Uncategorized - Guam Green Growth

November 23, 2021February 7, 2022

Guam Green Growth recognizes first cohort of Conservation Corps graduates

An innovative program designed to establish the foundation for workforce development in an emerging green economy achieved a milestone this month by holding its first graduation.

The University of Guam’s Guam Green Growth Initiative recognized its first batch of conservation corps graduates on Friday, Nov. 19, at the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor’s Complex (Adelup) in Hagåtña.

UOG President Thomas Krise commends the UOG G3 Conservation Corps graduates for their contribution to the overall goal of the Guam Green Growth Initiative.

The following Conservation Corps members graduated from the program: Nikomang Bradley, Joseph Certeza, Alana Chargualaf, Abby Crain, EnyDennis Dali, Claudia Rosalia Guerrero, Jacqueline Jones, Drake Kemp, Lusech Ngirakesau, Daniel Stone, Kaya Taitano, and Kevin Wong.

G3 launched the conservation corps program in partnership with UOG Center for Island Sustainability and UOG Global Learning and Engagement in June. For the past five months, the 12 members trained full time on various sustainability topics, such as agriculture and aquaculture, island beautification, invasive species removal, reforestation, circular economy and recycling, to renewable energy.

“Through the G3 Conservation Corps program, the 12 corps member are now trained in these focus areas, and these can be applied in agencies, organizations, and businesses to help transition our island into a green economy,” UOG President Thomas Krise said on the conservation corps’ contribution to G3’s overarching goal.

Krise said the members will receive continuing education units for completing the workforce development program. “This is supported by our partnership with the Global Learning Education and the Center for Island Sustainability. This is such a great way to combine education with all your other successes,” Krise said, addressing the members of the conservation corps.

Lt. Governor Joshua Tenorio congratulates the first batch of UOG Guam Green Growth Initiative Conservation Corps graduates in a ceremony held on Friday, Nov. 19, at the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor’s Complex (Adelup) in Hagåtña.

At the graduation, Austin Shelton, UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant director, highlighted the contributions of the first batch of Conservation Corps members. “When Guam Green Growth started, I shared that sustainability is about human society, the natural environment, and the economy. And you [graduates] have been an important part of getting ready to prepare our community and our workforce for the emerging green economy.”

From Jun. 23 to Nov. 9, 2021, the conservation corps accomplished the following:

Engaged community participants and leveraged 4,149 volunteer hours

Picked up 578 extra-large bags of trash, removed 211 white goods and bulky waste;
Collected and recycled 70,516 aluminum cans;
Installed 641solar panels and changed 693 fluorescent bulbs to LED;
Prepped 10 acres of land for reforestation projects;
Planted 2,890 trees and 2,024 food crops;
Built 690 ft. of erosion control devices;
Completed 9 painting projects (murals, bus stops, safety barricades, etc.);
Conducted 6 beach and 19 roadside cleanups, and;
Removed 400 feet of chain of love and 212 invasive bamboo stalks.

At the ceremony, Lt. Governor Joshua Tenorio commended the conservation corps graduates, “I am really happy and grateful for this great partnership with the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and really how all of you are pioneers in this movement to transform the island. In many ways and across many disciplines, the public sector, private sector and civil society.”

WHAT IS G3? 

Guam Green Growth or G3 is the island’s most comprehensive public-private partnership created to achieve a sustainable future. Aligned with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, G3 cultivates an ecosystem for transformative action to achieve our island’s sustainable, prosperous, and equitable future. UOG facilitates the island-wide initiative in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of Guam and the 99 members of the G3 Working Group representing all sectors of our society.   

November 16, 2021December 21, 2021

G3CC prepares commodities for community distribution in Yoña

As the Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps program winds down, the group kicked it into high gear as they stepped in to assist the Yoña Mayor’s Office prepare over 340 commodity bags for distribution to the community this week.

Corps members packed various food items into bags that will be distributed to villagers by the Mayor and his team in line with Covid-19 support programs.

According to Quenga, over 500 people are assisted with every commodity distribution event in Yoña. He says that in the past, the prepping of bags took his staff away from other pressing village needs.

“I am so grateful for the help. Now that Guam Green Growth is here, our guys can go take care of the village,” said Quenga.

UOG CIS Sustainability Coordinator Phil Cruz along with the Guam Green Growth team work to fill reusable bags with food commodities for Yoña community members.

Conservation Corps members formed an assembly line to prepare the bags and ensure efficiency.

“When you saw at the end of the process, and see how much of it would have been plastic it’s great to see the Reusable bags,” said G3CC Member Abby Crain. “Contributing community support and knowing it’s going to help sustain someone during these tough times is an awesome feeling.”

The Corps has volunteered in every village on Guam throughout the duration of the five-month program coordinating beautification cleanups, paintings and more.

“Guam Green Growth is an awesome program. They reach out to all the villages and help all the villages,” said Quenga. “They have so many ideas to put into play and they are here today proving that they are here to help every village.”

Guam Green Growth also provided reusable tote bags for the commodities to be packed in, curbing the use of single-use plastic bags that are set to be illegal on January 1, 2022.

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.

November 15, 2021November 15, 2021

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.

November 15, 2021December 21, 2021

G3 mounts plastic ban campaign as part of circular economy shift

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.”

November 14, 2021December 27, 2021

#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

November 9, 2021November 15, 2021

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.

November 3, 2021November 15, 2021

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.

October 29, 2021October 29, 2021

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!

October 29, 2021October 29, 2021

Bring Your Own Bag! Outreach schedule

October 26, 2021November 15, 2021

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!