Orcas rocks, literally

Published 10:47 am Wednesday, August 24, 2016

There’s a new game being played on Orcas Island, and it mixes art with exploration.

“It was like playing Pokemon Go,” said Tess White, who brought the concept of hiding painted rocks throughout town after a trip to Whidbey Island. “It’s just very fun.”

White started a Facebook page named “Orcas Island Rocks” on Aug. 11 that explains the new game of hiding and finding painted rocks on the island.

“We were inspired by the Whidbey Island Rocks Facebook Community and all of the fun that they are having that we decided to start our own painted rock community here on Orcas Island,” wrote White on the Facebook page, which has attracted 381 members.

“The idea is to decorate rocks or other found items in nature and hide them in various locations to brighten someone’s day,” wrote Write. “You can use paint, chalk, crayons, sharpies, or whatever; as long as it has a coat of sealer over it to help preserve the art.”

Once an artist has painted a rock, White says they should write on the back of it instructions to share a photo of it on the Facebook page when the rock is found in the wild. When someone finds the painted rock they can either keep it or hide it elsewhere for someone else to find.

“I hope it catches on,” said White.