Get your feet wet, have fun and learn how to be a good steward of the Earth at the annual Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance (CCWA) creek stomp. The event will be held on Monday, Aug. 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Manheim Farm Show complex, 402 E. Adele Ave.

The creek stomp will feature opportunities for hands-on exploration, said Jennifer Tulonen, Penn Township planner and CCWA secretary. "The Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance is fortunate to partner with the Lancaster County Conservation District (LCCD) to bring their watershed specialists who will be leading event attendees into the Chiques Creek to look for and collect macroinvertebrates in what we call 'the creek stomp,'" she explained. Participants will search for and collect critters and bugs, learning about how macroinvertebrates impact and indicate stream health, she said. "For example, some species indicate good water quality while others are only found in areas of poor water quality," she shared.

The creek stomp is family-friendly and free to attend, and no registration is required, Tulonen noted. "It comes with a great opportunity to cool off from the summer heat at a great space near the newly planted Memorial Park in Manheim and learn about all the bugs and critters that are important to our ecosystem," she said.

CCWA is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that focuses on events to promote good use of water resources and environmentally focused themes, she commented. "We hold the annual Chiques Creek Expo during Lancaster County Water Week and do tabling events with partner groups, like the Manheim Farm Show in October or the Native Plant and Wildlife Festival in springtime in Manheim Township," Tulonen explained. "We hold monthly meetings at Penn Township Municipal Building at 6 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month to discuss other projects, like stream cleanups or tree plantings."

The creek stomp offers a way for CCWA to fulfill its mission of education while also providing family fun, she stated. "We hope that by having the event, community members are able to better engage with not just us as an organization, but the natural world around them and build on what we and our partners do at the creek stomp to be better stewards of our streams and waterways in Lancaster County," she remarked. "Also, based on experiences at our past events, we know that just about everyone will have a lot of fun getting in the Chiques Creek in the middle of August."

Materials for the event, including nets and bug identification cards, will be provided. Participants should wear clothes and shoes that can get wet.

For more information on Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance, visit http://www.chiquescreekwatershed.com.