The main quad near the J Street entrance to Sacramento State University will serve as the backdrop for the fourth Earth Day 2002 festivities on Saturday April 20, bringing healing artists and many empowering recreational amenities.

In the theme, “Clean Energy Now,” this year’s Earth Day celebration highlights the awareness of our relationships to the Earth and each other and explores steps toward a sustainable lifestyle, transiting to clean, safe renewable energy sources, said to Kathy Ries, Coordinator, the Sacramento Area Earth Day Network, which is a project of the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS).

Beginning with an Earth Blessing with Shamanic Healer, Paula Denham at 7 a.m. and a Creek cleanup in the morning, the actual Earth Day celebration starting at 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on campus, inviting everyone.

The community groups have planned a series of educational programs, forums, demonstrations and entertainment throughout the day. The California Raptor Center (UC Davis) and Folsom Zoo will bring live animals, such as foxes from Davis, and owls and hedgehogs from the zoo to teach how they go back into the wild. The Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will bring dogs and cats.

The Earth Day committee has selected John Robbins, author of “Diet for a New America” and “Food Revolution,” and founder of EarthSave International, as a featured speaker at this year’s celebration.

“We on the committee knew that his message is the world connected to us, helping to call people to action,” said Ries.

Robbins will be speaking at the main stage at 1p.m., to give the keynote presentation “The Food Revolution and Healing Ourselves, Healing Our World,” followed by a public workshop and book signing at 2-3 p.m.

Local artisans will hold yoga, tai chi, martial arts, dance and meditation demonstrations. Participants can meet the local instructors in Healing Artisans Grove to pick up literature to start a class.

Visitors can experience walking through a labyrinth, a “walking mediation” led by Sue Anne Foster.

In the activity, “Food that’s good for the planet”, participants will learn vegetarian cooking which helps reduce our land resources. Extra cutting of vegetables after cooking can go back to the Earth and become nutrients to the soil instead of garbage, according to Ries.

“It’s a permanent reduction and connects back to the Earth,” said Ries.

Children’s Hands-On Activities brings the use of clay, recycled paper and plain activities for them.

In Eco-Craft classes the natural resource is wood, cotton or wool instead of plastic, stained glass or materials people use that worsens the planet. These classes are among the other environmental activities planned during this free event.

The celebration will continue with all vegetarian cuisine and music entertainment by Akimbo, Congo Aye-Area and Saul Rayo throughout the afternoon. Over 150 educational booths and displays will be present. More than 10,000 people are expected to participate in the annual event in the city.

“The purpose is to connect people toward sustaining the Earth resources, to provide opportunity to help people live with the earth and each other, to celebrate education and to call for action now,” Reis said.

The network is still organizing people who wish to participate or sponsor the programs at (916) 484-4644 or volunteer the cleanup at (916) 454-4544.

The event will be held rain or shine. A complete list of projects is available at www.earthdaysac.org. Sac State is easily accessible through regional transits.