Earth Day '06 events planned

From recycling computers to vegetarian feasts and tree-planting, Utahns will celebrate Earth Day 2006 on Saturday.

This marks the 36th anniversary of the grass-roots environmental event, founded as a "teach-in" in 1970 by the now-deceased Wisconsin senator, Gaylord Nelson.

"Just in time for Earth Day 2006," the Nature Conservancy announced it has purchased a conservation easement that will protect Boulder Creek Canyon Ranch in Boulder, Garfield County.

The 298-acre easement was purchased in a partnership among John Austin, the ranch's owner; the federal government's National Resource and Conservation Service; the Utah Quality Growth Commission, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, private donors and the conservancy.

"Earth Day is a great time to do something positive for conservation and the environment," Dave Livermore, Utah director of the Nature Conservancy, told the Deseret Morning News.

The easement allows ranching to continue at the site and keeps it on the tax rolls. But the land cannot be used for housing developments.

More traditional observances of Earth Day include the following; all take place on Saturday except the Computer for Kids event, today and Saturday:

• Several groups are sponsoring a celebration on the plaza of Library Square at Salt Lake City Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A recycling fashion show, a vegetarian burger-eating contest and music are on the slate.

"First, there is free food for everybody, loads of free food, amazingly delicious, all of it 100 percent vegetarian food," said Jason Hardy of the Student Organization of Animal Rights, based at the University of Utah.

The group No More Homeless Pets will have a booth, as will the Utah Animal Rights Coalition, he said. Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson and others will speak during the celebration.

"I know that not everybody is going to turn vegan that day," said Hardy. "But we hope that we're empowering people to make the choice to transition toward healthier lifestyles for ourselves and our planet."

• Computer for Kids is sponsoring a recycling event at Rice-Eccles Stadium, University of Utah campus, 1-5 p.m. today and Saturday. All types of electronics equipment can be brought in, said Charlie Saba, executive director of the nonprofit, which is based in Midvale.