Hunting for Bottles Across Oregon to Help Bunnies

On the last weekend of June, a team of rabbit enthusiasts and RA volunteers fanned out across the state of Oregon. Their mission? Find one of the six elusive bottles hidden by BottleDrop in their annual scavenger hunt. The prize? Bringing home $1,000 for Rabbit Advocates! 

First conceptualized in 2021, the Hidden Bottle Hunt was initially planned as a one-time event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Oregon’s Bottle Bill. However, it just so happened that Oregon already had a robust treasure hunting community - one that was eager for another event.

“Up until this hunt, I had never gone to the Oregon Bottle Recycling website,” said Helene Wren, an avid treasure hunter and RA community member. “So when Bottle Drop planned this event and shared it online with the treasure hunting community… on the very first day we broke the website.” 

The treasure hunt is deceptive in its simplicity. Solve the clues. Find the bottles. Win $1,000 for a charity of your choice. The complexity lies in the Bottle Hunt’s artfully constructed riddles. These hints require an in-depth knowledge of Oregon’s history, a head for research, and a taste for adventure. 

And ever since their first Bottle Hunt, Wren and her family have been hooked. 

A New Family Tradition

“There was something really fascinating about solving clues going on adventures,” Wren explained. “We would joke that we would block 2 weeks off every year, and that was our vacation. We had no idea where we were going to be or what we were going to learn, but we knew it was going to be fantastic.”

Over the past couple of years, the Bottle Hunt has led the Wren family all over Oregon, from the state’s beautiful coastal shores to its majestic high desert. 

In 2023, the family’s efforts were rewarded for the first time when they located a bottle in Astoria, Oregon. Two years later, the family was successful again when they tracked down a bottle in Haines - a town of 300 people in rural Eastern Oregon. 

For the Wrens, the decision to give their rewards to Rabbit Advocates was an easy one. Over the course of nearly two decades, the family has adopted several of the organization’s rescued rabbits.  

“Rabbit Advocates gave us these amazing creatures for us to home,” said Wren. “So we always said if we found the bottle, that was who our donation was going to go to.”

RA community member Megan Futrell has also participated in several Bottle Hunts and has successfully found a bottle. After a couple of years of competing with a smaller team, Futrell had an idea: what if the Rabbit Advocates community collaborated on the hunt?

“There were a few of us [Rabbit Advocates volunteers] who were trying to solve and go out and search together,” she said. “It was so cool because often it's [Rabbit Advocates] such a big group that you don't always get to meet people.”

Collaborating on a larger team also opened the door for more people to participate, explained Futrell. 

“I know a lot of people in RA that don't drive or don't have the time to go out for what they call ‘boots on the ground’ hunting,” she said. “The people that are solving the clues at home are just as important as the people who are out there searching… That's why it's really helpful to work together. And it’s all for the bunnies.”

As of now, the Rabbit Advocates Bottle Drop Facebook group has 40 members. And while the team ultimately did not find a bottle this year, Futrell and Wren were both adamant: it’s the memories, the friends, and the teamwork that make the hunt worth it.

“Yes, finding a bottle is really fun and finding any treasure is really fun,” said Wren. “But truth be told, my favorite hunts we've ever had as a family have not been the ones that we have found [a bottle]... It's been ones that have just been this epic adventure we've had together.”

Join the Hunt

Do you want to take part in the adventure next year? Keep an eye on the Rabbit Advocates socials next spring! 

“Usually like a week or two before the hunt starts, me, Helene, or somebody in the group will start sharing in the Rabbit Advocates’ [Facebook] group page,” said Futrell. “People can also join our Facebook group at any time. It's Team RA Bottle Hunt.”

You don’t have to be a treasure-hunting expert or a trivia whiz to join, Futrell went on to explain. 

“As long as you like supporting bunnies, solving riddles, treasure hunting, and learning about Oregon history - then this is the perfect event.”