It takes an army of volunteers to preserve a 200-million-year-old geological landmark.
On Thursday, a group of volunteers was recognized by Lebanon County Commissioners to mark five years of cleaning graffiti from Dinosaur Rock, a geologic formation that loosely resembles the head and body of a prehistoric creature.
Lebanon County Commission chairman Mike Kuhn, who represented his colleagues at the brief ceremony, said he jumped at the opportunity to come to the geological wonder to thank volunteers, adding the trip there sparked memories of his high school days.
He told LebTown before the ceremony that he and his buddies hiked all over the woods in southern Lebanon County, including the trail that leads off Mount Wilson Road to the rock formation that’s located about one mile south of Colebrook. A parking area is located along Mount Wilson Road in South Londonderry Township.
“I’m just proud to be with so many great Americans and great Lebanon Countians and some from neighboring counties as well, too,” Kuhn said. “Drawing from far and wide because people do want to be part of something. I just commend you. People that want to help and be part of something good. That’s why we live in the greatest place.”
Volunteer Adam Hartman, a rock climber from Elizabethtown, said he and members of a local rock-climbing club have scaled the rocks over the years to remove graffiti at the highest points on the formation, which he estimated rises 25 feet into the air. Theirs is one of two climbing clubs that have volunteered at Dinosaur Rock, according to volunteer organizer Pat Krebs.
“When we climb, we use a ladder halfway to help us get heavy buckets and stuff up. And then once you get to the top, there’s about a 10-foot span where one person will climb to the top, and then the second person stands on a ledge up there and hands up the tools,” Hartman said. “Once we get up there, we just stand on the top or kneel on the top and reach with two-foot brushes as far as we can reach and then hose it off.”
Krebs said Hartman and his crew climbed to the top and did serious work with the spraying, which can be challenging.
“We haven’t got it all off but it’s amazing how much work they’ve done over the last two and a half years,” said Krebs.
Volunteers, on the ground and in the air, use a cleaner called Elephant Snot, a specialized, thick, goopy gel that removes spray paint and graffiti from porous surfaces like brick, stone, and masonry, to remove markings on the rock surface.
“It’s a really thick compound that you mix together and then you brush it on and let it sit for a half hour and then you scrub it to agitate it and then spray it off with a hose or pressure washer,” Hartman told LebTown. “So we got up there and lathered at every part we can reach with the Elephant Snot, let it sit.”
It’s not an easy job, he added.
“Then the hard part is that it makes it especially – when the paint is on the top – it makes it slippery so you can’t really get back up to scrub it the second time, you just coat it and then try and reach from the ladder and then spray as much as you can,” Hartman said. “So that’s what kind of makes it challenging to do, whereas down here you can really scrub for a while and get it off a lot better.”
The geological wonder is a Lebanon County treasure for outdoor tourism, according to Nancy Gates, president of Visit Lebanon Valley. She said Dinosaur Rock is important to outdoor enthusiasts and tourists who come to enjoy a variety of activities.
“We’re really blessed here in Lebanon County to have a lot of really wonderful outdoor recreational opportunities for people, hiking, biking, you know, the rail trails, kayaking, Memorial Lake, I mean the list just goes on and on and on,” said Gates. “We’re really grateful and thank you for all the hard work you and your committee have done and put into cleaning things up. We’re going to also keep our fingers crossed for you then that it stays this way.”
Abigail Harvey, executive director of The Lebanon Valley Conservancy, stressed the value of conserving local locations like Dinosaur Rock.
“It’s important for us to keep, like Nancy said, we have such a wealth of natural areas to enjoy. Recreationally, it brings people into the Lebanon Valley. And we are all about preserving these natural areas,” Harvey said. “We, as a land trust, usually do that through conservation easements, but in any efforts to preserve the beauty of these spaces, we’d like to help out as much as we can.”
She added it’s part of their mission to help groups like this one to preserve local assets.
“So, helping out with volunteers and getting the word out every year has been a small way that we’ve contributed to this. And it’s just amazing the work that this committee has been able to do over the years, and we’re really proud of you guys,” Harvey added. “Just keep up the good work and we’ll continue to support.”
Preservation is also on the radar of the South Londonderry Township Area Historical Society, according to J.V. Bennett, a historical society representative and group volunteer.
“The South Londonderry Township Area Historical Society has also been involved since the beginning. We see these natural features as an important part of the county’s history. And so within our mission as well, recently we’ve agreed to make this effort a committee of our organization,” Bennett said. “So it kind of has that organization. So we’ve appreciated being involved in this since the beginning. See it as a really worthy effort.”
Leonard Sitlinger, Wildlife Habitat group manager for the SE Region, Pennsylvania Game Commission, said the agency has stepped up enforcement efforts to help prevent vandalism at the site.
Krebs thanked the commission for its support since the formation is on Pennsylvania Game Commission lands, adding it “would have been impossible for volunteers to undertake their work without the game commission’s logistical and financial help.”
“Once they saw that we were committed, the game commission has supplied all of the supplies, brought water out, which would be impossible without them,” Krebs said. “So the game commission has been wonderfully supportive.”
Prior to hiking to the outcropping of rocks, the group met at a new kiosk that’s been erected to provide information to guests and highlight efforts to remove graffiti at the site. The kiosk sits diagonally across from the wooded trail that leads to the park.
“Fortunately, you can see it from the road as you drive up, which also I think helps people because it’s amazing how many people have no clue where this is,” Krebs said. “We’re talking about putting an arrow on there with the same plastic tape as the gate. Just simple stuff, just so people know where to start from. I think there are folks who know kind of sort of where it is but have trouble finding exactly where it is.”
Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
Support Lebanon County journalism.
Cancel anytime.
Monthly Subscription
🌟 Annual Subscription
- Still no paywall!
- Fewer ads
- Exclusive events and emails
- All monthly benefits
- Most popular option
- Make a bigger impact
Already a member? Log in here to hide these messages
An informed community is a stronger community. LebTown covers the local government meetings, breaking news, and community stories that shape Lebanon County’s future. Help us expand our coverage by becoming a monthly or annual member, or support our work with a one-time contribution. Cancel anytime.
