{"id":333271,"date":"2020-11-12T06:00:29","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T20:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=333271"},"modified":"2020-11-12T06:00:29","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T20:00:29","slug":"schools-for-environmental-conservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/schools-for-environmental-conservation\/","title":{"rendered":"Schools for Environmental Conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"
Mount Carmel School, Hopwood Middle School, and Dandan Middle School students and teachers spent Saturday morning hiking up to help plant native species on LaoLao, as well as to learn about\u00a0revegetation, fire hazard mitigation, and watershed management,\u00a0as part of the\u00a0Schools for Environmental Conservation program of the Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance. (Iva Maurin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the past two Saturdays, students and teachers from Saipan Community School, Saipan International School, Mount Carmel School, Hopwood Middle School, and Dandan Middle School hiked a half a mile stretch through the forest to get immersed on environmental conservation efforts in LaoLao\u2019s upper badlands, revegetation, fire hazard mitigation, and watershed management.<\/p>\n

The out-of-the box activity is part of the Schools for Environmental Conservation program of the Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance, for the youth to actually connect with nature, and gain hands-on experience that will equip them to be effective and strong environmental stewards, especially here in the CNMI.<\/p>\n

Schools on island have been running conservation programs in their own campuses, and MINA has been helping them realize environmental plans that they have yet to implement, through guidance, funding assistance, and through on-the-ground experiences that students would be able to learn from. <\/p>\n

Dandan Middle School, for one, already grows plants and are doing aquaponics in their school, but still have joined the program to help even more. STEM teacher James Montenegro shares that they are a part of the project to highlight the importance of having every single generation know how to take care of the island. <\/p>\n

And so, hiking through the forest, the young minds were introduced to invasive plant species, as they were treated to a rundown on the role trees and native plants play in keeping the island\u2019s ecosystem intact, keeping everyone safe. <\/p>\n

Mount Carmel School\u2019s Tyana Tesiro and Mercedes Cruz. 9Iva Maurin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cPay attention to your surroundings,\u201d MCS\u2019 Mercedes Cruz, one of the students involved in the program, said. \u201cIt\u2019s really important since we are the new generation that\u2019s going to be in this world. We need to pay attention, to care for it, since it\u2019s mainly what\u2019s keeping us alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, the program is focused on climate change, marine protected areas, conservation of Saipan\u2019s priority watershed, and coral reefs, given that the health of the CNMI\u2019s natural resources continue to be threatened. The theme, \u201cLearning about, Interacting with, and Actively Conserving Our Natural Resources.\u201d <\/p>\n

Revegetation and the future<\/strong>
\nRevegetating our forests is key to stabilizing CNMI soils, in protecting the watershed, and in securing the future of the islands. Division of Coastal Resources Management watershed coordinator Zachary Williams talked about how deforestation and the influx of invasive species had impacted the island, particularly in not being always as good at holding soil, which leads to erosion and runoff.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t have plans to stabilize the soils, they will get washed down on the reef, and they\u2019ll end up smothering and killing the reef. Reefs are very fragile. The best thing for watershed is to have native species, like a whole native forest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDue to this, as much as we can, we are trying to move towards revegetation of native species, such as what is going on now in LaoLao. There\u2019s a big revegetation project on Rota too, as well as some planned projects in Achugao. We are really trying to, as much as we can, re-establish native forests, especially the native, limestone forest here on Saipan.\u201d<\/p>\n

MINA\u2019s Schools for Environmental Conservation program have students planting da\u2019ok trees, provided by CNMI Forestry, in an effort to revegetate the upper badland in LaoLao. MINA has been leading the effort for native revegetation on the island for years.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the best things we can do is to help facilitate native revegetation, which is what we\u2019re doing up here\u2026 We need to give our native species a helping hand, and one way we can do that is by planting open areas or recently disturbed areas like up here like this grassland spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams explains that in so doing, the students (and other volunteers) could help facilitate \u201csuccession,\u201d a process wherein species get planted to form up micro habitats, which would help bring in other species that will develop into a midsize forest, and then finally, the climax forests with larger tree species. <\/p>\n

\u201cThrough revegetation, we\u2019re trying to help facilitate the process of succession, and establishment of a native forests\u2026 We\u2019ve seen some great survival rate and these plants have grown quite a bit… We\u2019re starting to see not just growth of the native species that we planted, but other species come in on their own, which is a great sign that we\u2019re doing a good job in creating a healthy native ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n

And playing a big role in these revegetation projects mean a lot for young people here in the CNMI.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis vegetation project is important for younger generations, because a lot of us don\u2019t really know what the importance of the plants are to us\u2026 They provide us a lot of oxygen nutrients and it\u2019s really important to keep them healthy, in order to have a good environment,\u201d MCS\u2019 Tyana Tesiro said. <\/p>\n

Students protecting the reefs<\/strong>
\nRevegetation projects, such as what the students did over the last two Saturdays, not only protect the terrestrial ecosystems, but ultimately, the marine environment. Protecting upland habitat and stabilizing soil, in the long run, protects the reef, by keeping dirt from washing down to the ocean.<\/p>\n

But, aside from the need for invasive species, there\u2019s another element affecting our forests\u2014fire. <\/p>\n

\u201cOn Saipan, the fuel is often coming from grasses that end up in the dry season getting exceedingly dry, and then it carries a fire throughout the entirety of the grassland until it reaches the edges of the forest,\u201d NOAA fellow Ilan Bubb explains to the students. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf a fire breaks out, they burn out all this grass and just leave you with this bare soil. And as soon as the rain comes on, that soil is going to slough right off the land and end up in the coral. Fires are just another way that you create bare soil that creates more erosion, which is really problematic for all the ecosystems that we rely on.\u201d <\/p>\n

Bubb emphasizes that the main thing the students can do to help is to help prevent the fires from actually starting, which includes being safe with fires, asking parents not throwing cigarettes out, or helping revegetate grasslands with trees.<\/p>\n

Without vegetated areas trapping sediments, soil gets washed out, down to the reef, where huge sediment plumes could lead to coral lost. Everything is interconnected. Corals get most of their food from photosynthesis, and will starve to death if they can\u2019t get sunlight. <\/p>\n

Supporting active conservation<\/strong>
\nWhat started as an Environmental Teacher Camp in 2007 has expanded into Schools for Environmental Conservation, a full program where both students and teachers together engage in educational and field activities for the environment. <\/p>\n

MINA program director Becky Furey shares that the provides opportunities for schools to learn about and work on a project that focuses on a specific environmental issue, and the non-profit provides the technical and financial assistance to turn the schools\u2019 environmental projects into action.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough experiential learning from these natural laboratories, SFEC students and teachers will not only realize the critical role that the CNMI\u2019s natural resources play in the islands\u2019 sustainability but also promote and encourage environmental stewardship throughout the islands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019d like to support MINA\u2019s efforts in empowering communities for conservation, please visit www.minapacific.org to make a voluntary contribution,\u201d Furey adds. Funding for this year\u2019s program is through the Micronesia Conservation Trust.<\/p>\n

Aside from providing experiential learning, MINA also hopes the program will encourage students to pursue careers in environmental science, and to be ambassadors promoting biodiversity, environmental conservation, and sustainable living, that will secure an even better Marianas in the decades to come.<\/p>\n

Dandan Middle School\u2019s teacher James Montenegro couldn\u2019t have said it better, \u201cYou really can\u2019t plan for the future if you don\u2019t prepare for now\u2026 So, by preparing for it now, we protect our future. We have to train the children to be able to do that with each generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about the program, contact MINA at 233-7333 (REEF) or visit https:\/\/www.minapacific.org. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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