You’ve been cooped up for months, and it’s time to get out and explore some of the most beautiful places in Central Indiana. Soon, wildflowers will be peeking through the forest floor, birdsong will be in the air, and Indiana’s nature preserves will be coming to life.

Central Indiana Land Trust is encouraging Hoosiers to take part in a Trek Our Trials Challenge by hitting the trails at five of its most popular nature preserves. The best part: you can go at your own pace, on your own schedule, as long as you hit the trails at five participating preserves in Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson, Morgan and Shelby counties.

When you’re on the trail, keep your eyes and ears open to the wonders of nature. You’ll want to take plenty of photos to remember and share the magic of the nature preserves, where you can enjoy gently flowing streams, lively birds and trees that are more than 300 years old.

To enter the Trek Our Trails Challenge:

1. Take a photo of yourself and any companions at the nature preserve sign or trailhead, either before or after your hike.

2. Email your photos to smiller@conservingindiana.org or post them to the Central Indiana Land Trust Facebook or Instagram using hashtags #cilti #trekourtrails2021.

Once you’ve visited all five sites, you’ll receive a Central Indiana Land Trust pin, plus, you’ll be entered into a drawing for prizes.

Your deadline is Nov. 26 (Black Friday), 2021. That gives you plenty of time to get out for a hike. And, if you want to go the extra mile, let the land trust plant trees to offset the carbon of your travel to and from the preserves. Enter your mileage in the carbon calculator at conservingindiana.org/carbon-calculator/ to get started.

These five nature preserves are part of the challenge:

• Burnett Woods offers a perfect spring hike for the whole family, with an easy 1.5-mile trail. Located on 80 acres near Avon, this special woodland features a stunning display of wildflowers, including wild geranium, woodland phlox and trillium.
• Fred and Dorothy Meyer Nature Preserve near Martinsville has steep slopes, ridges and valleys that give hikers a dramatic view of the forest. While on this moderately difficult hike, you may see rare species like hooded and worm-eating warblers, Eastern box turtle and the state-endangered cerulean warbler.
• Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow near Trafalgar is prime habitat for migratory birds and forest interior nesting birds. As you walk the two-mile moderate trail, listen for the fluting of the wood thrush and the voices of worm-eating and hooded warblers.
• Meltzer Woods is one of Indiana’s last remaining fragments of old growth forest where you’ll find trees more than 300 years old. Level trails make for an easy 1.2-mile walk through this majestic forest near Shelbyville.
• Nonie Werbe Krauss Nature Preserve offers a two-mile, easy walk through prairie and woodland in Fishers. Particularly in summer, its wildflowers draw butterflies galore.

Find more information about the properties and the challenge at conservingindiana.org.