If you see a little painted rock laying around in Lacombe, a Facebook page created by a local resident is encouraging you to pick it up, take a picture and post your discovery.

That page is Lacombe Rocks, started in May by Melodie Reid, who has lived in the city for 22 years.

She borrowed the idea from another Facebook page started in England in hopes that the city-wide treasure hunt would catch on here.

So far, it has. At last count, the page had close to 300 followers and Reid estimates hundreds of painted rocks have been scattered across Lacombe.

“It brings a lot of joy. People of all ages are doing it. You see stuff that’s obviously painted by very small children, just little dots and then there are some really pretty, intricately-painted (ones),” Reid said.

“When a rock is found and someone posts a picture on the Facebook page, the person who hid the rock in the first place gets so excited. And then some people, they’ll have just found one, they’ll say this just made my day, thanks whoever put this out. It’s just making people feel good.”

A painted rock placed outside the Sunny 94 office earlier this year.

Reid is a nurse by trade but said she has always loved art, painting and crafts.

She’s also a collector of rocks. She’s in possession of ones from Lake Superior and Montana.

Her advice for those wanted to join in: use acrylic paint and a water-based varnish so that rain doesn’t wash off the design.

Reid adds that people are free to take the rocks as souvenirs.

“If people like what they see and they want to take it home and it makes them happy, then go for it. You can take it, you can leave it, you can hide it somewhere else,” she said.

“I know one little boy took it to his grandmother and was just so excited. Whatever makes them happy.”