Forest Preserve’s Spring Take It Outside Challenge Kicks Off April 14

Spring Fling, the next seasonal session in the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s 2024 Take It Outside Challenge, begins April 14 and runs through June 15.

If you didn’t join the 1,200 people who participated in the Take It Outside Challenge in 2023 or the 800 competitors for the Winter Workout session in early 2024, you can participate now.

Simply download the free Goosechase app on your smartphone, create an account, and search for Spring Fling or enter the join code V813P4. Unlike last year’s yearlong contest, the 2024 challenge is broken into four seasonal sessions with breaks in between.

Nature-themed missions will be released weekly within the app and include GPS check-ins at preserve locations, photos or video of outdoor sights and creatures, and trivia questions.

Submit answers in the app on your phone to earn points. You can monitor your progress on the app’s leaderboard. After Spring Fling concludes, there will be another break and then two more seasonal competitions:

• Summer Soiree: Sunday, June 30, through Saturday, Sept. 21 (join code BD13J5)
• Fall Frolic: Sunday, Oct. 6, through Saturday, Dec. 14 (join code ED7MGP)

The top three competitors will receive $500 for first, $250 for second and $150 for third place. Other prizes also will be awarded at random, including Forest Preserve and Wild Bird Unlimited of Joliet gift cards. For more information on prizes and the challenge, read the complete list of rules online at ReconnectWithNature.org.

The Take It Outside Challenge is sponsored by The Nature Foundation of Will County. Take It Outside hats, shirts, and bandanas are available for purchase at OutsiderThreads.com and all proceeds go to the Foundation, which supports the Forest Preserve District’s nature education, conservation and restoration efforts.