Guam Green Growth raises ground on third community garden

Garden

The Dededo Sports Complex is the site of the Guam Green Growth (G3) and Guahan Sustainable Culture’s (GSC) third community garden. The ground raising was held on November 1st with members of the community, dignitaries, and volunteers out to celebrate the occasion.

“Our organization is four-years old and to have this ground raising for our third garden shows how much support we have from the community, which is really encouraging,” said Michelle Crisostomo, co-founder and president of GSC.

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability (CIS) and Sea Grant was there in force to support and showcase the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of Zero Hunger, Good Health & Well-being, Sustainable Cities & Communities.

UOG CIS and Sea Grant Director Austin Shelton commented on the meaning of the occasion, “Having the third community garden means we are making progress toward our sustainable future. The more gardens we have the more opportunities for education and examples of food security for the island to get people involved and taking action toward reducing our reliance on imported food. These gardens benefit all of us.”

Marlon Oberiano, co-founder of GSC, was inspired to give the garden a circular design after visiting the botanical gardens in Chicago. “The concentric circle design allows for expansion with the spaces between the beds wide enough for wheelbarrows and wheelchairs to pass.” She explained that a key feature of this garden is the use of repurposed materials such as concrete blocks obtained from Pacific Soils & Engineering from their PSI testing on concrete for airport tarmacs and roads. “We use the blocks to define the garden beds. The raised beds were made by our partners at Farm to Table and give access for all people to get their hands in the soil.” said Oberiano.

Guam Clearinghouse director Stephanie Flores, summarized the event perfectly, “When we consider the community first it guides us through everything we do and all that comes from that can only be good. The pandemic has taught us if the ships stop coming, we’re in big trouble. Taking care of ourselves, taking care of the land, and taking care of each other leads to a more prosperous society.”

December 12, 2022December 31, 2024

G3 and GSC launch first-ever Guam Grower’s Calendar to kick-off 2023

Garden

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability (CIS), Sea Grant, Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative, and the National Science Foundation EPSCoR program officially launched two community calendars for 2023 at the G3 Circular Economy Makerspace and Innovation Hub.

More than just a tool for organizing and tracking important dates, Austin Shelton, Ph.D., director of Sea Grant and Center for Island Sustainability, said the new calendars highlight information that promotes a land and sea approach to food sustainability.

“We import over 90 percent of all the food and goods we consume, and we want to reduce that number. The tide chart calendar shows how to catch more local fish and use our abundant local resources in our pelagic areas and the deep ocean. And with the grower’s calendar, we are showing how we can cultivate our land — starting with our own backyard — help community gardens, and bring more local food to families,” Shelton said.

The Guam Grower’s Calendar (Fanha’aniyan Manåmon Guåhan) features photos of fresh local produce. It also includes the CHamoru lunar seasons, growing tips, and pest and disease management guides. The UOG team partnered with Guåhan Sustainable Culture (GSC) for the publication.

The Tide Chart Calendar features photos of some of Guam’s best rod and reel catches, which were selected from locally submitted entries from a photo call-out in August. In addition, the calendar includes information about moon phases and sustainable fishing tips. It also features local tide charts provided by the UOG Marine Laboratory.

“Our publications team and our partners have worked hard to bring amazing information to our children and our community. This is something that we have talked about — a lot of folks are looking at ways to help people grow and catch their own food. So, both calendars are definitely going to help in those areas,” said Kyle Mandapat, assistant director for communications at Sea Grant and Center for Island Sustainability.

The two calendars are the first two deliverables from a UOG Sea Grant and Center for Island Sustainability project that focuses on developing and delivering place-based educational resources in marine, environmental, and sustainability sciences. The project received funding from the Governor’s Education Assistance and Youth Empowerment Grant program.

“We are excited and appreciative about all the work that has been put into this project to be able to give locally produced materials to our students,” Sylvia Calvo, GDOE school program consultant, said at the launching.

The community can get copies of the calendars at the UOG Sea Grant office or the G3 Makerspace and Innovation Hub at the CHamoru Village. A digital version of the calendars can also be downloaded at uog.edu/seagrant.

October 27, 2022December 31, 2024

New G3 Community Garden set for ground raising in Dededo

Garden

Through the University of Guam-Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative, a new community garden will be built in Northern Guam this November to provide a space for the residents of Dededo and Yigo to learn sustainable backyard gardening and participatory and equitable food production.

