G3 Conservation Corps invites volunteers to Guam cleanups

Members of the second cohort of the Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps join volunteers and Yigo Mayor Anthony Sanchez at an island beautification cleanup in Yigo on March 18. (University of Guam

Members of the second cohort of the Guam Green Growth (G3) Conservation Corps and community volunteers picked up and filled more than 135 bags of trash following three village cleanups last month. The community is invited to join the group’s next cleanup efforts in Mongmong-Toto-Maite on April 22.

The G3 Conservation Corps is a workforce development program facilitated by the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and in partnership with the Office of the Governor and the 36th Guam Legislature. It aims to prepare the community for the emerging green economy.

G3’s second cohort held its first beautification activity, a roadside cleanup along Marine CorpsDrive in Yigo, on March 18. The corps members also sorted recyclables—which included six bags of aluminum cans—with the Yigo Mayor’s Office for its Guam Green Growth Waste and Recycling Bin Initiative.

Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps members pick up trash along Route 1 during their Yigo cleanup on March 18. The corps and volunteers filled 24 bags of trash. (University of Guam)

“At each village where the Conservation Corps conducts the island beautification event, not only will we pick up trash at the village, but we will also be assisting with sorting recyclables and painting the G3 bins,” said UOG Center for Island Sustainability coordinator Phil Cruz. “There will be preliminary training on site [for all volunteers] and another more comprehensive training for the Conservation Corps.”

Yigo resident and G3 member Tre Starr said while he was disappointed to see the amount of trash at the site, he was excited to help with the cleanup.

“Working [with G3] gives me the opportunity to be able to get into the things that I want to do and be able to provide for myself and learn,” Starr said. “With the knowledge that I gain from here, I am looking forward to applying it to my life so I can put myself in a better position to do the things that I want with farming and agriculture.”

G3 Conservation Corps members pick up trash along Marine Drive Corps in Yigo. The community is invited to join the group’s next cleanup efforts in Mongmong-Toto-Maite on April 22. (University of Guam)

Yigo Mayor Anthony Sanchez commended the beautification program for raising awareness and spurring the community to act on issues such as illegal dumping.

“It is a good program for getting people involved in what’s going on around the island. It does not only affect one village—it affects the whole island,” he said.

Village cleanup schedule:

Mongmong-Toto-Maite
• 8am on Friday, April 22
• Meetup location to be announced

Mangilao
• 8am on Friday, April 29
• Meetup location to be announced

Sinajana
• 8am on Friday, May 6
• Meetup location to be announced

For updates and cleanup location announcements, follow Guam Green Growth on Facebook. For more information about G3, visit www.guamgreengrowth.org.

About G3
Guam Green Growth, or G3, is the island’s most comprehensive public-private partnership created to achieve a sustainable future. Aligned with the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, G3cultivates an ecosystem for transformative action to achieve a sustainable, prosperous, and equitable future for the island. G3 is facilitated by the University of Guam in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of Guam and the 99 members of the G3 Working Group representing all sectors of our society. (UOG)