The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant) is hosting a tree-planting event this Saturday, August 2 at the Ugum Watershed project site.

The event is scheduled to take place from 8AM to 10AM and will be coordinated by the Guam Restoration of Watersheds (GROW) Initiative. Volunteers are welcome to participate in this event.

“This is the first GROW in Malojloj event for the year and is going to kick-off our planting season,” said GROW Project Lead Joshua Muña. “We want to welcome everyone down to learn how we can protect our watershed and our coastal ecosystems and to get hands-on experience making a difference.”

According to Muña, the Ugum Watershed is crucial for Guam’s ecosystem, providing habitat for various species and contributing to the island’s water supply. Tree planting efforts in the area help prevent soil erosion, improve water quality, and prevent coral suffocation.

Participants are encouraged to wear appropriate clothing for outdoor work, including closed-toe shoes, hats, and sunscreen. Gloves and water will be provided, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles to minimize waste.

The GROW in Malojloj event series will continue Saturdays, September 6, October 4, and November 8, 2025, and are open to community group, corporate and service-learning student volunteers.

Participants are encouraged to arrive promptly to receive instructions and tools. For a map to the project site and to stay updated on the GROW in Malojloj event series, please follow @uogseagrant on social media.

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant) extends its congratulations to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) on the recent launch of their ambitious RMI Green Growth initiative.

This significant step towards a more sustainable future for RMI has been greatly supported by the expertise and collaborative framework of Guam Green Growth (G3) and was first announced during the 16th University of Guam Conference on Island Sustainability (CIS2025), where RMI President, Her Excellency, Hilda Heine Ed.D., was the keynote speaker.

“The future of our islands depends on the decisions we make today. Our goal is not just to protect what we have, but to create the future where our islands are stronger, our people are empowered, and our way of life can endure,” said Heine at CIS2025.

The RMI Green Growth initiative, was unveiled during the 27th Micronesian Islands Forum held this month in Majuro, marks a pivotal moment for the island nation, demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainable development aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Austin Shelton Ph.D., director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant and co-chair of the G3 Steering Committee, expressed his pride in the regional collaboration.

“We are excited for the Republic of the Marshall Islands as they embark on their Green Growth journey,” said Shelton. “The expansion of the Green Growth movement across Micronesia signifies the critical importance of sustainable development for our island communities. Sustainability is ingrained in islands because it has been critical to our survival for millennia. Together, the Pacific is rising to the forefront of global efforts to secure a sustainable future for our planet.”

Guam Green Growth, a comprehensive public-private partnership facilitated by UOG CIS & Sea Grant, has played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for green growth expansion, recently celebrating the launches of CNMI Green Growth and Palau Green Growth initiatives as well.

The G3 team, in collaboration with Hawai’i Green Growth, Hawaii Sea Grant and the Local2030 Islands Network, has provided support in developing RMI’s Green Growth dashboard and assisting with grant-writing efforts to establish a circular economy makerspace in the Marshall Islands.

“As UOG continues to strengthen collaborations throughout Micronesia, we are so happy for our partners in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the launch of their RMI Green Growth initiative. As we stood on stage together earlier this year at CIS2025 and Her Excellency, President Heine announced her commitment to green growth, we offered our support. Now, we see the forward movement we Micronesians are known for, in action. Biba RMI Green Growth and Biba UOG,” said UOG President Anita Borja Enri quez D.B.A.

The RMI Green Growth program is set to continue the nation’s efforts towards a more resilient, prosperous, and inclusive economy. It builds upon RMI’s existing climate change priorities, including their 2050 Climate Strategy which aims for net-zero emissions and 100% renewable energy by 2045.

UOG CIS & Sea Grant remains dedicated to fostering regional partnerships and sharing successful models like G3 to empower other island nations in their pursuit of sustainability. The launch of RMI Green Growth is a testament to the power of collaboration and a promising sign for a more sustainable and resilient Pacific.

Three high school students earned top honors at the 2025 NSF INCLUDES Supporting Emerging Aquatic Scientists (SEAS) Islands Alliance STEM Symposium, where they presented innovative projects tackling some of Guam’s pressing environmental and ecological challenges.

Held at the University of Guam School of Business and Public Administration, the symposium featured posters from a total of six high school students. Their topics ranged from invasive species, waste recycling to biodiversity — each project highlighting the real-world applications of STEM education in island communities.

The students were part of the STEM High School Summer Internship Program, an initiative supported by the NSF INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance. Over the course of the summer, they worked alongside mentors to develop and conduct their own scientific projects. 

