Earth Day will be celebrated nationwide today, marking the 34th anniversary of the birth of the environmental movement.

On April 22, 1970, the first ecological protest included 20 million Americans who took to streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthier, more sustainable environment.

Today and Saturday, organizations around the area are planning events to celebrate nature by sponsoring a range of activities.

Every year, the turnout to these events depends on weather conditions and other events that take place that day, said Chris Reese, Black Moshannon State Park manager. There is usually a conflict because the activities fall on the same weekend as the Blue-White game, he said.

The Penn State Environmental Society and Eco-Action will be hosting an information table from noon to 5 p.m. on the ground level of the HUB-Robeson Center, said John Yerger, Environmental Society president. The table will provide students with a guide for buying environmentally friendly products and will have a display to remind passers-by of the three R's: reduce, reuse and recycle, Yerger said.

At the Bald Eagle State Park, a group of 20 high school students from the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology will be working on the cleanup of the butterfly trail today, environmental education specialist Spring Reilly said.

A series of activities will also be taking place Saturday to celebrate Earth Day.

Volunteers can take part in a range of conservation projects starting at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Black Moshannon State Park, Reese said. "We are having Earth Day activities to offer the opportunity for people to express their interest in the environment by completing a variety of conservation projects."

Such projects include picking up litter, planting trees, performing trail maintenance, controlling the erosion of trails and removing invasive plants, Reese said. If there is sufficient time, spreading topsoil, and weeding and mulching gardens will also be done.

The events are organized annually, and there is usually a good turnout, he said. Volunteers can just show up or call to register. "So far, we're coming on to 50 pre-registrations. It's the 15th time we're doing this," Reese said.

The Penns Valley Conservation Association is also holding its annual stream cleanup, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Coburn Park, where Elk and Penns creeks merge, said Gary Gyekis, member of the Board of Directors.

"We always work the stream bank, and we will have refreshments," Gyekis said. "We also give out prizes for the most creative or prettiest piece of junk. We try to make it a little fun."

The Quehanna Lions Club will be sponsoring a six-mile roadside pickup on Route 879 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Susquehanna Rural Free Clinic, Frenchville.

Also in conjunction with Earth Day, Penn State acousticians will display their prototype compact chiller at Ben and Jerry's scoop shop in New York. This is the first public display of the machine, which substitutes sound waves for environment-damaging chemical refrigerants, such as CFCs and HFCs.