and Wild Birds Unlimited is donating gift baskets. New this session are explorer passes to The Forge: Lemont Quarries and Joliet prison tours from the Joliet Area Historical Museum.
Ten points will be awarded for each completed nature-themed mission, and there will be a leaderboard for those whose competitive juices run strong. But no one will win a prize based on points.
While random prizes will be tied to specific missions, not every mission will have a prize. Participants can win multiple prizes. Also, every mission a participant completes each week during the seasonal experiences will count as an entry in weekly giveaways for a Be a Trailblazer T-shirt.
“If getting a T-shirt, a gift card to a local business, or one of our larger prizes gives people a little motivation to get outside more often and create some healthy habits, that’s exciting for us,” said Chad Merda, head of digital marketing strategy/engagement for the District.
“We want to provide you with some items that hopefully will enhance your experiences outdoors long after the Trailblazer experience ends.”
Two more seasonal Trailblazer sessions will be held in 2025. The summer challenge is scheduled for Thursday, June 5, to Saturday, Aug. 9, and the fall session will be from Thursday, Sept. 25, to Saturday, Nov. 8.
The winter session of the challenge was extremely popular and Merda said he expects participation to continue to grow as people discover the benefits of joining.
“Be a Trailblazer forces people to be more observant in order to complete missions,” Merda said. “There’s a pretty good chance that by trying to complete missions, people will see and hear things they haven’t before.”