CWU Sustainability

Maps and Resources

Land Acknowledgment

Central Washington University honors the native people and land on which CWU is located in Kittitas County. The following land acknowledgment statement was developed in consultation with members of the Yakama Nation.

We should take a moment to acknowledge the land on which Central Washington University resides. It is the historic home of the Yakama people. The federally recognized Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation are made up of Klickitat, Palus, Wallawalla, Wanapam, Wenatchi, Wishram, and Yakama people.

The Yakama people remain committed stewards of this land, cherishing it and protecting it, as instructed by elders through generations. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands. We give thanks to the legacy of the original people, their lives, and their descendants.

To learn more about the development of this land acknowledgment statement, how to deliver and share the statement, and how to honor Native and Indigenous peoples, visit the CWU Office of Diversity & Inclusivity.

Campus Sustainability Map

Discover CWU's sustainability features on our campus map.

Toggle on the 'Sustainability' layer to find locations of bottle filling stations, electric vehicle charging stations, and recycling stations. You can also see where CWU has installed solar panels, built LEED buildings, and implemented xeriscaping principles.

The 'Inclusivity Features' layer can be used to find locations of all-gender restrooms, nursing rooms, and PUSH pantries.

Check out the 'Parking & Transportation' layer to find bike racks, Central Transit stops, and the bike repair station on campus.

Campus Adventure Lab Tours

Adventure Lab is an app with unique outdoor scavenger hunts, made by the creators of Geocaching. In Spring 2021, ENST 499 students created two Adventures on the CWU Ellensburg Campus. On the tours, you'll walk through the chosen area to learn more about the location and be presented with questions that can be solved by investigating the area.

To start the Adventures, download The Adventure Lab® app on Google Play or the App Store. The app will guide you through the process of finding clues, solving puzzles, and completing the Adventures.

Central Washington University Sustainability Tour: this Adventure will guide you to some of Central Washington University’s sustainability highlights: Black Hall, Discovery Hall, Dean Hall, CWU Athletics, and the Wildcat Neighborhood Farm. ENST499 students Rhiannon Whitehead and Malik Watts contributed to this tour.

The Environmental Benefits of CWU's Trees: this Adventure takes you through CWU’s arboretum by Dean Hall, where you will explore the environmental benefits of trees in the categories of carbon sequestration, stormwater interception, and energy conservation. This tour is to be used by environmental students in class, orientations, campus tours, and even by the general public.

The tour was created in June 2021 by Christian Castilleja, an Event Management major who graduated in 2021. The tour aligns with CWU’s sustainability projects on campus by creating awareness of the services that trees provide for the environment and our community. It also provides educational value, promotes CWU's sustainability efforts, and showcases CWU's Tree Campus Higher Education title.

Discovery Hall Rock Garden Interactive Map

Map Link

Explore the rock samples that surround Discovery Hall. Stroll through the rock garden around Discovery Hall with your phone in hand to view the boulders in person and learn more about the geological wonders of our region!

The boulder specimens were selected by the CWU Department of Geological Sciences to encompass a range of Washington State geology as part of the construction of the Discovery Hall in 2016. Graduate students in the Fall 2020 Geology 502 course Regional Field Geology of the Northwest researched and assembled the pages for each boulder in the rock garden.