CWU Wants You To "Get Down And Dirty At The Pond"

April 19, 2004

Contact: April Williams (509-963-1643/fax 509-963-1726/e-mail: slvcenter@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- This year marks the 32nd anniversary or Earth Day, which encourages grassroots activities in support of environment restoration and preservation. In conjunction with Earth Day 2004, Central Washington University's Civic Engagement Center will sponsor a variety of volunteer activities, including "Get Down and Dirty at the Pond!"

"We'll be planting native trees and plants along trails, pathways and riverbanks," April Williams, student project coordinator, says, "along with cleaning up and restoring the park area and lakeshore at Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park. This will be one of the most successful volunteer events of spring quarter."

As many as of 150 volunteers are expected to participate in the effort slated from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 24. From noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, there will be a free "Get Down and Dirty" barbecue for the first 150 volunteers who sign up for the event, which will feature music, volleyball tournaments and "fun in the sun," Williams adds.

Other scheduled events include:

• Sanding and painting picnic tables at the Bureau of Land Management's Umtanum, Lmuma and Roza campgrounds along the Yakima River on Thursday, April 22, from 1 to 4 p.m.;
• Clean up of the Olmstead State Park trail Friday, April 23, from 1 to 3 p.m.;
• Litter pick up and sign installation at the Big Pines recreation area, also along the Yakima River, on Friday from 1 to 4 p.m.;
• Planting sunflowers around the Ellensburg Waste Management recycling center also on Friday from 3 to 5 p.m.; and,
• Tree planting along Wilson Creek Tuesday, April 27, and again on Wednesday, April 28, from noon to 2 p.m. each day.

CWU Earth Day events are supported by: the CWU residence hall association, University Store, university housing and new student programs, Coca Cola, Starbucks, radio station KQBE, Wild Roots (a non-profit organization offering free vegetation restoration and environmental consultation), Bloomtime Gardens, Ranch and Home, Woods Ace Hardware, Kittitas County Water Purveyors, City of Ellensburg and Washington State Department of Ecology.

For more information about any of these events, or to sign up to participate in one or more of them, call (509) 963-1643, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.