Starting today (November 6), hikers are invited to join the Saratoga PLAN trails scavenger hunt, on select trails. Search for palm-sized rocks painted with inspirational messages that will be hidden along stretches of the Henning Preserve in the Town of Wilton, Orra Phelps Preserve in the Town of Wilton, and Bog Meadow Brook Preserve in Saratoga Springs. Collect meaningful rocks for you or a gift to others.

The project is intended to be more then just a fun way to visit the trails, Alex Fylypovych PLAN’s community engagement manager explains: “People find inspiration in so many ways. Some people find inspiration from walking in the woods or sitting by a stream. Others find it through art. With this project, we’re sort of combining the two… Sharing the message from your rock may reach someone else who could benefit from the uplifting note,” she says. Saratoga PLAN asks that any rocks collected be shared on social media using the hashtag #SaratogaPLANrocks and tagging @SaratogaPLAN. “Spread the inspiration and the joy,” says Fylypovych. “We can all use some more positivity this year.”

The #SaratogaPLANrocks project was made possible through a collaborative effort between Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Regeneron’s annual Day for Doing Good pairs its employees with various Capital Region nonprofits in order to service their community. Over 50 Regeneron employees painted and hid more than 100 rocks. The project takes inspiration from the nationwide Kindness Rock Project and the Block Island Glass Float Project.

Rocks will not be hidden more then one foot from the trail in order to protect delicate vegetation.