There are plenty of ways to help clean up both Central’s campus and Ellensburg, like simply remembering to recycle that fourth energy drink can that helped get you through midterms.

On Nov. 7, the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement Center (CLCE), a group of 45 domestic and foreign students, will work together to clean up the leaves in Ellensburg with their event “Raise a Rake.” This will be their second year putting on the event.

Last year, the event was run by Philip Gohl, a graduate student at Central working for the CLCE.  

There were about 25 students that broke up into groups to clean up the yards of seven houses in three hours.     

“We collaborated with HopeSource to get a list of elderly citizens who couldn’t physically rake and pick up leaves on their own. The owners were extremely appreciative of the work, some even went to buy the students snacks and refreshments as a way to say ‘thank you,’” Gohl said.

Gohl also hopes to be able to put on other similar events this winter, where domestic and foreign students will work together to help and improve the community.

This year, Raise a Rake will be hosted by Molly Shanks, junior family and consumer science education major.

This is Shank’s first year attending Central and being able to fulfill her passion of helping people and the community.

The difference between last year and this year is the number of students participating. The CLCE provides the rakes, and almost all of them will get used this weekend.

The group will not be cleaning individual houses this year. Instead, they will work on entire streets off of University Way.

Raise a Rake will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Afterwards, a free lunch will be provided at Holmes diner.

“The great part about this event is the fact it helps the community, but at the same time it also allows students from foreign countries to interact with domestic ones,” Shanks said.

Around town and campus there are large amount of leaves and it’s necessary to pick them up. While they may look pretty when they first fall, they quickly become a mess when the seasons change.

They clog up storm drains and other water run-offs. While it might seem as if the leaves don’t have an impact in the big picture, they can make a difference when it comes to flooding.  

Students can easily get involved in helping the environment by riding a bike or encouraging business to be more bike friendly.

The Ellensburg Environmental Commission is a great way to get involved and stay up-to-date with the most recent environmental advancements.

The meetings are held on the third Wednesday of every month starting at 5:15 p.m. at the council conference room located on 501 N. Anderson St.

“Nancy Lillquist, council liaison, briefed the Environmental Commission on the follow up steps regarding the Bicycle Friendly Community Award,” read the most recent minutes provided by the Environmental Commission.

Currently, Ellensburg holds the silver award for bicycle friendly communities, which could be renewed in 2019, but the Environmental Commission would like to get upgraded to gold.

The award is based on the number of places and business which are “bike friendly,” meaning they have bike racks and paths to ride.

Sometime this spring, the Environmental Commission will be hosting a cleanup on campus. A great environmental cause to look for when the weather gets better.  

All it takes to help the environment is getting together with a couple friends to take a Saturday to go around town and pick up litter or clean up trash out of the Ganges, which runs through campus.

Even taking advantage of all the different types of trash disposal on campus can help. In the SURC, there are several different options.

Take the time to read and see which item goes in which bin. It’s simple and helps the environment.