Reminding us that "we all live downstream," the Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance (CCWA) will mark its 25th year with a community celebration at the site of its key past projects.

Lunch & Learn at Rife Run will be held on Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mummau Park, 446-498 Chestnut St., Manheim. A rain date is scheduled for the same time on Saturday, June 14.

"We wanted to try something new and focused on hands-on learning about some key watershed-related themes targeted towards elementary to middle school ages," explained Paul Duncan, president of CCWA, who noted that the event will highlight the group's projects at both Mummau and Logan parks.

The event's schedule will feature themes that appeal to people who are interested in the technical side of environmental stewardship, as well as people who want to indulge in some watershed arts activities.

"Some take interest in the technical understanding and others in the beauty of the natural experience," Duncan said.

The event also offers an opportunity for CCWA to collaborate with other groups who share its vision, including Lancaster Conservancy. The event will be part of that organization's Water Week, which will run from Friday, June 6, through Saturday, June 14.

"We are also thrilled that some students and their adviser from the Manheim Central High School FFA Club will help at the event," Duncan stated.

Youths who attend the event should be prepared for hands-on fun, he said.

"Kids can expect to do things," he noted. "They will be able to shape watersheds using a modeling dough and take the dough home, test different ways of seeing the energy of moving water and how to mitigate it - a theme that is built into the renovations at these parks - (and) see some of the tests and data used to determine stream quality."

Participants can also play a quiz game aimed at critical thinking on watershed topics, with a tasty prize as a reward for playing; try their hand at sketching or watercolor painting; or, for younger kids, make an insect from craft supplies; and test their powers of observation in an I Spy tour along the riparian buffer at the parks.

"(There is) a special reward for those that complete the I Spy," Duncan shared. "Kids and their adults-in-tow can also expect a fun lunch provided by CCWA at no cost."

Lunch will include grilled hot dogs with condiments and toppings, grilled veggie burgers, cookies and lemonade. Because there is no registration required, the food and activity materials will be available while supplies last.

And while the activities are targeted toward elementary- and middle-school-age children, adults will enjoy the event, too, he said.

"Parents might take an interest as well, in particular seeing how the concepts demonstrated in the activities have been implemented in the parks," he remarked.

This is the first time CCWA is holding an event like this, but the group hopes it will continue in the future.

"We wanted these activities to be portable, so that if successful, we could bring them to other events or classrooms if invited," Duncan said.

Hosting the event at the site of CCWA project work provides a unique setting where attendees can see progress in action.

"Some CCWA volunteers have spent many hours over the winter clearing some enshrouding vines from some trees and bushes within the riparian buffer at Mummau Park, with borough permission," Duncan said. "Kids will be able to see an experiment we are running, comparing one side of the Rife Run, where this work was done, with the other side of Rife Run, where it was not done. Kind of a neat experiment with pretty dramatic visual impact. And we'll complete the work next winter."

For more information on the event or CCWA, visit http://www.chiquescreekwatershedalliance.org.