Miss NMI Earth Elemental Queens joins forces for beach cleanup

Miss Northern Mariana Islands Earth elemental queens join forces with community volunteer groups for a cleanup last Saturday, Feb. 12, at Tank Beach in Kagman.  Photos courtesy of Miss Northern Marianas Earth. (Contributed Photo)

Beauties with a purpose indeed!

2021 Miss Northern Mariana Islands Earth elemental queens Sue Ann Marie Huevos (Miss Air), Justine Rain Kirby (Miss Water), and Stephanie Borja (Miss Fire) went full on as environmental ambassadors on the morning of Feb. 12 for a cleanup at Tank Beach in Kagman, at the southeastern side of Saipan.

The three queens joined forces and hosted the cleanup that was participated in by about 30 volunteers, in partnership with Island Keepers CNMI, Division of Youth Services, and the Office of Rep. Richard Lizama.

Marine debris have been piling up at the Old Man by the Sea. Volunteer group Island Keepers CNMI is calling on those who would want to volunteer to help clean the beach. File photo shows a volunteer picking up trash at Old Man by the Sea in July 2020. (Iva Maurin)

Huevos told Saipan Tribune that they chose to do their cleanup at Tank Beach because “there was so much trash for a beautiful beach,” adding that the beach cleanup is something that the elemental queens have been wanting to do for a long time now.

“Keeping the islands clean is important because this is our home,” she said. “Our islands are tourist attractions and doing small things like these help make our home a better place. We should try our best to keep our island clean and pick up after ourselves and do it out of the goodness of our hearts because our island is a precious environment.”

Huevos added that she also wants to inspire the youth to be environmentally-friendly and to love the islands “because this is our home and we can all make a difference together.”

To Huevos, the islands can solve these garbage problems through the provision of more open trash bins, and if everyone would just pick up any trash they see and dispose of it properly.

With the Tank Beach cleanup a success, the community can expect more beach cleanups and environmental events from Miss NMI Earth, where all are encouraged to come out and participate.

Miss Northern Mariana Islands Earth elemental queens join forces with community volunteer groups for a cleanup last Saturday, Feb. 12, at Tank Beach in Kagman.  Photos courtesy of Miss Northern Marianas Earth. (Contributed Photo)

“We Elemental Queens will definitely host more cleanups and bigger projects eventually. Despite the pandemic happening, the best we can all do is take care of ourselves and the land and ocean around us,” Borja said. The 2021 Miss Fire hopes to have more people involved and engaged.

“As an environmental queen, I would like to extend a message of responsibility,” Borja stressed. “Wherever you go, please take your trash with you and dispose of it properly. The little things matter and they could make a big difference. Not only is this affecting our island but the whole world, if we are not responsible.”

We are all responsible
Water is life, and so is the ocean an intrinsic part of living in the Marianas.

Miss Northern Mariana Islands Earth elemental queens join forces with community volunteer groups for a cleanup last Saturday, Feb. 12, at Tank Beach in Kagman.  Photos courtesy of Miss Northern Marianas Earth. (Contributed Photo)

“Not only do our beaches…attract tourists, but [they are also] important to our indigenous people who have used [the sea] as a source of food for hundreds of years,” Kirby told Saipan Tribune.

The 2021 Miss Water highlighted the importance of being aware of the problems hounding CNMI waters, in particular, plastic pollution, and how cleanups all over the islands facilitate discussions of the issue, even between friends and families, which eventually help modify behavior.

“It brings our people face-to-face with the reality of plastic pollution. Many people are unlikely to change their behavior until they understand the extent of plastic pollution and see the impact it has on the environment,” she said.

Kirby also noted that cleanup events often attract attention, and is a great way to start up a conversation with people who stop by, on the benefits of switching to non-single use plastic alternatives (such as reusable shopping bags).

Miss Northern Mariana Islands Earth elemental queens join forces with community volunteer groups for a cleanup last Saturday, Feb. 12, at Tank Beach in Kagman.  Photos courtesy of Miss Northern Marianas Earth. (Contributed Photo)

“We can’t pinpoint an instant solution to this critical issue we are facing but as young kids with big dreams and a big future, we have the power to change the world, and we are starting with what’s most important, our people and our home,” she said. “By seeing the effectiveness of improving the surrounding environment, it can encourage more people to get involved, especially if they feel that they are making a difference.”

Help needed by the Old Man
Like Tank Beach, there’s another precious beach that is in dire need of help—the Old Man by the Sea.

Last Saturday, volunteer group Island Keepers CNMI hiked down to the Old Man to check on a post from community member Karie Comstock, who, through photos, showed the sad state of the beach that is overwhelmingly littered with garbage.

“It was worse than we thought. …It was a shock like being hit in the head,” volunteer Noriko Akari Baidya shared. They were able to remove some garbage from the beach, but clearly, more people are needed to help with the task.

There is a shocking amount of marine debris—discarded water bottles, wrappers, containers, cans, shoes, pipes, and micro-plastics, which may have come from off-island, all needing to be picked up and carried to the roadside, then hauled to the landfill in Marpi.

Compared to the west side of Saipan, where trash is usually land-based and come from residents, the east side (back side of the island) is where marine debris from around the world gets washed up.

Miss Northern Mariana Islands Earth elemental queens join forces with community volunteer groups for a cleanup last Saturday, Feb. 12, at Tank Beach in Kagman.  Photos courtesy of Miss Northern Marianas Earth. (Contributed Photo)

Volunteers have also been going to the beach to help pick up the marine debris year after year.

“This project requires the power of many people,” Baidya added.

In line with this, the group has scheduled another cleanup for Old Man by the Sea, tentatively set on a Sunday, with the Miss Northern Marianas Earth participating and the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality providing the trash trailer and hauling the trash to the landfill post-cleanup.

Hikers, joggers, and sports teams are encouraged to join, especially given the lengthy trail that it takes to get to and from the Old Man by the Sea. To volunteer and to join in the discussions for the cleanup, reach out to the Island Keepers CNMI on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/874134049895799).