G3 and Guåhan Sustainable Culture (GSC) are spearheading the ground raising event at the Dededo Sports Complex on November 1.

The new community garden is part of an islandwide initiative launched by G3, GSC and other government and non-government partners last year. Its long-term goal is to develop gardens in several villages as centers of community engagement where residents participate in growing their own food and learning about sustainable food systems and practices.

Austin Shelton, UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant director, described the G3 community gardens as beacons of education and food security. “We are bringing more sustainability to different parts of the island through these community gardens. We now have a garden in the South, another in Hagåtña, and soon, in Dededo,” he added.  

Michelle Crisostomo, GSC president, and co-founder, said that the new garden would make a great addition to the village. She said that they plan to incorporate the same features and programs at the Hagåtña community garden into the new site. “It would be another great place where the families can go, where they can also learn about growing their own food and another place where people can live an active lifestyle,” she added. 

GSC co-founder and vice president Marlyn Oberiano designed the first community garden in Hagåtña while the G3 Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps GSC members, and Pacific Federal Management Inc. fabricated the garden beds.  The 1,400-square-foot garden was officially opened to the public in August 2021.

GSC and the AmeriCorps GSC team continue to manage the Hagåtña site and host volunteer days for community groups and organizations. Later, G3 partnered with AmeriCorps to open another garden in January 2022 in the southern part of Guam, this time at the Jeremy Newby Community Center in Talo’fo’fo’.  

Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the project addresses SDG #2: Zero Hunger, SDG #3: Good Health and Wellbeing, and SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. 

September 28, 2022December 31, 2024

Guam Green Growth and Guahan Sustainable Culture confirm newest community garden partnership

Garden

The University of Guam-Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative will break ground on another community garden at the Dededo Sports Complex in October, following the successful launching of the project last year.

G3 collaborated with Guåhan Sustainable Culture, the Governor of Guam, and other multi-agency partners to open or facilitate the development of community gardens in villages all over the island.

Austin Shelton, UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant director mentioned the new project at the proclamation signing for Sustainable September, “Our community gardens are beacons of education and food security. Through these community gardens, we are bringing more sustainability to different parts of the island. We now have a garden in the South and another in Hagåtña, and soon, in Dededo.”

Michelle Crisostomo, GSC president and co-founder said that the new garden would make a great addition to the village, “It would be really great to showcase the same things (at the Dededo community garden) that we featured in Hagåtña…It would be another great place where the families can go, where they can also learn about growing their own food and another place where people can live an active lifestyle.”

G3 launched its first community garden in the heart of Hagåtña in August 2021. GSC co-founder and vice president Marlyn Oberiano designed the 1,400 sq.ft. garden while the G3 Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps GSC members, and Pacific Federal Management Inc. built the raised garden beds.

GSC and the AmeriCorps GSC team continues to manage the site and host volunteer days for community groups and organizations. Later, G3 partnered with AmeriCorps to open another garden in January 2022 in the southern part of Guam, this time, at the Jeremy Newby Community Center in Talo’fo’fo’. 

The community garden addresses several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG #2: Zero Hunger, SDG #3: Good Health and Wellbeing, and SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

September 28, 2022December 31, 2024

UOG CIS and Guam Green Growth celebrate Sustainable September

Garden

Joined by her Guam Green Growth Co-chair and president of the University of Guam Thomas Krise, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero proclaimed the month of September to be Sustainable September at a special proclamation signing held at Adelup.

Sustainable September featured events organized by the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant along with many Guam Green Growth partner organizations.

Leon Guerrero was in full support of the proclamation as she noted the importance of leading a more sustainable life for future generations.

“I am very honored to proclaim the month of September as Sustainable September,” said Leon Guerrero. “How do we sustain our island moving forward so that our generations are protected? This proclamation provides that tool.”

Leon Guerrero also noted the importance of climate change research for further development of our island.

“Climate change is a big priority of our administration and climate change needs to be addressed,” added Leon Guerrero. “[We need to address] how it’s going to impact our future generations.”

According to Guam Green Growth Action Framework Coordinator Camarin Quitugua, the month of September is also observed by the countries of the United Nations as a month for recognizing the Sustainable Development Goals and demanding urgency to create sustainable solutions for the planet.

“Our partnerships through the Guam Green Growth initiative have led to tangible solutions including the G3 Circular Economy Makerspace and Innovation Hub established at the CHamoru Village, the G3 Community Gardens in Hagatna, Talo’fo’fo and coming soon to Dededo,” added Quitugua.

