Bringing environmental awareness closer to students

Between 300 and 400 students visited yesterday’s 2009 Environmental Expo at the Kagman Community Center where government and private agencies featured samples of energy-efficient products and practices, and interactive demonstrations on environmental protection. The exhibit also promoted healthy lifestyles through proper nutrition, cultural preservation and appreciation, and fire safety.

Olivia Tebuteb, coordinator for the Division of Environmental Quality’s 2009 Environmental Expo, said the expo primarily targeted schools in Kagman but they also received students from Garapan Elementary School and Saipan Southern High School in Koblerville.

“This is what the environmental expo is for—to reach out to students. Our goals have always been achieved. This year, we have more students participating compared to the previous years,” Tebuteb told Saipan Tribune.

Fifteen-year-old Ji Hyun Lee, a ninth grader at Northern Marianas Academy, said the interactive display of energy-saving light bulbs was among the most exciting booths he visited.

“I also learned about protected areas and protected animals. For example, we should not be playing with sea cucumbers, and we should not litter to protect the environment,” he said.

Tony Mareham, conservation officer at the Division of Fish and Wildlife, gave the students a brief explanation about the protected marine areas in the CNMI, including the Managaha Island, Bird Island and Forbidden Island, and the activities that are prohibited in these areas.

Sunny Aldan, 15, also a ninth grader at NMA, said the environment-friendly practices done by private companies like recycling are commendable. “I really liked the ‘going green’ displays, and the other activities that have already been done like the islandwide cleanup,” she said.

Aldan, who is a Youth Congress senator, said environmental exhibits such as this one brings awareness to young people.

The environmental expo is the second to be held by DEQ this year as part of the Environmental Awareness Month activities.

The first one was held on April 1 at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library in Susupe, which drew the participation of 750 to 800 students, said Tebuteb.

“The Kagman event is a smaller scale environmental expo but still we saw hundreds of students. We also have fewer exhibitors here in Kagman than when we did it at the public library,” said DEQ’s Olivia Tebuteb.

DEQ will hold another environmental expo on May 1 on Rota.

“I’ve learned that many people are helping the environment. I’ve also learned new information like the difference between a normal light bulb and an energy-efficient light bulb, said Gayoung Jeon, 16, also a ninth grader at NMA.

Glenn Arriola and Loy Atalig, both DEQ environmental technicians, gave the students an overview of Saipan’s water resources—where they come from and how to protect them.

“A lot of the questions were about the number of water wells we have. Saipan currently has 512 wells, including those by the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and private agencies,” said Arriola.

Among the private and public agency exhibitors in Kagman yesterday were DEQ, Coastal Resources Management, Department of Lands and Natural Resources/Division of Fish and Wildlife, Northern Marianas College’s Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Services, Department of Public Works’ Division of Solid Waste, Department of Public Safety’s Fire Division, Historic Preservation Office, Tan Holdings, No Ka Oi Termite & Pest Control (Saipan) Inc., Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy Systems Inc. and Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting.

James Eller, district conservationist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, made brief presentations about efficient farm practices, soil erosion prevention, and rainfall collection and conservation, among other things.

“But many of the students’ questions were, ‘What is NRCS’?” Eller said.

NRCS, one of the agencies under USDA, provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve natural resources and environment. The agency’s primary mission when it was created in 1935 was to conserve soil on agricultural land. In 1994, its role expanded to also protect other natural resources such as soil, water, air, plants, and animals on private and tribal lands.

Besides the environmental expo, another major Environmental Awareness Month activity was the April 17 and 18 islandwide cleanup.

Joe Kaipat, DEQ coordinator for the islandwide cleanup, said the two-day cleanup hauled 27,070 lbs. of trash—from cigarette butts to plastic bottles, soda and beer cans, glass bottles, papers, plastic bags and other household and commercial waste.

“This is the biggest amount of trash collected in just two days,” said Kaipat, adding that the partnership between DEQ and Beautify CNMI and its partners has contributed much to the success of the cleanup which brought together 4,140 volunteers.

Kaipat said today, San Antonio Elementary School will also clean up its campus.