Speaking to the interns, UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant) Director Austin Shelton, Ph.D., emphasized the value of their experience. “What’s really great about your high school internship is that you’re getting place-based education with very top-tier science, and that is something that you can bring with yourself anywhere in the world,” Shelton said. “What you have earned this summer is a National Science Foundation-funded summer internship—that’s something that you’ll be able to put on your college applications.”

Cheryl Sangueza, Ph.D., co-principal investigator for NSF INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance Guam and lead for the capacity building team at the UOG CIS & Sea Grant, said that this is the culminating event for the high school interns of the program.

Here are the high school interns who placed in the symposium:

1st Place: Marley Aldan (Junior, Tiyan High School)

Project: “It’s Getting Sticky: Comparing Seed Adhesion to Natural vs. Synthetic Materials”
Mentor: Else Demeulenaere, Ph.D.

Aldan explored a common but overlooked cause in the spread of invasive species— different types of clothing. Her project focused on how seeds from the invasive plant Bidens alba stick to various fabric types. Testing materials like polyester, spandex, cotton, and linen, Aldan found that natural fabrics tend to collect more seeds than synthetics.

“By doing this I am hoping to see which clothing materials people shouldn’t wear outside so they can lessen the spread of Bidens alba because it is an invasive species on Guam that takes over its environment,” Aldan said. 

Aldan’s research suggests that even small choices, like what we wear, can impact Guam’s biodiversity. She recommends future studies explore seed retention rates to better understand how seeds drop and travel from one area to another. Her research also suggests that containing invasive species like Bidens alba increases the chances for native species to thrive and helps protect biodiversity.

2nd Place: Caleb Ngiratereged (Senior, Simon Sanchez High School)

Project: “Effect of Waste Tire Rubber in Cement-Based Mortar”
Mentor: Ernesto Guades, Ph.D.

Faced with a growing tire waste problem on Guam—where an estimated 120,000 scrap tires are produced each year— the project examined whether shredded tire rubber could be safely incorporated into cement-based mortar.

By testing 15 concrete specimens with varying amounts of tire rubber (0%, 2.5%, and 5%), Ngiratereged discovered that while the compressive strength slightly decreased with more rubber content, this method still shows promise for non-load-bearing applications.

“Around Guam there is a lot of wasted tires, just dumped on the side of the road. I proposed that we use tire rubber in cement-based mortar to increase the strength of it, as well as for sustainability,” Ngiratereged said.

3rd Place: Ashley Castaneda (Senior, John F. Kennedy High School)

Project: “Taxonomic Reassessment of Two Mastogloia Species: M. baldjikiana and M. indonesiana”
Mentor: Christopher Lobban, Ph.D.

Castaneda investigated the microscopic world of diatoms—photosynthetic, plant-like microorganisms important to aquatic ecosystems. Her research focused on the taxonomy of two closely related diatom species: Mastogloia baldjikiana and Mastogloia indonesiana.

Using light and scanning electron microscopy, Castaneda compared diatom samples with historical records, finding no trace of M. baldjikiana.

Instead, she found that evidence pointed to the samples being M. indonesiana, suggesting a possible misidentification in previous scientific studies.

On winning third place, Castaneda said, “This is my first science fair and my first award from a science fair. I am grateful to have been given this opportunity.” 

The internship program has opened research opportunities for students on the island who are interested in various science fields, including botany, ecology, marine biology, sustainability, and other areas of environmental science.

The Guam Green Growth (G3) Circular Economy Makerspace & Innovation Hub is collaborating with Ernesto Guades, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Guam School of Engineering, on a research project exploring how certain types of recyclable plastic can be prototyped into construction materials.

According to Guades, the project received funding through the Pacific Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (Pacific RISA) Economic Valuation of the G3 Initiative, a program administered by the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant.

The broader goal of the economic valuation is to assess and quantify the economic impact and return on investment of the G3 initiative, including components such as the G3 Makerspace & Innovation Hub and the G3 Conservation Corps workforce development program.

“We are working on projects on sustainable materials, particularly plastics,” Guades said. “They provided some seed funds to study how we can convert recycled plastics into materials that can be used in construction.”

The project, which began in January, focuses on creating plastic lumber using specific types of recyclable plastic. While plastic lumber is commercially available, Guades said they are usually costly and limited in application.

“The strength of what we found is comparable to what is commercially available,” he said. “We would like to make it affordable so the result is quite comparative,” Guades said.

Initially, Guades used polypropylene, also known as Type 5 plastic, which is commonly found in food containers. With promising results, the research is now entering a second phase, which expands both the scope of materials and the scale of production.

