Missing Rocks Cancel Kids Event
A Liverpool woman is asking the public to leave her rocks alone.
In the past few weeks, Jane Stevenson has been painting rocks and leaving them in Pine Grove Park for people to discover.
She has been posting pictures to her Queens County Rocks! Facebook page and encouraged others to do the same
Stevenson says she spent a lot of time making crafts with her children when they were younger.
Now that her kids are grown and she has retired, Stevenson thought rock painting would be a good way to help lighten the mood during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The kids were loving it. There’s not many things I’m good at, but I’m good at doing this and coming up with ideas for kids. [I was] a stay-at-home mom, you know, I did it forever. I did for my kids and their friends.”
Stevenson had set up a display of stones and was surprised when they began disappearing.
“The note I left on a rock, it said, please leave the star stones in the park for the exhibit. Well, that stone was taken too.”
Photo Credit: Jane Stevenson
Stevenson was unaware there are other groups across the province who paint rocks and leave them in public places for people to take home.
She sees how they could mistake her rocks for one of those but doesn’t understand why someone would take something that was clearly marked and part of a display.
Stevenson had made plans for an event called June Bugs to display bug-themed rocks.
Along with the rocks, she had installed fairy doors at the base of some of the trees, but those too, were taken.
Stevenson decided to cancel the event when she determined she couldn’t count on the rocks remaining in place.
“I stuck another door up the other day and went back a day later and most of the stuff was gone that I had put there. At which point, I said, that’s enough.”
While she is frustrated June Bugs will not go ahead, Stevenson says she has other ideas.
Since calling off the event Stevenson has partnered with Sky Parnell to create Pine Grove Pets – a scavenger hunt with a social media slant.
She says Parnell came up with the idea to hide a picture of a bear called Baxter in the park for people to find.
After locating the bear they should take a selfie with it and post the picture to the Queens County Rocks! Facebook page.
Everyone who posts will be eligible for a draw to receive a participation prize.
Most importantly, Stevenson says participants need to hide the bear again for the next person to find and enjoy.
Stevenson hasn’t given up on the idea of building a public exhibit in the woods.
She hopes in the future, to get the Region of Queens involved with creating another display for people to enjoy at one of the municipal parks.
Reported by Ed Halverson
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson