G3 Conservation Corps conducts campus beautification activities

G3 Conservation Corps conducts campus beautification activities

The University of Guam Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps has completed beautification projects throughout the island, and this month focused their attention on several areas of the University campus.   

The Corps assisted the University landscaping team with several projects on campus including hedge trimming, flower and tree planting and painting.   

“We are so glad that we have been able to partner with the village communities on different beautification activities, and now we are able to help here at our UOG home,” explained G3 Sustainability Coordinator Phil Cruz. “We have been looking forward to doing some work on campus since the start of the program and it has been great to make it happen.” 

Corps members cleared and trimmed overgrown hedges and planted several native Gaosali, or Torchwood plants near the University Drive entrance to the campus.  

The Corps also constructed planter boxes along the cliff line to replace two that were previously damaged by an auto accident. 

“We got the two planter boxes fixed, it is great to get these things restored because they needed them,” said Corps member Kevin Wong.  “Everyone jumped on board to help. It was really good.”

The planter boxes will be repainted to feature the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that Guam Green Growth are dedicated to achieving on Guam and will be filled with Gaosali. 

Other campus beautification activities completed by the Conservation Corps include water blasting and painting of statues including Latte Stones in the courtyard.  

The first cohort of the Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps will wrap up their term in mid-November. 

Guam Green Growth (G3) is an engine of innovation developing tangible solutions to sustainability challenges in our island region. Growing our skilled workforce is a solution to support the diversification of our island’s economy. The G3 Conservation Corps program prepares our community for the emerging green economy. 

G3 mounts plastic ban campaign as part of circular economy shift

G3 mounts plastic ban campaign as part of circular economy shift

The Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps are on the scene at stores throughout the island for the Bring Your Own Bag campaign.

In less than two months, single-use plastic bags will no longer be distributed at retail stores on island. 

In response, the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Guam Green Growth launched an education campaign in late October to help the community prepare for the sustainable shift .  

The campaign involves visiting select convenience stores at all 19 villages over several weeks. At these stores, the Guam Green Growth team are expected to provide information on the ban and distribute thousands of reusable shopping bags to customers. 

G3CC member Daniel Stone hands out free reusable shopping bags at a local store.

“Bring Your Own Bag” campaign promotes Public Law 35-130, which totally phases out single-use carry-out bags at retail stores and restaurants. Governor Lou Leon Guerrero signed the law in December 2020. 

The public law amends the “Choose to Reuse: Mungna Ma Ayek I Plastek Act of 2018” by removing current exemptions and expanding the coverage of the 2018 law. 

“This year since January 2021, plastic bags are already banned from being distributed, but the exemptions are biodegradable bags, paper bags, and bags made from Plastic #2 HDPE. But effective January 2022, biodegradable and HDPE plastic bags will also be banned,” UOG Center for Island Sustainability coordinator Phil Cruz said.   

P.L. 35-130 has a bridge provision that allows certain businesses to continue using paper bags until July 1, 2022. 

Cruz urged the community to switch to reusable bags before the ban takes full effect. “We are seeing harmful effects to our environment. Whether beach cleanups or village cleanups, we often find single-use plastic bags littered in our streets during our cleanups. There is also evidence that plastic bags are having harmful effects on our marine life. We want to protect our marine resources. Reducing the use of single-use plastic bags is just one step toward being more sustainable.”  

For CIS director Austin Shelton, the move away from plastic bags contributes to the overall goal of shifting the island economy from a linear to a circular system. Guam follows the linear economic model where resources are extracted, turned into products, and then disposed of after use. The circular economy model closes the loop by creating new uses for materials that would otherwise end up as waste diverted into the landfill. The circular economy end goals are to prolong the product life cycle, lessen the burden on natural resources, and regenerate natural systems.  

“When we do those things and create the transition to the circular economy, we have a greener Guam with green economic growth. That’s good for us and for all of our people so that we can continue living in the place that we love very much and that is our home, the island of Guam,” Shelton said. 

Shelton added, “It would be really great if you start going green now, and bring your own reusable bag whenever you go shopping, and help create our sustainable future.”  

Guam Green Growth prepares the community for the emerging green economy. The program aligns with the current island wide efforts to achieve sustainability and other U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Meanwhile, implementing a circular economy on the island contributes to achieving multiple U.N. SDGs, including SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate change), and others.   

#INTHENEWS: Tackling stray animals, reducing plastic bags discussed by beautification task force

Tackling stray animals, reducing plastic bags discussed by beautification task force

FROM: GUAMPDN.COM
By: Jackson Stephens
Photo by: Rick Cruz

An increase in staff to deal with stray animals and Guam Green Growth’s initiative to help replace plastic bags were announced during the Islandwide Beautification Task Force meeting on Tuesday

To implement high-volume spaying and neutering of stray dogs and cats, the Department of Agriculture has hired veterinarian Mariana Turner, who will be starting in January 2022, according to Department of Agriculture director Chelsa Muna-Brecht.

Two animal control officers were hired Monday; they’re training with the court system and Guam Animals in Need.

Bag ban education

The University of Guam’s Guam Green Growth Initiative has launched its campaign to educate residents on the upcoming ban on plastic bags, including bio-plastic bags, that will go into effect in January 2022, said Center for Island Sustainability Director Austin Shelton

RECAP: Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps week twenty

RECAP: Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps week twenty

Last week, our G3 Conservation Corps started off our Reusable Bag outreach!
 
They passed out our G3 reusable bags and waved at passersby at 7 Day Supermarket in Dededo, Håfa Adai Market in Yigo, and Gangnam Mart in Tamuning to promote the use of reusable bags before the distribution of single-use plastic carry out bags are prohibited in January 2022 (Public Law 35-130).
 
After the outreach on Monday, the Corps continued their Citizen Forestry Program tasks at Sagan Kotturan CHamoru.
 
They then continued the UOG beautification and started painting the planter boxes that they planted guasali in, built two planter boxes, and weeded the croton hedges.
 
Thursday was spent at the G3 Makerspace and Innovation Hub in CHamoru Village prepping the houses for the grand opening happening soon!
 
The Corps then took a tour of the UOG Marine Laboratory and received a chainsaw operation and safety training from Department of Agriculture for the following week’s invasive bamboo removal.
 
Finally, the end of the week was spent cleaning up Chorito Beach in Asan.
 
We’re now down to the final weeks of our first G3 Conservation Corps!
 
Stay tuned to see what they do next.

RECAP: Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps week nineteen

RECAP: Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps week nineteen

Last week was all about island beautification for our G3 Conservation Corps!
 
Roland Quitugua, UOG’s Landscape Committee member and an Extension Agent with UOG’s Cooperative Extension and Outreach, taught the Corps how to properly plant and mulch guasåli and weed out the crotons lining UOG’s campus. 
 
The Corps then propagated the crotons that they pruned, which will be used for future campus beautification efforts. They also bush-cut along the entrance of UOG, water-blasted and painted the latte’ stone sculptures in the middle of the campus, and rebuilt the broken planter boxes overlooking Pago Bay. It was a busy week!
 
Finally, the Corps ended the week with island beautification in Inalåhan where they picked up trash on the roadsides and painted the long guardrail on the main road.
 
Si Yu’os ma’åse’ to UOG’s maintenance team for providing technical support and to Inalåhan Mayor’s Office for hosting us!
 
We’re now down to the final weeks of our first G3 Conservation Corps! Stay tuned to see what they do next.

Recap: Island beautification in Yona

Island Beautification Recap: Yoña

ISLAND BEAUTIFICATION RECAP: YOÑA
 
Si Yu’os ma’åse to Mayor Quenga and his team in Yoña for hosting our G3 Conservation Corps and volunteers from the Naval Airborne Weapons Maintenance Unit 1!
 
Down at Tagå’chang Beach, the group picked up 12 large bags of trash and 3 large bags of aluminum cans. The Corps also cleared 3/4 of a mile of low-hanging trees and branches on the road down to the beach.
 
There are only a couple Fridays left to volunteer with us for our island beautification efforts. Stay tuned to find out where we’ll be next!
 

RECAP: Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps week eighteen

RECAP: Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps week eighteen

It was a mix of sustainable activities for our G3 Conservation Corps last week!
 
