Kids exhibit pollution awareness art at JKPL

Young students involved in the Friends of the Mariana Trench’s stewardship project show off their artwork at the Joeten Kiyu Public Library in Susupe to spread awareness about pollution. (CHRYSTAL MARINO)

Young students involved in the Friends of the Mariana Trench’s stewardship project showed off their artwork at the Joeten Kiyu Public Library in Susupe last Tuesday to spread awareness about pollution and to close the 2022-23 cohort of their Ocean Science Club’s Project HOPE.

Middle school students involved in the Friends of the Mariana Trench stewardship project since November last year used the trash they found in beaches to create a depiction the effect of trash on the ocean.

“We had hosted two beach cleanups—one at Marine Beach and one in San Antonio—and all of those trash collected were turned into the art you see now,” said Kina Rangamar, who is the junior project coordinator intern for the Friends of the Mariana Trench.

The art display is a partnership with JKPL and Friends of the Marianas Trench and is intended to spread awareness of ocean pollution.

Library director Erlinda Naputi credited JKPL staff member Ray Jr. Deleon Guerrero for his work on the project. “We are happy to be a part of their program. And having the space available for the public to use and display something that is educational and informative is always something we want to do.”

Rangamar shared that past projects the students had done included area cleanups and power pole art. She shared that the Project HOPE’s Ocean science club is open to all children on Saipan and they are working on making it also available on Tinian and Rota.

The students who participated in the project this year were mostly middle school students from Tanapag, Hopwood, Chacha, and San Antonio middle schools.

Rangamar acknowledged their leaders in this endeavor, project coordinator Romana Chong and FOTM executive director Laurie Peterka, and encouraged others to get involved in these programs.

“It really starts with the youth, and now that we have the youth involved, and as they’re becoming more and more aware of the issues that we are facing here in the CNMI, now it’s now our turn to step up and become more involved because this is our home…we live here, so it’s really important that we care for it too,” she said.

To learn more about the Friends of the Mariana Trench, check out their social media sites on Instagram and Facebook (@friendsofthemarianastrench). Also check out their website at www.friendsmarianatrench.org.