Pickleball pals rally around Be a Trailblazer experience

Families, seniors, pet owners and adventurers have all joined the Forest Preserve District’s Be a Trailblazer experience, and now pickleball players have jumped on the bandwagon, too.

Six women who know each other through their pickleball play have teamed up to tackle Trailblazer missions released periodically by the district in four seasonal sessions.

Many in the group cited Colleen Bokoski of Minooka as the one who enticed them to become Trailblazers.

“I thought it would be fun going on hikes with my friends,” Bokoski said. “I’m learning about new preserves, spending time with great friends and being active.”

The winter Be a Trailblazer session runs through March 14. Additional sessions will be held each season. Spring will be from March 25-May 30, summer from June 10-Sept. 12 and fall from Sept. 23-Dec. 12.

To join, download the free Goosechase app to your smartphone and search for 2026 Be a Trailblazer or enter the code JYBKK4.

Fun motivators

So far, the pickleballers are having a blast completing missions as a group.

“The program covers the large Forest Preserve District of Will County and has exposed us to recreational areas that we were unaware of prior to becoming a Goosechaser,” said Mary Raino of Plainfield. “We find the prizes and pins fun motivators to keep us involved even during extremely cold weather.”

Jean Chudy said she had back surgery and isn’t able to complete all the missions.

“However, our fearless leader Colleen kept me motivated to complete the missions I can,” she said.

After discovering a new forest preserve gem, Chudy often returns with family members.

“Like the others, we track back around with our children and grandchildren to the different facilities,” she said. “My grandchildren, 7 and 3 years old, are huge fans of Mary in the Four Rivers Environmental (Education) Center. I'll be heading out Saturday to do a little Goosechasing along with my grandchildren at Isle a la Cache ….”

Trisha Troyner of Minooka likes that the group can tackle missions at its own pace.

“I thought the idea to get outside and explore sounded like a great activity to take up with zero pressure and pure fun,” she said. “This has been a highlight in my schedule to discover places I would have never sought out. I am exploring new places while enjoying time outside. Bringing the kids to join in on the missions is an additional plus. We are all expanding our knowledge on nature.”

Prize pool

Participants can rack up points on a leaderboard to earn collectible pins, and prizes totaling more than $15,000 will be awarded randomly to participants. Funding support comes from The Nature Foundation of Will County, along with contributions from more than 30 local businesses providing nearly 200 prizes.

Participants have chances to win weekly T-shirt and hat giveaways and prizes tied to specific missions. Larger prizes include Yeti coolers, Oru foldable kayaks, Solo stoves, camping gear, binoculars, fishing starter packs, snowshoes, Fitbits and more.

The prizes are just the icing on the cake; the real rewards come from visiting new preserves, hiking trails, photographing wildlife, learning about nature and finding friendship in the forest preserves.

For Bokoski, one winter memory tops her Trailblazer experience so far.

“We had the best time sledding,” she said. “There were six of us being crazy and laughing.”

For Christy Hiser of Minooka, getting out in the preserves with her pickleball group is a blast, but she also works on missions with her husband.

“My husband and I have particularly enjoyed driving around and looking for the various animals,” she wrote in an email. “He’s had some health issues and couldn’t do as much walking recently, so some of those missions still have gave him a chance to get out and view nature. This week, we finished our missions and he was able to walk the trails.

“We love the program overall, and hope to always be able to participate in it,” she added. “Thank you for giving us something fun to do!”