Holiday Hike Challenge Results!
This holiday season, many of you set out to find the big red holiday bows hanging on trees in 16 of our nature preserves. You travelled across West Michigan with your friends, family and pets and discovered gorgeous natural places—some for the first time!
A hearty thanks to everyone who participated in our Holiday Hike Challenge! Today we are excited to share with you the results and prize winners.
Results
- 70 total participants
- LCWM preserves were visited a total of 527 times
- 24 participants visited all 16 preserves!
- 0 successfully identified all 16 trees. 2 people successfully identified 15/16!
- Participants were most stumped (no pun intended) by the tree at B.D. White Nature Preserve (Black Oak)
Prizes
Congratulations to our winners!! We will be reaching out to everyone who won to arrange redemption of prizes. A special thank you to our prize donors, Larry & Betsy Willey, Brewery Vivant / Broad Leaf Local Beer, Trillium & Twig, and Forest Hills Foods for their generosity!
GRAND PRIZE: Weekend Stay at a Lake Michigan Cottage (Donated by Larry & Betsy Willey)
Awarded to the first person to submit photos from all 16 preserves
Winner: Anne Keller
SECOND PRIZE: Guided Hike for 4 with Lunch
Awarded to the first person to successfully identify the most trees
Winner: William and Jennifer Baguley
DRAWING
$50 Gift Card to Brewery Vivant / Broad Leaf Local Beer
Kevin Gort
$20 Gift Card to Forest Hills Foods
Matthew Dykstra
2 Tea Towels printed with nature-inspired designs by Trillium & Twig
Rachel Wadke
LCWM Hat
William Hovinga, Anna Felkers, Bobbi & Bob Sabine, Reg & Nancy Crowe, Bob Synk
2 sets of 4 notecards featuring artwork inspired by LCWM protected natural areas
Emily Betz, Nikki Feenstra, Kimberly Carew, Kaitlyn Hutchins
LCWM Sticker
Erin Harris, Philip Andre, David Dornbos, Micah P, Heather Bell, Sarah Elliott, Brian Johnson, Jill King, Linda Glaza-Harrington, Char Kruzich
Tree ID Answer Key
| Anderson Woods | White oak (Quercus alba) |
| B.D. White | Black oak (Quercus velutina) |
| Brower Lake | Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) |
| DePersia South Highlands | Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) |
| Dune Pines | American beech (Fagus grandifolia) |
| Flower Creek Dunes | Black cherry (Prunus serotina) |
| Kuker Van-Til | White pine (Pinus strobus) |
| Lake Breeze | Red oak (Quercus rubra) |
| Lamberton Lake Fen | Northern hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) |
| Maas Family | Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) |
| Minnie Skwarek | Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) |
| Palomita | Yellow birch (Betula allegheniensis) |
| Richmond Woods | Red maple (Acer rubrum) |
| Saul Lake Bog | Pignut hickory (Carya glabra) |
| The Highlands | Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) |
| Wege Foundation | Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) |
