ERIE - The anti-fracking group Erie Rising has organized a protest Saturday that includes a march to wells that Encana will drill near a school.

"This is kind of our last public effort before they stick the drill in the ground, so to speak," mother and Erie Rising co-founder Jennifer Palazzolo said. "We're asking Encana to abandon the site."

A rally will begin 10:30 a.m. at the Erie Community Center with speakers, music and children's activities. Speakers include Angela Fox, the mother of the "Gasland" director Josh Fox, and other environmentalists.

The group is protesting Encana's plans to hydraulically fracture eight natural gas wells near Redhawk Elementary School in Erie. Hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, involves pumping water, sand and chemicals into the ground to release gas.

Encana has no active operations planned at the Canyon Creek site Saturday, the company said in a statement.

"Erie Rising has a legal right to protest, just as Encana has the legal right to conduct our operations," the company said.

The company noted that it has received all the required regulatory approvals to drill at the site.

"It is our hope that Erie Rising and those