Forest Preserve's Fall Take It Outside Challenge Begins

WILL COUNTY, IL — The Forest Preserve District of Will County's fall session of the Take It Outside challenge started on Oct. 6, according to a news release.

The Fall Frolic, where participants complete nature-themed missions to earn points and win prizes, will continue until Dec. 14.

To get started, download the free Goosechase app from the App Store or Google Play to your phone, according to the preserve. Then, search for Take It Outside Challenge: Fall Frolic or enter the search code ED7MGP to join.

This is the second year of the challenge, which was made up of one yearlong challenge last year and seasonal sessions this year.

Each week, new missions will be released that require participants to check in at specific GPS locations, take photos of flora and fauna, pose for selfies and answer trivia questions.

Point totals will be listed on a leaderboard in the Goosechase app so you can see how you and others are doing in the competition, according to the preserve.

Amazon gift cards in the amounts of $500, $250 and $150 will be awarded for first, second and third places, respectively. But you can only win a seasonal cash prize once, the preserve said.

Forty-five additional prizes, the most ever for a Take It Outside Challenge, will be awarded randomly to competitors. Those prizes are:

• Five prize packs provided by Wild Birds Unlimited Joliet
• Five cookie card packs (four four-card packs and one five-card pack) provided by Crumbl Cookies in Mokena
• Three Summer Fun Monee Reservoir prize packs. Each prize pack has a retail value of $94 and will include four 1-hour kayak rentals, four meal deals (sandwich, chips, pop and ice cream) and four Monee Reservoir can koozies. Valid for the 2025 season.
• Three half-day rentals of a single or tandem kayak, as well as two Monee Reservoir can koozies. Retail value $35. Valid for 2025 season.
• Two $50 Forest Preserve District gift cards
• Four $25 gift cards to the Creamery
• Four $25 gift cards to Portillos
• Two $50 Dick’s Sporting Goods gift cards
• Two $50 Bass Pro gift cards
• Four $25 Potbelly gift cards
• 10 Take It Outside prize packs (Take It Outside shirt, hat, mug)

Since it debuted, the Take It Outside Challenge has been wildly popular, according to the preserve.

“Last year, the Take It Outside Challenge broke the record for the largest Goosechase experience ever with 117,000 missions completed by participants, and now we’re on pace to blow past that number in 2024,” said Chad Merda, the Forest Preserve’s head of digital marketing strategy/engagement. “The support we’ve received from the community, both from participants as well as sponsors, has been incredible.”

In addition to the missions, there also are two Take It Outside Meetups scheduled on Oct. 23 and Nov. 17, which provide participants an opportunity to meet others doing the challenge, exchange tips, do some missions together and form new friendships, the preserve said.

There is also a Take It Outside guided hike on Dec. 8 at Lake Renwick Heron Rookery.