As part of Lancaster Water Week, Historic Poole Forge will host "Experience the Upper Conestoga: Connecting With Our River," a free family-friendly program, on Wednesday, June 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. The event, being presented by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), will feature a program about raptors, fly fishing information and water safety demonstrations along with free food and giveaways.

This is the second time that Poole Forge has hosted a Water Week event, which is presented annually by the Lancaster Conservancy. "The first was pre-COVID in 2019. We did a freshwater snorkeling demonstration," said Dawn Ekdahl, Poole Forge executive director. "People were able to look at the fish, plants and water life in the creek."

This year, there will be exhibitors located around the pavilion, which will offer hands-on activities for visitors. "The Pennsylvania Rural Water Association will have their augmented reality sandbox. You pile sand, and it colors it based on elevation and you can see how water would flow," Ekdahl said. "There will also be guided tours through the pollinator garden."

At 6:30 p.m. on June 12, there will be a presentation in the main pavilion on the plan to restore the health of the Upper Conestoga River. It will be offered by Brian Gish, CBF Pennsylvania senior watershed planner.

Other activities will include a demonstration of electro-fishing by representatives from Millersville University. "Electro-fishing is when you add a mild electric shock in the water, and it stuns the fish momentarily and they float up and you identify the species of fish you have in the creek. It doesn't hurt the fish," Ekdahl said, explaining that the variety of fish that can be found in a waterway is an indicator of its water quality.

Another indicator of good water quality is the presence of macroinvertebrates. "Stream or creek bugs are little organisms that live in the creek. The better the diversity and the presence of macroinvertebrates is a good indicator or how healthy the water is," Ekdahl noted.

Other demonstrations will be provided by Stroud Water Research Center, which will present information about macroinvertebrates and local restoration efforts. CBF will have a rainfall simulator, and there will be a boating safety demonstration by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, among other exhibitors.

Raven Ridge Wildlife Center will present a program about raptor rehabilitation with live raptors. "They will talk about the importance of 'getting the lead out' - lead contamination and how it's causing damage to our bald eagles and osprey," said Ekdahl. "They will also be bringing Phoenix, a peregrine falcon, their newest ambassador. It will be a wonderful opportunity for the public to see a raptor that is rarely seen up close."

Ekdahl noted that Historic Poole Forge has spearheaded numerous environmental projects to improve the quality of the stream that runs through the historic site. "We started a group or initiative last year called the Upper Conestoga Steering Committee," noted Ekdahl. "We had our first in-person meeting at Poole Forge last summer and we did a little event similar to Water Week."

Lancaster Water Week is now in its eighth year and features 60 events. To learn more about Lancaster Water Week and for a schedule of events, visit www.lancasterconservancy.org/water-week.

 "Lancaster Water Week is a celebration of the 1,400 miles of streams and rivers in Lancaster County, our sources of drinking water, irrigation for agriculture, fishing, swimming and paddling for recreation," added Ekdahl. "Create habitat, protect the water and explore the outdoors - these are the themes we embrace at Poole Forge with our continued efforts to improve the water quality in the Conestoga Creek and protect the banks and area adjacent in the park, planting riparian buffers, pollinator gardens, wildflower meadows and (adding) a nature trail so that the community can get out and appreciate the beauty of nature and wildlife."  

In 2024, Poole Forge won the Community Revitalization Award from the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County for its work in creek preservation and creating a nature habitat in a preserved historic district, improving the life of the neighborhood and community.  

To learn more about current and future projects at Poole Forge, contact Ekdahl at hpf1940@gmail.com or 484-797-5302.

Historic Poole Forge is located at 1940 Main St. (Route 23), Narvon, 3 miles east of the Shady Maple complex. For more information, visit http://www.historicpooleforge.org or http://www.facebook.com/pooleforge.