Earth Week, an Interfaith Environmental Initiative, is planned for Saturday, April 18 through Sunday, April 26, at various venues throughout the town.

Coordinated by the Rev. Kristina Hansen, pastor of Woodbury United Methodist Church, and Julie Clark, co-director of Creative Arts Studio, the extended celebration provides opportunities for the town's faith communities to bookend traditional Earth Day activities with special worship services, with an emphasis on the sacredness of the earth.

"When I mentioned the concept of Earth Week to the Woodbury Clericus, they all lit up," Rev. Kristina told Voices. "There was an immediate understanding of what was involved.

"New Morning always does something wonderful for Earth Day," she said. "This year, the town will be involved, the library, the yoga center and the nature centers, with the faith community leading the charge."

Events will kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 18, with a town-sponsored tree planting at the Woodbury Senior Center, followed at 2 p.m. by "Going Green," a family concert featuring Sirius Coyote, at the Woodbury Public Library.

The Methodist church, North Congregational, St. Teresa's, St. Paul's and Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Church will all conduct services that honor the Earth during their normal worship hours, as will Christ the Savior Orthodox Church and B'nai Israel, both in Southbury.

From 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 19, WUMC will screen and discuss "The Renewal Project," an interfaith movie with eight environmental initiatives from diverse faith communities.

Later that evening, the Woodbury Yoga Center will host a presentation at 7 p.m. entitled Peaceful Yogic Diet: Healthy and Restorative for Our Planet and Ourselves.

Curious Kids Learn About the Earth will be the topic of a program at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, at the library.

On Earth Day itself, Wednesday, April 22, B'nai Israel will be the setting for Songs and Prayers for Mother Earth, set for 7 to 8 p.m.

"It will be an interfaith family celebration, a combination of music and readings from different faith traditions," said Julie Clark, who recently coordinated a similar tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Former Washington First Selectman Dick Sears, a Congregational minister, will be the featured speaker that evening.

Sophia, a women's singing group, will perform, as well as the Femina Melodia Drummers and a children's singing group.

Weekend activities will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 24, at the Woodbury Yoga Center, with a vegetarian dinner and a screening of the movie "Diet for a New America."

RSVPs to 203-263-2254 and a $10 suggested donation are requested for the dinner; the 7:30 p.m. movie is free.

On Saturday, events will begin early, with guided tours from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Audubon Center at Bent of the River, Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust, the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition and Southbury Land Trust, four groups newly aligned as the Conservation Partners.

The yoga center will host a solar power open house from 10 a.m. to noon, and offer free introductory yoga and meditation instruction in the afternoon.

New Morning Natural and Organic's 15th annual Earth Day celebration will fill the Middle Quarter Mall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day, with food samplings, demonstrations, children's activities and more.

This year, New Morning's festivities will resume in the early evening with a free outdoor concert featuring area musicians from 5:30 to 7 p.m., co-hosted by the Conservation Partners.

Earth Week will conclude Sunday, April 26, with more programming at area faith communities and a 7 p.m. talk at the yoga center, appropriately titled Inner Peace Is World Peace: Simple Steps to Preserving Mother Earth.

The nine-day celebration promises something for everyone, Rev. Kristina said, with opportunities to honor the earth for people of every age group and every faith tradition, as well as those unaffiliated with a particular congregation.

All the details will be available on flyers distributed to local businesses and houses of worship, and on a new website, www.earthweekct.org, which in addition to a schedule of events will include some relevant articles and links to websites where people can calculate their own carbon footprint.

Rev. Kristina told Voices that in years to come, she hopes the website can become a clearinghouse of environmental activities taking place in towns and cities across the state.

"We're happy to help promote what everyone's doing," she said. "New Morning and the nature centers are two really important resources in our area - the gift of preserved land and the gift of really thoughtful food."

The coordinators said they've been pleased at the initial response to what they hope will become an annual event.

"Everyone's going all out," the pastor said. "There will be lots of cool stuff going on.

"But this year is just the first installment as we begin to collect information, to gather together under a new umbrella of understanding, the umbrella of Sacred Earth."

Those seeking additional information about Earth Week activities may visit www.earthweekct.org.