G3CC Recap – Island Beautification – Mural Prep

The G3 Conservation Corps had another week packed with diverse activities designed to enhance and protect Guahan’s natural resources.

A highlight for several of the members was assisting the G3 Art Corps with preparation of walls in Dededo, Yona, Malesso, Sinajana for the artists to paint their murals. “We pressure washed and primed the walls so the artists would have a good foundation in place when they start the murals,” said Ciara Taijeron.

“All the activities we took part in this week were equally important and needed,” explained Cassie Bordallo. She also mentioned she finds some of the activities challenging and that she feels blessed to have this opportunity be a part of the Corps.

The best part of the week for Zeraih Blas was working with the Art Corps team preparing walls for the murals and learning the basics of what it takes to paint one. “It will be exciting to see the murals completed and to be able to say we helped set it up,” he said.

Jace Blas really enjoyed working with Kie Susuico and Joey Certeza from the Art Corps at the Sinajana mayor’s office. “Meeting the new artisans and working with them to provide beautiful artwork for the community and the island was the best.”

Michael Herbert found working with Teddy and the GROW team in the Ugum watershed restoration very important. “We see the need to stay consistent with the work there. We have seen the progress and the potential of bringing back native plants,” he enthused.

Connor Law really appreciated the kindness and support from the community when they were in Sinajana with the Art Corps. “We get a chance to meet a whole range of people working with G3; political leaders, artists, conservationists, people who care about the environment, and people who want to learn more about what we are doing,” Law said.

This week’s amazing opportunity for Michael Torres was cleaning the area of an ancient latte site. “It wasn’t something the Corps usually does, but we enjoyed it very much. The haligi and the tasa were huge. We visited three or four sets of latte houses. It was an awesome experience to have with the Corps. We would love to experience more things like that around the cultural aspects of sustainability and conservation,” he said.

The epic moment for Laura Layan was when she created a firebreak by clearing vegetation to reduce the spread of wildfires in the Ugum watershed for the GROW team.

Ken Manibusan, who handles maintenance for the Ordot-Chalan Pago Mayor’s Office, assisted the G3 Conservation Corps with the village cleanup on Friday. He said, “This is my first time to experience doing a cleanup with these guys. Honestly, I am proud that they are helping Guam stay clean and I am happy to assist them.”