Manheim Township Department of Parks and Recreation will present the 11th annual Lancaster Native Plant and Wildlife Festival on Saturday, April 30, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Overlook Park on Granite Run Drive. This year's event will showcase 15 local environmental organizations, six native plant nurseries, and many artisans.

Kids' activities will include a scavenger hunt, coloring stations, and Pennsylvania native animals. Inside the Manheim Township Public Library, across the street from the vendor area, Raven Ridge Wildlife Center will present at 9 a.m.

At 10:30 a.m., Katherine Harnish, a Penn Manor elementary school teacher, will give a presentation about "Trout in the Classroom" and her students' journey through the program. At 11:30 a.m., Mike Cassidy of the Penn State University Master Gardeners will present about the invasive jumping worms found in mulches, soils and potted plants. Both presentations will take place in the Morgan Room at the Manheim Township Public Library, 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster.

Lamonte Garber from Stroud Water Research Center will take guests on a tour of the recent planting and habitat rehabilitation in Overlook Park at 12:30 p.m. Participants will get an up-close look at the invasive species removal that occurred and learn how Stroud rehabilitates an area and chooses which native plantings will best function in the area.

All speakers and activities are free of charge, and no registration is required. Funding for the event is provided by the Manheim Township Department of Parks and Recreation and Habitat Manheim Township, a volunteer club that seeks to educate the public about the benefits of native plants for the ecosystem and the community through education and by example. Overlook Park, Landis Woods, and Stauffer Mansion, all part of the Manheim Township park system, have examples of native plant gardens.

Free parking is available throughout the Overlook Park Complex. The festival will take place rain or shine and will move indoors if severe weather is expected. To see the full schedule and list of vendors, visit http://www.LancPlantFest.org or search for "Lancaster Native Plant and Wildlife Festival" on Facebook.