Race for the Watershed Duck Derby and 5K

Help support healthy waterways in our community! Held in partnership with Concord Township, this event is a fundraiser to help raise money for watershed protection projects, including controlling erosion along the streambanks, monitoring water quality, and restoring riparian buffers at Newlin Grist Mill.

Schedule

• 8am 5K Duck Dash registration
• 9am 5K Duck Dash begins
• 10-1pm Family Fun Festival with vendors, educational displays, and duck-themed games
• 10:30am Trustee & Council duck race
• 11am 1st heat duck race with $100 first place prize
• 11:30 2nd heat duck race with $100 first place prize
• 12:00 final heat duck race with $1,000 grand prize
• 12:30 awards ceremony

The Chester creek, which runs through Newlin Grist Mill, is listed as impaired by the Pennsylvania DEP. When water quality is low, it has a detrimental impact on human health and safety, as well as the plants and animals that rely on our waterways. We monitor our stretch of the creek very closely by tracking pollutants, water  temperature, and other factors that could impact the rich biodiversity of our streams. We have documented over a dozen species of freshwater fish in the stream, as well as turtles, aquatic insects, freshwater mussels, and the trout that we stock for our fly fishing program. Many other species depend upon healthy waterways, including herons, wood ducks, muskrats, mink, beaver, and other mammals. The landscape around the creek, known as a watershed, has significant impacts on water quality. Pollutants like road salt, lawn fertilizer, and soil erosion from construction all end up in the creek and harms aquatic life. Communities can improve water quality through projects like riparian buffer restoration, storm water runoff management, and erosion reduction. Help us help the watershed by raising funds to support upcoming healthy creek improvement projects in the park!

• 5K: $35 per runner entry fee. $40 day of. Prizes will be awarded in each age group for both men and women.
• Duck Race: $20 per duck or $50 for 3 ducks. $1,000 cash grand prize.

Please note: event t-shirts will be available until 5/29/25. Any registrations received after 5/29 will not receive an event t-shirt.