“Previously, we only studied one type of plastic—Type 5, which is polypropylene. So, what we are doing now in the next stage is we try to also cover the other types of plastic,” he said. “We are now going to Type 2, which is called high-density polyethylene.”

This next phase includes combining—or hybridizing—different types of plastics to evaluate their combined strength and usability.

“We try to combine them … and find out what’s the effect. Whether we can include them as one or we can separate them,” he said.

All fabrication and prototyping are being done at the G3 Makerspace & Innovation Hub using specialized equipment, including a shredder and an extruder machine.

The shredder breaks down plastic waste into smaller flakes, making it easier to process. The extruder melts the shredded plastic and pushes it through a mold to create new products.

Guades is also working with the COMPASS NextGen grant program to engage six undergraduate intern researchers over the summer. Some of these students, from the UOG School of Engineering, are conducting hands-on work at the G3 Makerspace, assisting with the operation of the shredder and extruder, and researching plastic combinations to achieve the right balance of Type 2 and Type 5 plastic for strong, commercial-grade plastic lumber.

The project also aims to create larger sample sizes that could be tested in practical construction scenarios.

“Because now we have limited sections—only very small—we would like to make a bigger section so that we can apply that in several applications,” Guades said.

Potential uses include bridge and housing construction. “Well, it is for plastic lumber. This can actually replace timber or wood. But we would like to do more than that. So, the applications will be for bridges or maybe for structural components of houses. So that’s the target,” he added.

“This is based on the initial experience that we have—it’s promising,” he said. “We are getting a comparable result and even better than what is available commercially.”

The Guam NSF EPSCoR program and the G3 Makerspace are connected through their shared mission to advance sustainability and innovation in Guam.

Guam NSF EPSCoR is a catalyst for G3, supporting research and workforce development in STEM fields that feed directly into the initiatives at the G3 Makerspace. With collaborative projects like this one with the UOG School of Engineering, researchers and students transform scientific knowledge into sustainable products and technologies, helping to drive Guam’s green economy forward.

At the July Guam Green Growth (G3) Steering Committee meeting, members highlighted progress toward the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals—both locally and regionally—including the launch of a new Green Growth hub in Micronesia and a watershed restoration workforce initiative that expands the G3 Conservation Corps. 

One of the regional highlights described by Austin Shelton, Ph.D., director of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant and co-chair of the G3 Steering Committee, was the launch of the Marshall Islands Green Growth initiative, unveiled during the 27th Micronesian Islands Forum held this month in Majuro. 

Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, Ed.D., first revealed plans to start their own Green Growth hub back in April. 

“During our conference on Island Sustainability, that the Governor co-chaired with the University of Guam President Enriquez back in April, there was a commitment that President Heine made to launch Green Growth in the Marshall Islands — that is coming to fruition this week and we are really excited for them to build on that,” Shelton said. 

According to Shelton, to lay the foundation for the Marshall Islands’ hub, the G3 team—alongside Hawai‘i Green Growth and the Local2030 Islands Network—has been helping develop their dashboard and supporting grant-writing efforts to establish a circular economy makerspace. 

Another major announcement at the steering committee meeting was the creation of the G3 Guam Restoration of Watersheds (GROW) Corps—a program focused on watershed restoration. During the program, members will work closely with the UOG Sea Grant GROW team and the Guam Department of Agriculture’s (Guam DoAg) Division of Forestry and Soil Resources. “That’s for six months. That’s going to be more jobs and more trained individuals to go into our green workforce,” Shelton said. 

Under the leadership of UOG and the Governor’s Office, G3 working groups also shared local initiatives under different action categories contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These achievements are integrated into the G3 action framework dashboard to monitor island-wide progress. 

The reports included the following highlights:   

• Healthy and Prosperous Communities: Guam DoAg helped develop the first regional Pacific Food and Agriculture Strategy through partnerships with the SPC and other island nations. Guam’s Forest System Plan has been adopted and includes the designation of green spaces and conservation areas. The department is now developing rules and regulations to support its implementation. 

• Educated, Capable, and Compassionate Island: The GCA Trades Academy reported plans to launch the first maritime courses on Guam and to create airline industry training programs. Meanwhile, the working group also reported the groundbreaking of a new campus of the Northern Marianas Technical Institute in Saipan this month. 

• Sustainable Homes, Utilities, and Transportation: The Guam Energy Office received a $1.5 million Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant for improvements in government-owned buildings. Projects include installing solar panels, outdoor solar LED lighting in selected parks, and working with mayors to identify other public lighting locations. 

