Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary will perform during a free concert April 22 at a UMW Earth Day event. SENATOR'S CONCERN LED TO EARTH DAY FILE/Bob Child/ASSOCIATED PRESS Visit the Photo Place

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Peter Yarrow to sing at UMW Earth Day event

Peter Yarrow concert, Alum Spring Park gathering, canoeing, film among planned Earth Day activities

Date published: 4/14/2009

By RUSTY DENNEN

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary fame will be among Earth Day festivities here, beginning this weekend.

Yarrow, a member of the iconic 1960s folk ensemble, will sing at 7 p.m. April 22 in Kalnen Court outside the Eagles Nest on the University of Mary Washington campus.

The concert is free, and sponsored by UMW's Ecology Club. In fitting Summer of Love fashion, organizers ask participants to bring a blanket to sit on, and a T-shirt to tie-dye.

"Leaving on a Jet Plane," "Early Mornin' Rain" and "Puff the Magic Dragon" were among the trio's hits.

Earth Day officially falls on April 22, but the Rappahannock Group Sierra Club will hold its annual Earth Day celebration Saturday, April 25 from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. at Alum Spring Park. The park is a 34-acre woodland retreat off Greenbriar Drive, with a playground and hiking trails.

Scott Howson, event coordinator and a member of the local Sierra Club chapter, says there will be exhibits, food and live music.

"This year we'll have a second stage and more activities," he said. Among them will be raptor shows by the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro. Shows will be at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

"And we'll be having a man who does a character, King Henry the Oak," for kids, on the importance and benefits of trees.

Children will make paper, birdhouses, and Girl Scouts will have a campfire to show off the finer points of roasting marshmallows.

Musical entertainment will include Peter Mealy and Laurie Rose Griffith, Ask Fred, Andra Faye and The Mighty Good Men, and local folk artist and songwriter Bob Gramann.

Parking will be available at the Fredericksburg Armory, and Fred shuttle buses will run every five minutes.

Exhibits will include displays on environmental topics of concern.

Howson says the Rappahannock Group of the Sierra Club's focus, for now, is on transportation and energy efficiency.

"We're working on improving our relationship with local governments on developing better planning" including more bike and pedestrian paths, he said.

And the group is working with the George Washington Regional Commission on structuring its Green Government Commission.

"One aspect is to improve energy efficiency of local government facilities," Howson said.

This Saturday, Lake Anna State Park will host an Earth Day Adventure canoe tour, cleanup and geocaching from 1-3 p.m. It's $6 a person. For more information, call the park office, 854-5503.

Next Wednesday, the Salem Church Library in Spotsylvania County will hold a special screening of "Kilowatt Ours," a Jeff Barrie documentary that promotes energy conservation, efficiency and renewable energy. It's from 7-8 p.m.

Earth Day gatherings and events will be held around the country.

For example, Earth Day on the National Mall in Washington begins at noon Sunday.

Sponsored by Earth Day Network, it features elected officials and candidates, community speakers, celebrities, music and educational displays.

National listing of Earth Day events, earthday.net/earthday2009 Rappahannock Group of the Sierra Club, http://virginia.sierraclub.org/RG/default.htm University of Mary Washington Ecology Club, umw.edu/recycle/umw_ecology_club/default.php

Rusty Dennen: 540/374-5431
Email: rdennen@freelancestar.com

Earth Day was first held on April 22, 1970. It was the brainchild of Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, an early environmental activist. He used protests against the Vietnam War as a template for organizing a movement to protect the environment. Since then, Earth Day has evolved into a worldwide cleanup and educational movement. -Rusty Dennen

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Date published: 4/14/2009