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Spend the month of July getting outside, connecting with nature, and having fun as a family! Participants earn points by moving outdoors, observing nature, protecting the environment, and exploring together. This challenge is accessible, flexible, and family-friendly.
Through a combination of friendly competition, technology-driven tracking, and community celebration, the program aims to strengthen personal connections to nature, foster environmental awareness, and inspire collective stewardship across the Yampa Valley.
How It Works:
How to Join:
- Visit: Challenge Hound App
- Click the green “Sign In to Join Challenge” button
- Sign in to an existing Challenge Hound account, or create a free account if you’re new.
- Click “Join Challenge” and confirm
- That’s it! You’ll receive an email with challenge details once you’re signed up.
- First 30 registrants get a free foam sit pad from Big Agnes
Choose Your Challenge:
- Yampatika offers two ways to play! Please select the category that best fits your household when signing up:
- Individual Challenge: Perfect for solo explorers. Only the activities you personally complete count toward your points.
- Family Challenge: Work together as a team! All family members contribute to one collective point total.
How to Log Activities:
- Open the Challenge Hound app and click the “add activity” button in the upper right corner.
- Select the appropriate activity type from the list: Move, Observe, Explore, or Protect.
- If you see options for other activities, such as run, trail run, ride, swim, etc, these are prepopulated activities from the app and do not count for the challenge.
Throughout July, Log Activities in These Four Categories:
Click On Each Category Below to Learn More
MOVE – Move your body in nature and earn points.
- Earn 1 point for every 10 minutes. spent moving (Foot traffic only)
- Examples: walking, running, hiking, wheelchair use
- Biking, watersports, and horseback riding do not count.
- Take a picture of your activity and submit it to Challenge Hound to earn points.
Resources:
OBSERVE – Discover and identify new plants, animals, or fungi.
- Earn 1 point for every unique species you observe, identify, and record in Challenge Hound.
- Use an identification app (Seek, iNaturalist, Merlin Bird ID, eBird, etc.).
- Each species counts only once (except in eBird – each checklist counts as one observation).
- Upload a screenshot or picture from your field guide to Challenge Hound. This will count as your photo.
Instruction Video – How to Input Observe Points
Resources:
- How to use the iNaturalist app
- How to use Merlin Bird ID app
- Getting Started with eBird
- Seek app user guide
EXPLORE – Spend time in nature making, finding, or collecting something.
- Earn 1 point for each Explore activity.
- Take a photo of what you made, found, or collected to earn a point.
- Examples include: fishing, nature journaling, making mud pies, climbing trees, etc.
- Remember to Leave No Trace! If you’re “collecting,” something like sticks or rocks, snap a photo of your collection and be sure to leave it out in nature!
- Upload your activities and a photo to Challenge Hound and watch your points grow!
Resources:
PROTECT – Be an environmental steward and take action to care for and protect nature!
- Earn 2 points for every 10 minutes you spend protecting.
- No double logging activities. Protect activities must be the main focus to earn points.
- Examples include: trash pickup, tree planting, weed removal, restoration projects, volunteering with an environmental organization, etc.
- Upload a photo of your activity to earn points.
Resources:
To learn about upcoming opportunities to engage in environmental stewardship projects check out our website here. LINK TO STEWARDSHIP PAGE.
Yampatika's Get Outside Challenge Rules
Golden Rule: For every entry, you must log it on Challenge Hound and upload a photo!
Click here detailed rules: Get Outside Challenge Rules
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I add multiple activities at once?
Yes! However, please ensure each entry has an accurate timestamp. Logging multiple activities with the identical start time may cause the system to flag them as duplicates.
Can I wait until the end of the month to log all my activities?
We strongly encourage weekly logging! Real-time updates keep the leaderboard exciting and fair. Batch-uploading everything on the final day can cause “leaderboard shock” and may lead to verification delays.
Can I earn points for multiple categories in one outing?
You can combine Move and Observe (e.g., identifying a bird while on a hike). However, Protect activities must be your primary focus; therefore, you cannot claim Move and Protect points for the same session.
If you have any additional questions, contact a Yampatika representative at (970) 871-9151 or info@yampatika.org. Or visit our vibsite for more information!
