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Rota Environmental Expo a great success!
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Posted on May 13 2009
[B]ROTA[/B]—The Division of Environmental Quality and various natural resource management agencies from Rota and Saipan joined forces on Friday, May 1, 2009, to present the first ever Environmental Expo on Rota.
About 180 students in 5th through 8th grades from Sinapalo Elementary School and Rota Junior High participated in the event.
Ten educational booths covered a variety of environmental topics including marine protected areas and the Rare Pride campaign, coral reefs, marine monitoring, nonpoint source pollution, endangered species, brown tree snake, enforcement, Forestry: Talakhaya Watershed, quarantine, and medicinal plants of the CNMI.
Highlights of the event included the appearance of a live Marianas fruit bat, an endangered species, a live brown tree snake to teach kids about this dangerous invasive reptile, plants from the Talakhaya Revegetation Project, a Jeopardy-style game to teach children about marine protected areas, a coral reef presentation, local medicinal plants, and an enviroscape model. Channel 5 recorded the event to play on local cable TV for everyone on Rota to view.
The Division of Environmental Quality (Saipan) facilitated the event and partnering agencies included the Division of Fish & Wildlife, the Department of Lands & Natural Resources, Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, Coastal Resources Management Office, Northern Marianas College-Rota, the Rota Mayor’s Office and Channel 5 TV.
Due to the success of this expo, the partnering agencies plan to make this a yearly event. [B][I](Kathleen Herrmann)[/I][/B]
