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AMP staff, volunteers clean up Smiling Cove on Earth Day
American Memorial Park lead ranger Brooke Nevitt directs volunteers to their cleanup spots at the Smiling Cove Marina of the American Memorial Park for the Earth Day cleanup yesterday. (JOSHUA SANTOS)
American Memorial Park rangers and employees were joined by about 12 volunteers yesterday for a cleanup at the park’s Smiling Cove Marina from 4:30pm to 6pm as part of the celebration of Earth Day.
American Memorial Park lead ranger Brooke Nevitt said this cleanup is one of a series of monthly cleanups that will happen over the course of the year.
“[The cleanups] will be in different areas of the park and also outside of the park at historical sites that are connected to the history that the park aims to tell,” said Nevitt.
Such cleanups outside the park may include Micro Beach and in other historical sites around the island.
Yesterday’s cleanup, along with all future AMP cleanup events, is being organized by former Miss Marianas Shannon Sasamoto, who is now the park’s Community Volunteer Ambassador. Sasamoto said she became the park’s Community Volunteer Ambassador toward the end of her reign as Miss Marianas in February this year. “I decided that during that time it was a great opportunity to start on a different journey, and I’m very grateful that I am able to be a CVA here at American Memorial Park,” she said.
As the park’s CVA, she is working on arranging more cleanups and other events to create more volunteering opportunities at the park. “We are celebrating Earth Day with the cleanup, but essentially we celebrate Earth Day every day. One of our main things this year is to really push for monthly cleanups, so look out for monthly cleanups with us,” said Sasamoto.
Nevitt thanked all volunteers who came out to help clean and the many others that support the park’s numerous programs. She also recognized Sasamoto’s hard work in putting together more volunteering opportunities at the park.
All future AMP events will be posted and promoted on American Memorial Park’s Instagram and Facebook pages.
