Keeping Our Community Backyard Pristine
We are lucky to call the Cle Elum River Valley our backyard. As with many beautiful places, each summer lots of people from all over Washington and beyond come and visit. And where there are people, inevitably there is trash. With each year, more garbage is left behind – to a point that the Forest Service is unable to keep up with it. So, this year, in partnership with the Forest Service, we are starting a community program called Thrash the Trash to empower our communities and keep our lands clean!
WHAT IS THRASH THE TRASH?
A community effort to keep our backyard pristine! We are partnering with the Cle Elum Ranger District to keep garbage in dumpsters. District staff will identify sites in dispersed recreation areas where trash has been left. Then together we’ll collect it thanks to a generous grant by the Suncadia Community Enhancement Fund, who has provided the tools and supplies to safely remove trash from our lands. That’s where you come in. All you need to do is show up!
WHEN AND WHERE IS IT HAPPENING?
The initial focus is on lands in our backyard, the Cle Elum River Valley. We will be working mostly in dispersed recreation sites, which are hit hard but don’t have the dedicated staffing that campgrounds do. We will also be holding events in our communities to keep our neighborhoods clean! We’ll meet on the tail end of weekends and spend a couple of hours straightening up. Events will take place mainly between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend with opportunities to have trash clean up parties outside the high use period as needed.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Calling all people in our community and beyond, which means you! You can make a difference in our lands and our community one piece of trash at a time! Through Thrash the Trash we want to foster community empowerment of our lands. But, we can’t do that without everyone’s help. Encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to come out with you! We do not have any age restrictions, but we ask that participating youth can be safe removing garbage.
THRASH THE TRASH VISION
We love this place. The Cle Elum River valley is like an extension of our backyard. It’s our home and we want to take care of it. We know you do too and we wanted to create a program to champion that sense of place. Through Thrash the Trash, we hope to foster a greater sense of community, strengthen the stewardship of our lands and change the habits of our visitors. By cleaning up a little at a time we can show visitors how we take care of the land while building a stronger community.
WHAT TO EXPECT
On the day of the event, we will meet at the Kittitas Conservation Trust office and head out to our clean up site from there. We will provide gloves, trash pickers and trash bags. We will also have water coolers so you can fill up your water bottles as you work. At the end of the day, we will load up the trash in a trailer provided by the Forest Service and then dispose of the garbage in a dumpster on the Forest Service compound.
WHERE TO MEET
We will meet at 1 PM at our office above the Roslyn Post Office – 120 W Pennsylvania Ave, Roslyn, WA 98941. Go through the double doors on looker’s left of the Roslyn Post Office building, up the stairs and our office will be on the left.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Picking up trash is a fun time, but you’ll want to dress and bring the right supplies for guaranteed success.
Closed toed shoes
Pants
Long-sleeved shirt
Hat
Sunscreen
Bug repellent
Water
Snacks
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
It’s easy. Click on the button below and find a day that works for you. Sign up and bring your A game!
HAVE QUESTIONS?
We are easy to get a hold of. Choose the way that works best for you!
Thrash the Trash Supporters
A huge thanks to the Suncadia Fund for Community Enhancement for providing funding for the tools and supplies needed to start up Thrash the Trash, and to the Forest Service for providing staffing, vehicles, and materials to make this program happen.
