A celebratory event will be held on Saturday, June 10, at 11 a.m. in Drumore Township Park, 1675 Furniss Road, Drumore. The public is invited to celebrate the presentation of new informational signs. Refreshments will be provided.

In 2022, the Friends of Fishing Creek received a grant from Lancaster Clean Water Partners to provide education about the Fishing Creek watershed. The grant included the creation of the new signs to be installed in Drumore Township Park, highlighting the native plants and functions of the pollinator garden and rain garden as well as the importance of the riparian buffers that have been planted over the past several years.

The Fishing Creek watershed is located in the southern portion of Lancaster County. In the Fishing Creek Nature Preserve, visitors can find a stream that hosts freshwater trout, cranes, herons, and countless other species; native wildflowers along the streambank; and vernal pools.

Friends of Fishing Creek is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) volunteer organization committed to monitoring, preserving, enhancing, and promoting the Fishing Creek watershed through education, community involvement, and watershed improvement projects. Since its founding in 2006, Friends of Fishing Creek has worked to protect watershed health in Drumore and engage community members in its projects.

In Drumore Township Park, people can find the Friends' pollinator garden, containing many native wildflower species to attract butterflies and other pollinators. In the same park is the rain garden sponsored by Donegal Trout Unlimited and planted by Friends of Fishing Creek volunteers. The rain garden helps control stormwater runoff while hosting a variety of native plants.

In recent years, the Friends of Fishing Creek group has also partnered with local Girl Scout troops. The Friends planned and executed several education events where dozens of Girl Scouts to learned about water quality and conservation efforts. In April 2019, approximately 80 Girl Scouts attended a hands-on event where they learned about the water cycle, participated in macroinvertebrate water testing, and helped the Friends plant the pollinator garden. At an event in May 2022, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and parents joined the Friends at Drumore Township Park to learn about riparian buffer tree plantings, native pollinator plants, and macroinvertebrate testing.

The Friends of Fishing Creek group has also sponsored several adult educational presentations at the Quarryville Library. Professional guest speakers visited the library to share information on invasive species and the Community Wildlife Habitat program.

The Friends of Fishing Creek is able to pursue its mission through the help of partner entities such as the Lancaster Conservancy, Donegal Trout Unlimited, Lancaster Clean Water Partners, and the Drumore Township supervisors.

Volunteers are needed for the Friends' continuing projects, including water testing, tree plantings and repair, trash cleanup, and dam dismantling in the Fishing Creek Preserve.

For more information about the celebratory event or volunteer opportunities, call 717-548-3581.