To start the week off, the Corps went back to GAIN to assist with their energy efficiency projects that they surveyed for GAIN a few weeks ago. They installed and tinted more efficient windows and water-blasted the rooftops to reduce heat gain, cleaned the AC units to make them run more efficiently, and replaced CFLs with energy-efficient LED lights.
 
The Corps then went to Sagan Kotturan CHamoru to conduct a Citizen Forester Program inventory where they plotted 51 trees to track the benefits it provides to our land and our island community.
 
There were presentations on fisheries and sea turtles from our partners at DOAg, UOG Marine Lab, and UOG Sea Grant.
 
Mid-week was spent taking a tour of the Guam National Wildlife Refuge at Ritidian and removing the parasitic Dodder vine in the area. The Corps removed over 60 lbs. of the vine!
 
The Corps’ week ended with a cleanup at Tagå’chang Beach in Yona where volunteers from the village and from US Navy came by to help!
 
Si Yu’os ma’åse’ to all our partners for hosting us and to all our volunteers that came out to assist!
 
 

RECAP: Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps week seventeen

RECAP: Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps week seventeen

It was a mix of business and fieldwork last week for our G3 Conservation Corps!
 
Our friends at GUMA (Guam Unique Merchandise and Art) took the Corps through their business incubator program for the first two days to show them the process of starting their own business.
 
Lorenzo Eduvala, UOG’s Student Academic Counseling Specialist with Enrollment Management & Student Services, performed a professional development training with the Corps on being proactive.
 
Franceska De Oro (@youngbiha), a yoga instructor and a coordinator for Micronesia Climate Change Alliance (MCCA), gave the Corps a lesson on self-sustainability and did a “Peace of Mind Square” activity on self-awareness.
 
Our partners at the Guam Department of Agriculture in the Agricultural Development Services (ADS) division, Chief John Borja and Ursula Herrera, gave the Corps a presentation on becoming a bonafide farmer.
 
Afterwards, our very own Kyle Mandapat presented on The Big 10 of Small Business Marketing and our G3 Coordinators, Lauren Swaddell and Rita Bernardo, shared an introduction on the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
 
On Wednesday, Island Girl Power hosted the Corps where they carried out the following activities:
– Transplanted 4 guava trees
– Replanted 1 avocado tree and 2 moringa trees
– Pruned banana circle (banana, pigeon pea, papaya, tapioca, suni)
– Mulched up to 4” in moringa plot
– Placed 2 layers of cardboard as weed suppression in moringa plot
– Transplanted 11 suni in moringa plot
– Transplanted 12 lemongrass around moringa plot as erosion control
– Transplanted 9 buttercup plants
– Dispersed marigold and white/yellow daisy seeds in bee corner
– Watered all individual gardens
– Transplanted 5 arrow root and two lemon grass plants as erosion control around guava/avocado circle
– Two members devoted 8 hours to organizing the thrift store
 
On Thursday, G3CC assisted with the renovation and beautification of the Guam Green Growth Makerspace and Innovation Hub at CHamoru Village opening soon!
 
Finally, the Corps ended the week in Talo’fo’fo’ with a cleanup and painted a few village bus shelters.
 
Si Yu’os ma’åse’ to all our partners for hosting us and to all our volunteers who came out to assist!
 

RECAP: Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps week sixteen

RECAP: Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps week sixteen

Our G3 Conservation Corps was at the UOG Triton Farm last week! Here’s what they were up to:
– Cleaned and prepped 9 lbs. of lettuce for Triton Farm orders
– Harvested 2.5 pounds of basil for Triton Farm orders
– Planted 600 lettuce seeds, 72 basil seeds, 72 rosemary seeds, 72 tomato seeds, and 209 taro cuttings
– Cleared 300 ft. of weeds in lettuce/herb rows
– Cut, pruned, and mulched ~300 banana trees
– Transplanted 38 passion fruit plants
– Made 8 air layerings of lemmai
– Moved 3 truck loads of tree branches to piles
– Mulched 68 fruit trees with chicken manure and paper shreds good for 3-6 months
– Removed invasive toads from lettuce/herb rows
Si Yu’os ma’åse’ to our friends, Jessica Nangauta and her crew, at UOG Triton Farm for hosting our G3 Conservation Corps!
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