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April is also ‘Keep it Clean, Keep it Green’ Month
Staff, managers, and executives of the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality pose in front of the Governor?s Office after the proclamation signing that designated April as Environmental Awareness Month. (Jayson Camacho)
In the presence of environment advocates, Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Lt. Gov. Jude Hofschneider inked yesterday morning on Capital Hill the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Equality’s proclamation declaring the month of April as 2014 Environmental Awareness Month.
The proclamation, as read by BECQ’s Reina Camacho, states that “each person has the right to a clean and healthful public environment in all areas including the land, air, and water.”
The theme for this year’s Environmental Awareness Month is “Keep it Clean, Keep it Green.” The theme highlights the responsibility to maintain and protect the shared environment of the CNMI.
Cal Westergard, chairman of the Environmental Awareness Committee, feels that this year’s theme instills in the community an opportunity to “enhance our beautiful island.” He said it is the perfect time to raise the community’s awareness about “our beautiful environment here on the island.”
“The Environmental Awareness Committee and I have been working very hard in planning several activities that will highlight the importance of having and sustaining a healthy environment here in the CNMI,” he said.
Among the activities lined up for the month of April include a trash and fashion show using recycled materials, a storm drain art contest, tree planting, turtle tagging at the Garapan Fishing Base, an Environmental Expo, an islandwide clean-up, and a recycled boat race.
Inos, for his part, encouraged the community to keep the island clean. “So far [the island] is beautiful and we’re doing a lot to make sure we keep it that way. It is for our tourism and our community in general.”
BECQ administrator Frank Rabauliman said he is very pleased to see the teamwork between the two divisions of BECQ.
“Last Friday we had a team-building workshop and now we see both agencies working together for the Environmental Awareness Month, and working with other organizations to pursue the activities in this month’s EAM,” he said.