Events scheduled for the month included Tree planting events, outreach opportunities, a kick-off wave, tours, exhibits and the first ever ArborFest event to be held on October 1 at Jeff’s Pirates Cove.

February 3, 2022October 25, 2023

Seeds sewn, service praised in new Talo’fo’fo community garden

Empowered by Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, Guam’s leaders and volunteers at the forefront of community service came together to raise ground in a new community garden, Jan. 17, at the Jeromy Newby Community Center in Talo’fo’fo’.

Gov. Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio, representatives from the Serve Guam Commission (SGC), 36th Guam Legislature, University of Guam (UOG), Guam Department of Education, and military took to the soil to plant some of the first crops in the garden, bolstering the Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative.

This was the second community garden established in partnership with G3, as the SGC’s AmeriCorps VETCORPS team answered the call to promote food security, healthy food choices, and increased island sustainability through education and community involvement, with a particular focus on veterans.

“This is the idea of placemaking; going to where all the conversations, of what makes a community, occurs,” said Peter Barcinas, SGC board chairperson and Associate Director for UOG Cooperative Extension & Outreach. “Today, this significant ushering of new programs and focusing more on our military community is an important milestone to guide the work we do.”

“Service, as we know, is such a sacred, sacred action that we give as a people. You will see how a community will come out and work with each other to promote food sustainability on our island to continue with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). As we raise another community garden for our people, let us shine the love of our souls upon all those who need our help and need our heart,” said Gov. Leon Guerrero.

The community garden supports SDG Goal 2, Zero Hunger; Goal 3, Good Health and Well-being; and Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Present on site were a newly erected aquaculture system and set of recycling bins, also brought forth through collaboration with G3 and UOG Sea Grant.

“‘We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late,’” said Austin Shelton, UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant director, quoting a speech by Martin Luther King Jr. “I am confident, and I am hopeful that we are not too late. We are in the right place, and we are doing the things that need to be done. This is the last decade that we have to act, to treat a future that is sustainable, prosperous, and equitable.”

UOG President Thomas Krise spoke on the strength of communities uniting for change and prosperity.

“The persistence of this demonstration of people showing what they care about and doing it peacefully is incredibly powerful. We need to do what we can with our neighbors, friends, and people who can make a difference, who can demonstrate that it’s possible to be upbeat, to be positive, to be an example to other people. It’s especially nice that we’re here in Talo’fo’fo’ to celebrate an example of a community that shows us all how to live as a community. Keep up the peaceful fight for positive change in our environment,” he said.

“All of the programs are in place. They are ready to serve our constituents. Our future is very promising. We have good people behind us. I have faith in them,” said Vicente Taitague, Talo’fo’fo’ mayor.

AmeriCorps Guahan Sustainable Culture member, Ysa Mercado, emphasized the program’s purpose of educating, influencing, and inspiring without profit.

“With everything that we’ve already done, and with this new startup, it just encourages sustainability for the island. The most important part is to want the island to continue to progress, so we stay safe and healthy, and, overall, sustainable and beautiful,” she said.

Residents are encouraged to collaborate with VETCORPS to work toward a successful garden and aquaculture system.

About G3
Aligned with the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, the Guam Green Growth Initiative, or G3, cultivates an ecosystem for transformative action to achieve a sustainable, prosperous, and equitable future for Guam. The University of Guam facilitates the island-wide initiative in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of Guam and the 100 members of the G3 Working Groups, representing all sectors of society.

December 17, 2021October 25, 2023

Guam Green Growth Community Garden hosts Guåhan Sustainable Culture kids’ workshops

Guam Green Growth Community Garden hosts Guåhan Sustainable Culture weekly workshops

Guåhan Sustainable Culture (GSC) and AmeriCorps GSC are bringing weekly educational outreach to the Guam Green Growth Community Garden with the launch of weekly community workshops.

The activities are free to the public and aim to encourage participation and sustainable development amongst families on Guam.

The weekly schedule includes Monday’s HomeGrown Giving and Seeds Giveaways, Garden Tour Day every Tuesday, Container Gardening Workshops on Thursdays, Seedling giveaways every Friday and special Neni Activities on certain Saturdays.

According to Guåhan Sustainable Culture president Michelle Crisostomo, teaching the younger members of the community about food security and farming can help prepare them for a healthier lifestyle.