• Sustainable Alliances: Guam has reaffirmed its request for a UN visiting mission during the UN C-24 (Special Committee on Decolonization) Pacific Regional Seminar in March 2025, according to Melvin Won Pat-Borja, executive director of the Guam Commission on Decolonization.  He said the C-24 has adopted a resolution that reflects this request.  

• Thriving Natural Resources: The GROW team planted over 5,000 trees in Ugum last year, according to Fran Castro, associate director for operations and development at UOG Sea Grant. Also, UOG Sea Grant and Guam DoAg, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources held a series of fisheries stakeholder meetings across the island, where they shared and gathered community feedback on proposed fishery management measures, including size limits, mandatory licensing and catch reporting, ban on the harvesting of atuhong (bumphead parrot fish), ban on commercial sale of six species, and limiting night time spear fishing.  

After the reporting, Shelton acknowledged the efforts of the working groups, saying, “Thank you to all of you, our G3 working group, for all the amazing work that you are doing. It is being tracked in our Guam Green Growth dashboard, and I think the world is really taking notice of that.” 

Shelton also reported that Guam was recently featured by the American Leadership on the SDGs—an initiative led by the UN Foundation and the Brookings Institution’s Center for Sustainable Development that recognizes individuals and communities advancing the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

“For me, being born and raised here as a CHamoru, if the best of us keep leaving the island, we will never be able to solve our own problems,” said Justin Cruz, the newest long-term 12-month fellow of the NSF Navigating Home Early-Career Fellowship Program (Navigating Home), when asked why he returned to Guam.

He believes that by returning, he can help address some of the island’s most pressing challenges. Aside from the ongoing issue of brain drain, which weakens the island’s workforce capacity, Cruz also pointed to increasing waste generation, with plastics and other post-consumer products often ending up in the landfill due to limited recycling infrastructure—contributing to environmental strain and missed opportunities for circular economy innovation.

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance, introduced Cruz during a special signing ceremony, following the Guam Green Growth (G3) Steering Committee meeting at the Governor’s Complex in Adelup.

Established in 2023, the NSF Navigating Home program is designed to reduce brain drain by encouraging the return of skilled STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professionals to their home island of Guam, Puerto Rico, or U.S. Virgin Islands. Program participants must have degrees in marine, environmental, or sustainability sciences and may have left their home territories for education or work.

Cruz joined the program and was placed as a fellow with the G3 Circular Economy Makerspace and Innovation Hub, where he had previously worked from 2023 to 2024.

Before returning to Guam, Cruz spent time in California, in 2024, where he took robotics classes at the Universal Technical Institute and later gained CNC machining skills at the NTMA Machinist School. 

He said that CNC machining skills could help foster small-scale manufacturing capabilities on island. “We can help them get the skill set here,” Cruz said, referring to residents interested in launching product-based businesses.

CNC, or computer numerical control, automates the manufacturing process using pre-programmed software to carry out precise tasks—turning materials such as metals, plastics, and wood into finished products. The G3 Makerspace currently houses a set of CNC machines, the only ones on the island. 

During the ceremony, Cruz showcased several products he created at the G3 Makerspace recycling plastic and developing it into a flat-pack stool prototype and student desk. The desk’s plastic top, made from a discarded COVID-19 pandemic sneeze guard, can also be used as a dry-erase board. The materials were sourced from Cruz’s former school, Maria A. Ulloa Elementary in Dededo.

Born and raised on Guam, Cruz noted that his time off-island helped him recognize the importance of returning. “Of course, we needed to bring all the knowledge home so that we could fix it ourselves,” he said. “I guess you could say with my certificate and everything I learned, it was too easy to go to the States, get another job that could possibly provide a better life for me and my family. But if we don’t fix it ourselves, it will never be fixed. It is the way I see it.”

“Through past National Science Foundation grants, we created over 250 student research opportunities that never existed before in Guam,” said Austin Shelton, Ph.D., director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant. “After getting top-notch training at UOG, some of these students are now completing advanced degrees off-island, so we created the Navigating Home to bring them back to Guam on one-way tickets to enter our workforce.”

Acting UOG President Sharleen Santos-Bamba added, “The University of Guam is always very fortunate to have talented individuals work with us and to foster relationships and collaborations across the island and the region. It’s opportunities like this that allow us to plug up the brain drain. Those of us around the table made the decision to stay home and plug up that drain. And now it’s our chance to bring our talent back to Guam.” 

NSF Navigating Home is currently recruiting short-term fellows to return to Guam for a three-month term.  The fellowship will include round-trip airfare to Guam, a stipend of up to $7,000, and a chance to develop your skills and explore career fields with a host agency within UOG or GovGuam. Interested applicants can email Axel Defngin at defngina@triton.uog.edu for more information.