I'm pretty sure TeamLava is making popcorn and sitting in front of their monitors laughing at us running around visiting people, watering and buying plants, cooking every meal, and brewing every potion. It's probably their way of getting back at us for grumbling about running out of stuff to do.
ROFL! That would be pretty hilarious!
Well, thanks to the good information on here, I expanded to the new area (although I did have 2 other areas I could've expanded to--one needing a permit, and one not requiring a permit) and I did get the explorer's badge. From what I can tell, that's been the only trial that anyone has passed yet. I have definitely been cooking, making glues, longswords, and tending crops and animals, but so far--nothing.
When I opened up the new expansion that was marked off...but for all of the other task nothing...
We're still figuring it out