“One of our goals is to help teach people about healthier lifestyles and that is important at an early age,” said Crisostomo. “People have a lot of health issues including high blood pressure and diabetes on Guam and we want to teach people to eat healthier and eat local. We want to teach it to them at an early age and make it fun and enjoyable.”

Crisostomo says the lessons learned in the garden go further than just the time of the visit.

“The garden itself serves as a demonstration garden for people who want to grow their own food at home,” explained Crisostomo. “The garden gives people inspiration for projects they want to start at home so they can incorporate what they learn, take it back and teach people in their families how to do it. It helps in the big picture of food sustainability.”

No stranger to using her hands in the dirt, mother of seven, Eunice Aflague, brought her two sons to the Neni Garden Activities held on December 11 at the G3 Community Garden for some exposure to farming.

Riley Rodriguez and Danny Aflague made Christmas tree ornaments from recycled material at a workshop during the Neni Garden Activities held on December 11. Participation in the weekly activities is free and open to the public.

“I brought my younger kids because my older kids were never exposed to programs like this and I grew up planting and farming and I wanted them to get exposed to that too,” said Aflague. “This (community garden) is very beneficial and I wish there were more of them, because in the future, a lot of this generation will not know what planting is, not like we did.”

Aflague says she hopes that the lessons her children learn at the G3 Community Garden will be applied at home.

“I started a little garden, and I want my kids to be more enthusiastic so that on the Homefront, they will come out and help me expand our home garden,” said Aflague.

The activities are facilitated by the Guahan Sustainable Culture Americorps members and include gardening, recycling, and sustainability lessons for children of all ages.

Members of the community are welcome to visit the garden in Hagatña, across the street from the Post Office and Skinner Plaza at any time during the week.

Registration and the full schedule of events can be found online at https://www.gusustainable.org/americorps as well as on the group’s social media pages.

The G3 Community Garden is a project of the island-wide Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative, a public-private partnership facilitated by the Center for Island Sustainability at the University of Guam and supported by the Office of the Governor that creates solutions to sustainability challenges and fosters the island’s alignment with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). The community garden addresses SDG #2: Zero Hunger, SDG #3: Good Health and Wellbeing, and SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and is maintained by Guåhan Sustainable Culture.

September 14, 2021October 25, 2023

G3 Community Garden to provide education and inspiration for healthy and sustainable living

WhatsApp Image 2021-09-10 at 11.06.06 AM

A newly developed community garden across from the Guam Museum in Hagåtña will be a place where residents can learn, volunteer, and gain inspiration for sustainable living.

The garden is a project of the island-wide Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative, a public-private partnership facilitated by the Center for Island Sustainability at the University of Guam and supported by the Office of the Governor that creates solutions to sustainability challenges and fosters the island’s alignment with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs).

The community garden addresses SDG #2: Zero Hunger, SDG #3: Good Health and Wellbeing, and SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

“A lot of the conversations during the pandemic revolved around food security and the vulnerability in having to import over 90 percent of all the foods and goods we consume,” said Austin Shelton, co-chair of the Guam Green Growth Steering Committee and director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability. “This is not just going to be a place to grow food, but it also will be a beacon of hope and a demonstration to all the other villages that they can do something similar.”

The 1,400-square-foot garden was designed by nonprofit group Guåhan Sustainable Culture (GSC), and the raised garden beds were built by the G3 Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps GSC members, and Pacific Federal Management Inc.

GSC will manage and continue to develop the garden with its AmeriCorps GSC team and will host garden volunteer days, where community organizations and groups will be invited to volunteer, and educational opportunities focused on food security and healthier lifestyles. GSC co-founder Michelle Crisostomo said that trellises will be installed for vining plants and that a section of the garden will be developed to educate children about agriculture and nutrition.

Attendees of a ground-raising ceremony on Aug. 19 planted peppers, eggplant, basil, and passionfruit seedlings. A portion of what is harvested will be given to the homeless and impoverished individuals and families.

“This community garden is a great demonstration of partnership,” said UOG President Thomas Krise. “The partnerships for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals are really central to the success of all of this.”

Other partners and supporters in the project include the 36th Guam Legislature, Guam Waterworks Authority, and the Serve Guam Commission.

“This community garden is a testament to the progress that Guam Green Growth has made to advance the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals,” said Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero. “We hope that this garden will provide nutritious food to the people of our island.”