YOU SAY IT'S YOUR EARTH DAY...

Byline: - Nancy Hewitt

In honor of Earth Day this Thursday, we've assembled a round-up of events, activities and products that are environmentally friendly, fun and educational. Whether you're headed to a beach cleanup, looking to sow drought-tolerant plants or make a craft out of recyclable materials, we've found something for everyone. Check it out:

Today

Burbank Stough Canyon Nature Center and Burbank Recycle Center celebrate Earth Day from 1 to 4 p.m. Canyon cleanup will begin at noon at the Nature Center, followed by a family nature hike, recyclable crafts ($1), live animals and refreshments.

During the same time, the Burbank Recycle Center will provide environmental information and free compost or worm bins. Be sure to bring a sturdy bag or bucket for the compost.

This event is free and open to the public. The Nature Center is located at 2300 Walnut Ave. The Recycle Center is located at 500 Flower St. Call [phone] or [phone].

The city of Thousand Oaks and the Conejo Recreation and Park District will host an Arbor/Earth Day celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Conejo Creek Park North, 1379 E. Janss Road. (behind the Thousand Oaks library).

This free event will include entertainment by GTP and the Hotsteppers, a visit from Dr. Wilderness and more than 100 environment-friendly vendors. Kids will love Jungleland U., which features rare, up-close looks at endangered local birds, arthropods, amphibians and reptiles, and a visit from professional movie dogs. Call [phone].

The SEA Laboratory, an interactive marine and science education center in Redondo Beach, is offering a program from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. that includes live entertainment, music, food, beach cleanup games, children's crafts and more. According to Giancarlo Cetrula, director of the SEA Lab, which is a program of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps., the aquarium is a unique experience for visitors because it is the only aquatic center that rescues animals, then uses them to educate kids about the importance of marine life.

The event is free to the public. The SEA Lab is located at 1021 N. Harbor Drive. Call [phone].

Thursday

The students at Cleveland High School solicited contributions to replace several trees on the campus that were cut down by vandals. At 11:45 a.m. the students will participate in a ceremony that ends with the planting of new trees to replace the vandalized ones.

A poem commemorating the event will be read; other highlights include a display of art projects, a short dramatic skit and a performance by the school band and cheerleaders.

Cleveland High is located at 8140 Vanalden Ave., Reseda. Call [phone].

April 24

Thousands of volunteers are expected to converge on California state beaches and parks for restoration and cleanup projects today.

Here are some of the local beaches and parks participating. Volunteers are advised to wear work clothes and sturdy shoes and bring water, a hat, work gloves and sunscreen.

Santa Susanna Pass State Historic Park

Be prepared to remove graffiti from the sandstone rocks, as well as participate in trash cleanup and trail maintenance. Volunteers should arrive by 8 a.m. and meet at Chatsworth Park South, 22360 Devonshire St., Chatsworth. The activity ends at noon. Call [phone], Ext. 105.

Malibu Creek State Park and Malibu Lagoon State Park

Volunteers will help clean up stream and beach, along with removal of non-native plants and trail rehabilitation. Meet at Malibu Lagoon at 9 a.m. Project ends at noon. Call [phone].

Baldwin Hills State Park

Volunteers will help with park cleanup, removing caster bean, fennel and pampas grass, planting native plants and assisting with the greenhouse. Meet at the scenic overlook, 6300 Hetzler Road, Culver City at 9:30 a.m. Work ends at noon. Call [phone], Ext. 105.

El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park

Participants can expect to hand-make adobe bricks for reconstruction activities using renewable materials and to help to landscape with native plants. Meet at 123 E. Canon Perdido, Santa Barbara. Work begins at 9 a.m. and ends at noon. Call [phone].

Something crafty

Looking for another way to participate in Earth Day-related activities? Try one of the local Michaels Arts & Crafts stores today. Many stores will be offering free activities and recycling projects for kids and families.

Kids can learn how to make their own paper using newspaper scraps, flower petals and a blender. Or learn how to use recycled wastepaper to make invitations or thank-you notes with special mementos.

Hours are 1 to 4 p.m.

Participating Michaels stores include: Tarzana, 18131 Ventura Blvd., [phone]; North Hollywood, Sherman Way Square, 12809 Sherman Way, [phone]; Newhall, 25686 The Old Road, [phone]; Pasadena, 1155 E. Colorado Blvd., [phone]; Monrovia, East Huntington Plaza, 729 E. Huntington Drive, [phone]; Los Angeles, 738 Wall St., [phone].

No matter what the day, there are things you can do to keep the spirit of Earth Day going all year long.

Environmentally friendly plants

Pick a plant that requires little care, which means you seldom have to water it or spray it for pests, says Steve Hutton, president of the Conard-Pyle Co., a Pennsylvania-based grower and distributor of plants and roses. Hutton suggests purchasing and planting Knock Out roses, which are practically disease-free and do not require dusting or spraying. Visit theknockoutrose.com for additional information.

Plant some petunias in your garden. They're colorful, hardy and are available in different sizes. Plus, they are low-growing and fast-spreading. Visit www.wave-rave.com for petunia tips.

Use coffee grounds to help perk up your garden. Blend used grounds (no more than 25 percent) with the soil of acid-loving plants such as rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas, camellias and magnolias and watch them flourish. Or you can make a light mulch from used coffee grounds, brown leaves and grass clippings to balance the pH of the soil.

Grow your own historic trees. That's right, you can plant actual seeds from historic sites with names such as the George Washington White Ash, the Gettysburg Address Honey Locust and four others. The seeds are sold as six kits for $60 plus $6 shipping from Historic Trees, [phone].

However, for those folks looking for other varieties of trees or who don't want to grow a tree from seed, consider ordering one of the special tree kits that include such names as Audubon English Oak, Saratoga Black Locust, Lover's Live Oak or the Elvis Presley Weeping Willow.

Kits include: the 1- to 3-foot historic tree of your choice; growing tube to protect the tree and accelerate its growth; step-by-step planting instructions; fertilizer tablet; bird safety net; personalized certificate of authenticity and lifetime replacement guarantee.

Prices begin at $39.50. To learn more about the trees available and the best areas to grow them, visit www.historictrees.org.

Hints to help your environment

--Turn down the thermostat. Don't overheat or overcool your home.

--You can cut your lighting costs by installing two compact fluorescent bulbs in high-traffic areas. They last for years.

--Turn down the water heater setting. Make sure to insulate it as well to reduce energy costs.

--Turn off unneeded lights. Use natural light whenever possible.

--Carpool, ride a bike, walk or take the bus to work.

--Weather-strip your windows, doors, vents and heating ducts.

--Use energy-saving settings on your appliances.

--Install a toilet tank displacement bag to save on water costs.

--Turn off the television, the stereo, the computer and cell phones and get outside and enjoy nature.

--Visit EarthDay.gov for other ways to help the environment.

Things to do with recyclables

Author Laura C. Martin has assembled a book called ``Recycled Crafts Box,'' which is filled with more than 30 Earth-friendly projects and activities for kids and families to do on Earth Day and every day. Helpful hints that even kids can do include sorting and recycling junk mail, making colorful and functional toy houses from used milk or juice cartons, creating a castle out of an old cardboard box, making puppets out of old socks and designing a treasure chest out of an old shoe box.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1) Kids can plant a tree on Earth Day.

(2) Recycling is a daily thing that kids can do, too.

(3) no caption (plant)

(4) no caption (book: ``Recycle Crafts Box'')