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Guam leaders visit endangered tree inside base
Jim McConnell, Serianthes nelsonii principal investigator, Guam Plant Extinction Prevention Program, describes the Serianthes nelsonii tree to Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, commander, Joint Region Marianas, left, and Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, center, during a visit to the tree at Andersen Air Force Base June 3. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO/ALANA CHARGUALAF)
ASAN, Guam—Guam’s top local and military officials checked out an endangered tree inside Andersen Air Force Base in Yigo on June 3 to demonstrate the U.S. military’s efforts to protect and preserve the island’s natural resources.
Joint Region Marianas commander Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield hosted the environmental familiarization tour at Northwest Field for Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, her staff, and members of the 35th Guam Legislature.
The endangered Serianthes nelsonii, commonly known as the fire tree, is endemic to Guam and the CNMI, but is endangered.
“It is our hope that the steadfast efforts of our service members, Department of Defense civilians, contractors, and local partners to propagate this tree and its saplings, coupled with our broader efforts to protect native plant species, will prevent the degradation of Guam’s limestone forest,” Chatfield said.
During the tour, guests were briefed by DoD environmental experts on the state of the limestone forest, and preservation efforts to increase the Serianthes nelsonii population. The group also visited numerous Serianthes nelsonii saplings protected in the tree’s nearby surroundings.
“Our whole island is very much concerned about cultural preservation and the military is very sensitive to that,” Leon Guerrero said. “I am very appreciative that the admiral took her time out to come along and organize this very informational tour.”
Sen. Tina Muna Barnes, speaker of the 35th Guam Legislature, echoed the governor’s thoughts and stressed the importance of maintaining the partnership between the local government and the U.S. military.
“We need to bring everybody together: the military family, the civilian family, [and] our government stakeholders to the table and share the plan of what we need to do when the Marines come to Guam,” she said.
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- Guam’s local and military officials visit a Serianthes nelsonii tree at Andersen Air Force Base last June 3. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO/ALANA CHARGUALAF)
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- This limestone forest where the Serianthes nelsonii tree is located inside the Andersen Air Force Base provides a contiguous forest that is critical to the survival of the Mariana fruit bat,Mariana eight spot butterfly, the native Serianthes nelsonii tree and endemic tree snails. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
