An intriguing challenge from the Forest Preserve District of Will County has lured Trish and Rick Knoll out of the easy chair, out of the house and, often enough, out of their comfort zone for much of the past year.
The New Lenox couple, among those at the top of the leaderboard as the yearlong Take It Outside Challenge nears its end, traded “boring” TV for the wonders of nature, and the results have been life changing, they say.
“We used to think you had to travel far to see things,” said Rick Knoll, 59. “We’ve lived here for almost 15 years and had no idea there was so much to see within 30 minutes of our home.”
The contest has engaged all of their senses as they’ve gone in search of beavers’ handiwork, flocks of great blue herons, mischievous raccoons in retreat, and signs of the changing seasons.
The Take It Outside Challenge, which began in January and runs through Dec. 31, sends participants on weekly nature-themed quests, asking them to snap photos, answer trivia questions and take selfies at various points of interest, district spokeswoman Cindy Cain said. Participants have walked in fields of bluebells at O’Hara Woods, canoed at Monee Reservoir and sought out trees chewed by beavers.
More than 1,200 participants have completed about 100,000 assignments to earn points via the free Goosechase app, Cain said. At the end of the challenge, $500, $250 and $150 MasterCard gift cards will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place finishers, respectively, she said.
Funding for the challenge is provided by the Nature Foundation of Will County. The 2024 competition starts Jan. 1.
Trish Knoll, 49, said, “Our goal is not so much where we rank — although we’re typically in the top 10, even the top 5 — we just want to accomplish all the missions. Whatever else comes with that is extra.”
That “extra” includes time away from TV, phones and work, Rick said.
“This challenge creates time for us to talk and do something together,” he said. “We look forward to it.”
“Even in all kinds of weather,” Trish added. “Some of the animals only come out in the rain. Sometimes you have to get up at 5 a.m. to see a raccoon.”
She laughed about the day they ran with their two dogs through a downpour “like crazy people” looking for a specific forest preserves tag.
“All of us loved it, she said.
The challenge, she said, has opened their eyes to nature and improved their mental and physical health. “The coolest thing this year,” she said, “has been to walk through the change of seasons.”
Rick, an operations manager for Ice Mountain delivery, said, “With my job, I am wrapped around my phones all day and night. This is the one time of day when I leave the phones home. We just go and spend time together, chasing down these challenges.”
Trish is caregiver for her handicapped brother and aging mother. The challenge has enabled her to lose weight and get in shape. “Being in the forest is one of my de-stressors. I absolutely love it. When I get there, I just feel so much better. I love the smell, especially now, with the fall. Everything is so beautiful,” she said.
They were hitting the trails three to four days a week when their momentum was interrupted this past summer by the death of one of their two beloved dogs, Frankie. They pushed through the pain and, now, together with Loki, are back on track, heading out in Frankie’s memory.
Though the couple has always appreciated the outdoors, until the challenge, their scope and stamina were limited.
“We were spending a lot of time watching TV and we gained a lot of weight,” Trish said. “Then COVID hit and we decided we needed to get in shape. We started hiking but we weren’t really aware of the forests that were around us until the challenge. We went to two different places then. Now we go to about 40.”
Rick said since trading TV for nature, he’s lost 128 pounds.
“I feel better than I’ve felt in a long time, lighter than I’ve been for 30 years. My allergies seem to have gone away. This has completely changed my life,” he said.
In addition to the competition, the Knolls continue their regular walks at Pilcher Park and Hickory Creek and bike rides along Old Plank Trail.
The challenge also helped them prepare for a recent trip hiking and white-water rafting in West Virginia.
A big benefit to their new-found fitness regimen?
“It’s free,” Rick said. “Everything is so expensive today but hitting the trail or getting on the bike doesn’t cost you anything except maybe a couple bucks in gas to get there.”
The challenge has instilled in them a new hobby, one they intend the keep even after the contest ends.
“It won’t be the same,” Trish said. “But we’ll still be out there, hiking and biking and walking with our dog.”
Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years.
