Community, Creswell

Creswell Rocks’!: A community treasure hunt

A community member shows their stash before they ”rock” the parks in Creswell. Creswell rocks have been showing up in odd places all around town. IMAGE PROVIDED

If you’ve been moseying around town lately with a keen eye, you may have noticed little painted rocks scattered in discreet places.
Some are painted with snowflakes or hearts, others painted with glitter or goodwill sayings. But no matter the design, the intent is clear: to simply make you smile with this random act of kindness. After all, it’s the little things in life, right?
This ”rocking” trend has taken off nationwide and has a specific dwelling in Creswell. Residents say finding a painted rock is like receiving a free gift for the young, the old and everyone in between.
Creslane Elementary School teaching assistant Julie Henry has been instrumental in fueling this local rocking movement. She recently helped guide 26 students through the process of finding rocks, preparing rocks and hiding the rocks. All 26 students planted their rocks in Holt Park – in the bushes, in the bathrooms, hidden behind trees, you name it.
The premise is simple. All you do is gather some flat, paintable rocks, acrylic paint, sealer and decorate your rock. Often rocks can be found with a hashtag mark such as #CPR (for Creswell Painted Rocks) and #CreswellRocks with instructions at the bottom of the rock to tell the finder where to post the found rock on Facebook, if you so choose. If not, you can simply rehide your found rock at another location for others to find.
They can be planted everywhere and anywhere. The rocks should be visible, but not too visible. Popular hiding spots include waterfront parks, inside local businesses, in playgrounds and on family-friendly hiking trails. Common places to find these rocks in town are at Holt Park, Garden Lake Park, the pocket park across the street from South Lane County Fire & Rescue, and Creswell Library, to name a few.
Henry’s friend from Vienna, Austria visited Creswell over the summer and found some Creswell Rocks, and took them back home with her. Perhaps this Creswell Rock will one day inspire a movement overseas.
Participants say that Creswell Rocks is an ongoing event in Creswell; much like the Tree Lighting Ceremony in December, things like this help stimulate community togetherness, giving residents a whole new way to get out and explore their town.
Find out more online on Facebook: Creswell Painted Rocks #CPR #CreswellRocks.

Instagram

 

View this profile on Instagram

 

The Chronicle (@thechronicle1909) • Instagram photos and videos