2023 Challenge #1: The Trailside Treasure Hunt

Welcome to IRVOA’s first Trailside Treasure Hunt!

To kick off Spring 2023 in the woods with the Alliance, we challenge you to embark on an exhilarating Trailside Treasure Hunt for a Peoria map medallion! The medallion is hidden somewhere at Forest Park Nature Center and will be until further notice.


HUNTING GUIDELINES

No need to venture off-trail. The medallion is hidden on/within 3-4 feet of a path.

It's on public property. Please keep it there.

Once a winner sends us a picture of them holding the map necklace (email us here!) and it's placed back where it came from, that winner will receive a reward and a new round of clues will be shared…perhaps in a new place, perhaps the same place...with new rewards to be given!

(If any local businesses would like to help sponsor treasure hunt rewards, however large or small, please let us know!)


Follow the clues below to see if you can find the treasured medallion. Happy hunting!

In Forest Park Nature Center, where animals abound

There's a special necklace waiting to be found!
Where could it be? Oh deer, what's hiding in that tree?

Just follow our clues, and you'll find it with ease.

Begin at the trailhead, where your adventure starts

You've got some climbing to do…you'll need a strong heart.

Stay on the path, that's where it's at,

You don't have to climb a tree or fly like a bat.

It could be on a bench, some bark or a tree…

It's on public property, for all to see.

A Peoria map necklace is waiting to be found.

But don't be too quick to snatch it from the ground.

Instead take a picture, wherever it lies

And leave it there, for another to surprise!

Send us a necklace picture, confirming your reward

And spread the word, there's so much to be explored!

So grab your camera, and hit the trail

The necklace awaits, I'm sure you won't fail.

I'm excited for you! For all that's in store!

The first path you head was built for nuclear war (Seriously! Ask the FPNC staff.)

A possum, a bee, a robin and a deer

These are all trail names to hike, some far and some near.

More clues are to come, in the following days

Grab a map at the Nature Center, so you won't lose your way!

BONUS CLUE #1

Robins and Deer are nothing to fear

Although those paths are steep, there's not much treasure there

Nature can guide us, wherever we go

When searching for treasure, there's one more thing to know

I want to give you a really good shot

When searching for treasure, "X" usually marks the spot.

BONUS CLUE #2

The map pendant is hidden, in a secret spot

It could be hanging on a branch, or tucked in a knot

If you're a squirrel, it might be in your home.

Is it at eye level? Only if you're a gnome.

BONUS CLUE #3

Another clue for you we hath

Look where the tree root crosses path

When you pass our root you’ll bee steps away

From finding treasure on your lucky day!

Access Forest Park trail maps, park info and more here.

(Did you find it? Take a photo that shows you holding your treasure and email us here…then put it back for the next treasure seeker to find!)

Shannon Halford

Shannon Halford is a practicing web designer, brand strategist and creative director who was raised by the river and married by the mountains. The work balances natural beauty with intuitive function and shibui sensibility, creating unforgettable experiences with world class brands. The studios are located just west of the Illinois River in the heart of the American Midwest.

https://firesidedesignstudios.com
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2023 Challenge #2: Downhill and Shipwrecked