Taking environmental action for the community

This past Saturday was a chance for about 30 people to go to the beach—not to soak up the sun and have fun but to volunteer and pick up trash.

2021 Miss Northern Mariana Islands Earth Crystal Fiona Rio led a cleanup last Saturday at the Bantalan (Sugar Dock) Beach in Chalan Kanoa, southwest of Saipan, that was also participated in by the Rotaract Club, Marianas High School’s Interact Club, Grace Christian Academy’s National Honors Society, Island Keepers CNMI, and the Saipan Maga’Haga Lady Eagles Club.

The cleanup was originally scheduled to be held a week prior in Garapan, to end up in Fishing Base—to focus more on urban areas—but was cancelled due to heavy rains. The reigning NMI Earth queen said that she still did go to check the area of trash, and expressed appreciation to residents there for keeping the site clean.

According to Rio, she then chose to do the cleanup at Bantalan last Saturday instead because, being a popular venue for beach parties, a lot of trash ends up getting thrown in the area, despite the many trash cans on site.

“Hopefully, they get to the trash cans and use it,” Rio said. “We have a lot of tourists coming in. We’re always seen as the paradise. We can’t really be a paradise if everything is all trashed and messy. We’re the locals here. We’re the people living on this island and if we can’t take care of the island, what about the tourists? What is that going to say to the tourists, the kids, the future generations?”

The future leads Joining Miss NMI Earth’s call for people to throw trash in proper bins were Soleil Lamar and Susana Villagomez of Grace Christian Academy’s National Honors Society. The two also volunteered at the cleanup where the most common trash that they picked up were cigarette butts.

Lamar appeals to those who litter, asking them to throw trash in the proper bins, pointing out that it is easy to find trash cans because there are plenty in the area. Villagomez, in turn, called on young people like them to make cleanups a habit and to teach others to do the same.

“It would be important for the younger generations to take part in different environmental events—there’s environment, the culture, anything to keep the islands alive,” Rio added. “The fact that we are taking care of ourselves—that we are taking care of our beaches where tourists and the locals go to a lot—the fact we’re taking care of it is very important because we all come here to enjoy and see [its] beauty.”

Volunteering in cleanups is important for young generations, given that the island is small, according to Rotaract Club of Saipan volunteer Lesly D. Ibarra.

“We are a group of young adults just trying to help out in community,” Ibarra said. “For people our age, the best thing we can do is to just do small steps at a time and help out as best as we can. It’s important because this is where we live and, being raised here, this is the least I can do to help out the environment for the next generation.”

Young people made up about two-thirds of the volunteers in last Saturday’s cleanup. Rio said that young people getting involved in community events set the standard, not only for their peers but for the adults as well.

“If they see that we can take action for the environment, they should know that we also have the ability to take care of our community as well,” she said.

A collective responsibility
It’s not just the youth who need to exert all efforts and spend time helping out. Taking care of the environment is everyone’s responsibility.
Let’s Go Diving Saipan diver Henry Manipon also spent his Saturday morning picking up trash in Bantalan.

“I hope people will not forget to pick up their trash after spending time here in the beach. Don’t forget our responsibilities to clean our beach after we use it. Just to say thank you to nature for giving us beautiful blue waters and surroundings over here,” Manipon added.

Volunteers from the Marianas High School’s Interact Club help haul bags filled with garbage to the Sugar Dock signage, which were then picked up later to be sent to the landfill. (IVA MAURIN)

The next cleanup that Miss Northern Marianas Earth will be having, in partnership with Island Keepers CNMI, is at the Old Man by the Sea, this weekend, March 19 and 20, from 8am to 4pm. Hikers, athletes, and joggers are encouraged to participate.