On April 24, The World Peace Sanctuary, in Wassaic, is hosting an Earth Day event featuring a prayer ceremony, a bring-your-own picnic lunch, a drum circle and two donation-based Walking the Trail workshops.

“Our guide, Michael Gulbrandsen, is a listener of nature’s whispers. He instructs people how to connect to nature and its inhabitants by walking the trail,” says Ann Marie Robustelli, executive assistant of the World Peace Prayer Society.

The day will begin at 10 a.m. with a Morning Tranquility Walk. Participants will learn techniques for receiving healing from and connecting to nature. The noon picnic lunch will be followed by a world peace prayer ceremony at 1 p.m., and then an Afternoon Fairy Walk at 1:30 p.m.

“We’ll walk the trail in the forest to see signs of the divine dancing of the magical creatures of the forest and connect with them,” Gulbrandsen says. “In this workshop we will discover ideal locations for fairy houses, place a decorated doorway and then enhance the area around it with nature.” Materials will be provided.

Space is limited in the Walking the Trail workshops. The suggested donation for each is $20.

The day’s events will conclude at 4 p.m. with Nature’s Sound Circle. Participants will gather in an outdoor circle “to build community and reconnect with the land and the spirits of the place,” Gulbrandsen says. “Listen to the sound of the drum as it beats, shake a turtle rattle, and then the howl of a wolf is heard. Join in or just enjoy the energy.” Donations are welcome.

The sanctuary grounds are open from dawn to dusk. Covid precautions, including masks and social distancing, will be in place for all Earth Day events. There is a portable toilet on the grounds.

“Join us this year as we celebrate our connection to the earth,” Robustelli says. “This connection that we have to nature, plants and the land is important to our health and all that we are.”

Location: The World Peace Sanctuary 26 Benton Rd., Wassaic, NY.

For reservations or more information, contact Ann Marie Robustelli at 845.337.2599 or [email protected], or visit WorldPeace.org/sanctuary/.