Elizabeth Dunn will celebrate Earth Day by turning the compost in her Montreal garden. In Nelson, B. C., consultant and writer Mark Mallett will make a vegetarian lunch and walk to his office. Vancouverbased environmental activist Rosie Emery will hike Virginia's forests before heading to the studio to finish her CD of environmental music for children.

Earth Day celebrations held by Canadian municipalities run through April.

They include events such as Vancouver's Earth Run, Edmonton's Earth Day Festival and Ottawa's Earth Day Concert. And, of course, thousands of schools, offices and community centres will be celebrating in their own way.

Gaylord Nelson would likely be pleased. In 1970, when the Democratic Senator from Wisconsin launched Earth Day, he wanted it to be a grassroots demonstration that "would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy and, finally, force this issue permanently onto the national political agenda."

The first event was marked by 20 million people and considered a success. For many, it was the beginning of the environmental movement. And the U. S. government did take notice, for a time. Congress passed the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act and created legislation to protect wilderness areas. The Environmental Protection Agency began its work in December, 1970. But then, the green movement and Earth Day stalled for the next 20 years.

In 1990, it was revitalized when two million Canadians and millions more people in 141 countries celebrated the first International Earth Day. Many credit the large turnout -- well over 200 million-- with compelling heads of states to participate in the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Since then, the popularity of Earth Day has grown steadily into a mainstream event.

"So much of the earliest environmental movement was mostly activists, scientists with a smattering of government. People didn't feel part of the green movement. Earth Day has opened the field to people who want to be involved. Canadians are keen to do something but they need someone to help them out and give them some support," says Jed Goldberg, president of Earth Day Canada.

Last year, more than six million Canadians participated in Earth Day, joining another one billion people in 170 countries. It's become the principal day of celebration for people involved in anything green.

In Toronto, eco-entrepreneur Indra Dosanjih will celebrate the day with her family and offer customers an Earth Day discount from her green online store, Life Spices.

"I decided to offer Earth Day discounts as a way of thanking my customers for their ongoing commitment to green. It's important to celebrate, particularly about the community we are building. April 22 offers us a chance to step back, assess what we have accomplished and feel proud of how we are contributing on a daily basis," says Mr. Dosanjih.

While the event is being celebrated in many different ways, the main theme is how to make every day Earth Day. For Mr. Mallett, a writer about the green construction industry, Earth Day will be low key because he likes to think of himself as a "green citizen, year round. I don't eat meat, our car is small, I walk to work."

For Ms. Dunn, being a green citizen meant transforming her suburban backyard into a county garden that feeds her family of five and neighbours.

"I think everyone knows that one day isn't enough," she says. "I knew the best way for me to keep contributing was to make my small corner of the world as beautiful and productive as possible. That everyday connection to nature has inspired my family to become more sustainable. This winter they made a conscious effort to stop buying anything over-packaged. I know it's a small thing but I'm proud of how my family has reduced our garbage to one small bag per week."

According to Mr. Goldberg, Ms. Dunn's sentiments are right on target since all those small things "add up when large numbers start participating."

To help Canadians stay involved through the year, Earth Day has developed several programs. Their Eco-Mentor and Eco Action Team programs help people start green projects, learn more about sustainability and connect to their own community. The Eco Action Team can even create a progress report to measure how someone is doing against specific provincial standards.

"We like to think of Earth Day as an enviro-support group that is positive and supportive. Nobody likes being preached to or being subjected to finger-wagging," says Mr. Goldberg. "Earth Day is a celebration and should be fun."

One of the original participants in Earth Day, actor Ed Begley Jr. has made a career out of making green fun. His popular reality show Living With Ed chronicles the trials and tribulations of "greening" his family.

To learn more about sustainability or find an Earth Day event in your area, log onto EarthDay.ca.