The Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps (G3CC) went fishing for new skills with the experts from the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainabilty & Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant), diving into the biological and cultural aspects of sustainable fisheries.

UOG CIS & Sea Grant’s Fisheries division lead the workshop, with Leilani Sablan-Naden helping to guide the G3CC along with way.

“The goal was to demystify life history research, empower community members with scientific skills, and highlight how understanding fish biology supports sustainable harvesting practices,” said Sablan-Naden.

She added, “Each day centered on a focal species or method and emphasized the important role that human behavior, tradition, and stewardship play in fisheries sustainability.”

Being a beliver in “learning by doing”, Sablan-Naden set out to teach the G3CC about the concept of life history, which is the study of an organism’s age, growth and reproduction and how this information lends itself to responsible fisheries management.

This was achieved through both lab and field work, with with lab activities like dissection of fish species to determine its sex and extracteing otoliths or “ear bones” of fish to determine its age; and field work ranging from learning traditional fishing methods like use of a talåya’ net at Tumon Bay to seeing thriving fish species swimming amidst healthy coral at places like Fish Eye in the village of Piti.

Although these activities are certainly scientific in nature, Sablan-Naden finds them necessary to showcase the accessibility of crucial information regarding Guam’s fish species while also being imperative to sustainability management.

Mi’Yah Max, a member of the G3CC’s fifth cohort participated in every aspect of the UOG CIS & Sea Grant’s week-long fisheries workshop.

Max expresses excitement in having the opportunity to work with the knowledgable and passionate fisheries team. However, unlike her fellows in the G3CC, she approached this week with some hesitation.

She says, “I’m not the best swimmer, so at first I was not as excited for this week like others in my cohort were. That is, until I caught my first fish!”

For Max, in addition to learning about the science and skills of sustainable fisheries, the week was also a lesson in perseverance and courage to try something new.

“Often times people don’t think something is possible for them, until the moment they try and it works out”, she shares. “It was my first time casting a rod and reel, so imagine my surprise when I ended up catching three fish! I am now on the look out for the best fishing rod for my next try.”

As the week with the UOG CIS & Sea Grant fisheries team drew to an end, Max reflected on the lessons learned and its place within sustainability, finding its importance to be even more dire for Guam and other island communities.

She says, “Even if I never go fishing again, I still have the basic understanding that whatever happens on the land affects the ocean, and whatever happens in the ocean affects the land.”

The Guam Green Growth Conservation Crops (G3CC) went scouting for snakes with the National Park Service and community group, Friends of Islan Dåno, learning how to track, capture and dispose of invasive brown tree snakes that have slithered throughout Guam.

Also known as Boiga irregularis, the brown tree snake continues to have adverse effects on Guam’s ecosystems, specifically ravaging Guam’s native bird population to near extinction.

With National Park Service taking the lead at Asan Beach Park on one night, and Friends of Islan Dåno leading the training in the village of Malesso’ on another, the G3CC received comprehensive training imperative to the removal of this sly snake species.

The team learned to properly bait and set snake traps, helping to lay around 64 at Asan Beach Park; how to track the presence of brown tree snakes by assessing availability of its food sources in a given area (e.g. cane toads, mourning geckos, and bird species), common areas and conditions brown tree snakes inhabit, and extermination.

Although mitigation of invasive species like the brown tree snake has been a challenge for Guam, learning fundamental skills on how to track and remove them is key to protecting the future of the island’s native beauty.

Armed with the knowledge shared by sustainability partners like National Park Service and Friends of Islan Dåno, the G3CC is now in a better position to meet this challenge, protecting our native species today so the people of Guam can continue to enjoy them in a distant tomorrow.

The Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps (G3CC) and the G3 GROW Corps worked together with the Governor’s Office and iRecycle to bolster recycling efforts at the 81st Guam Liberation Day Parade with the mission of keeping aluminum cans out of the landfill. 

In preparation for the big community celebration, the G3CC and GROW Corps spent the week leading up to the event preparing several can bins made from chicken wire and distributing them throughout the parade route, making it easier for celebrants along Marine Corps Drive to join in on the recycling efforts.  

On the morning of the 81st Liberation Day Parade, the G3CC were on scene in Hagåtña bright and early, ready for the big day and determined to collect as many aluminum cans as possible.  

At the day’s end, the G3CC, GROW Corps and iRecycle managed to collect 20 55-gallon trash bags filled with aluminum cans, totaling approximately 4,500 cans diverted from the landfill. 

With the cans from the parade collected, they will be distributed to iRecycle bins housed at various public schools throughout Guam, with the funds raised from each recycling bin going to each school.  

For the G3CC’s fifth season and GROW Corps first season members, the mission to mitigate the impact of recyclable waste sent to the landfill through recycling was a success, through collaboration with sustainability partners like the Office of the Governor of Guam and iRecycle, and the island community at large.  

The Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps (G3CC) spent the week with Island Girl Power (IGP), a non-profit organization based in the village of Dededo which focuses on empowering young girls and their families, and a sustainability partner determined to teach the importance of food security through its community gardens and other activities.  

While at the Dededo facility, the G3CC learned about agroforestry, a form of agriculture relative to cultivating and conserving trees, how to identify native plant species via the iNaturalist app, and even lent a hand in IGP’s community garden to ensure fresh fruits and vegetables are available to the surrounding community.  

Despite scattered showers throughout the week, nothing could dampen to the spirits of the G3CC who managed to transform a portion of the IGP property from a wild jungle brimming with an overgrowth of invasive plant species to a freshly landscaped space ready for native plants. Among these invasive species removed were Leucaena leucocephala and Spathodea campanulata, two invasive species of tree, and Antigonon leptopus, most known as the Chain-of-Love vine.  

For the G3CC, the time spent with IGP was a fruitful one ripe with new ideas and skills geared toward a more sustainable community. For some members of the cohort, the fruits of their collective labor is further sweetened in the helping of IGP and the entire island to further empower young girls and their families to envision a greener Guam.  

The Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps (G3CC) rolled up its sleeves and partnered with Guåhån Sustainable Cultures (GSC) during the week of June 9, for a deep dive into food sustainability and agriculture.

At the GSC Food Resiliency Hub in Yona, the G3CC learned about food security and food sovereignty, two pillars of sustainable food practices, the former of which ensures access to affordable and healthy food options to all people while the latter is a system wherein the people who grow, share, and eat farmed foods also govern its production and distribution.

The G3CC also helped to prepare garden beds for medicinal plants used in CHamoru culture alongside students enrolled in GSC’s summer program.

The fifth cohort of the G3CC rounded out the week at the Hub by tending to the coffee and fruit gardens on the property. They also assisted in harvesting pandanus leaves.

The group learned the proper and safest ways to plant papaya and pineapple, and helped remove Antigonon leptopus, an invasive species of perennial vine more commonly known as the “chain-of-love” vine.

With this week in books, the G3CC members now feel even more prepared for the emerging green economy with the skills shared by GSC and partners in sustainability like them.

According to members, it is through collaborations like this that the seeds of a more sustainable future for all people are grown.