MARION — As he waited for the signal to start the search, Axton Arsenault of Marion took a guess at how many Easter eggs he would find at the annual Sippican Lands Trust hunt held Saturday, April 9 at Pierson Woods.

“Five billion.’’

He no doubt scouted out somewhat fewer than that, but families attending the egg hunt said they came away with something even more special: Memories of a springtime tradition, in this case out on trails they might return to explore further.

“This is her first Easter we think she’ll remember,’’ Nicole Hawkins of Marion said of her daughter, Hailey Hawkins, 2 ½, as she smilingly opened an egg to reveal a candy treat inside.

The setting also made the day special, she said. “I like that it’s out in nature.’’

The hunt was divided into two age groups. Children five and younger had a simpler course, while those six and older faced a little more challenging hunt.

About 60 children participated in the search.

The trick to securing a good haul, Arianna Arsenault, 7, said, depends on a trait that rabbits are said to share: Good eyesight.

She said she scoured the trails and trees painstakingly for treats to fill her basket.

“I’m a pro,’’ she said.