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Students told: Be active on environmental issues
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Posted on Jan 25 2001
The Department of Lands and Natural Resources yesterday urged students of Mount Carmel School to actively participate in the agency’s effort to prevent the continued reproduction of brown tree snakes on the island.
Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Joaquin Tenorio disclosed the department has been actively collaborating with various government agencies on the island in putting up brown tree snake traps in several delicate areas.
Aside from forested places, the DLNR has also set up traps in several seaports, airports and other areas where brown tree snakes normally and easily thrive.
Mr. Tenorio asked the students to refrain from tampering with the brown tree snake traps which were set up at the park and other tourist sites to effectively implement the program.
Some joggers, he said, tampered these traps and no browntree snakes were captured in the past.
Apart from these, the secretary also disclosed the effective implementation of the dog program wherein highly-bred sniffing dogs are brought to disembarkation areas where cargoes are placed overnight.
Through these cargoes, brown tree snakes were able to get into the Commonwealth. This is the same reason why seaport authorities earlier forged an agreement with the DLNR to set up a container area where cargoes will sit in for 48 hours to ensure that they are brown tree snake-free.
The presentation was held yesterday as part of the DLNR’s community service and to educate the students on the importance of the preservation of endangered species.
Mr. Tenorio, together with Division of Fish and Wildlife education specialist Joe Ruak, explained to the 9th grade students of CNMI History the importance of the endangered species and how their extinction will effect the ecological system.
Mr. Tenorio explained the importance of preservation of the habitats, the conservation of the environment, and how the community can help the department in preserving these species.
Apart from the destruction of the natural habitat of endangered species such as sea turtles, bats among others, the DLNR team educated the students on the geographical and topographical condition of the Northern Marianas.
