New G3 Conservation Corps members in motion
New G3 Conservation Corps members in motion
New G3 Conservation Corps members in motion
3/25/2022
A second cycle of sustainability leaders kicked off their first week under one of
the (G3) initiative鈥檚 most highly mobilized programs on March 14 at the University of
Guam.
Out of more than 100 applicants, 12 members were selected to participate in the , entering a workforce development program preparing the island community for the
emerging green economy. Over the five-month program, they will partake in various
conservation activities to support the resilience of the island and its natural resources.
The new members are as follows: Jenelle Aguilar, Rejean Benavente, Johnny Borja, Jacob Concepcion, Remilou Hannigan, Dulce Imbo, Wade Kitalong, Andrea Murer, Ryan Perez, Christopher Quichocho, Hila鈥檃n San Nicolas, and Tre Starr.
Workforce development for a green economy
Their first week started with an orientation including remarks from G3 leadership, team-building exercises, tips from a panel of inaugural cohort members, and the recitation of the new Conservation Corps pledge.
The corps members have also completed their first island beautification project: gardening in the colorful cliffside planter boxes on the UOG campus that also display the United Nations鈥� 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
鈥淭he corps will bring together hundreds of different members from our community ... to do amazing things to move our island forward toward a sustainable future,鈥� said Austin Shelton, G3 Steering Committee co-chairperson and director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability, which facilitates the G3 initiative. 鈥淎t the same time, the corps will receive valuable workforce training to join the green workforce when they complete the program.鈥�
Motivated to achieve more sustainable living
G3 Conservation Corps member Johnny Borja shared his motivation for joining the corps.
鈥淕rowing up on this island, we really [have] a lot of love for our culture and our environment. Seeing some of it deteriorate in our young lives, I feel like it鈥檚 really good to be able to set the foundation for the future, to teach better ways, so our island stays beautiful, and we can share it with everyone,鈥� Borja said.
Dulce Imbo, a UOG graduate student pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in counseling, plans to incorporate the knowledge she鈥檒l gain from the program into her guidance for future clients.
鈥淲e see that the SDGs are intersectional. I want to be there to pay it forward in terms of mental health and how that relates to our environment, as well as how that relates to our sustainable development and our sustainable community here in Guam,鈥� she said.
Gov. Lourdes Leon Guerrero, G3 Steering Committee chairperson, spoke at the orientation, saying the pandemic has shown how necessary it is for Guam residents to be able to sustain themselves with the island鈥檚 resources.
鈥淚 want you to learn as much as you can and send that knowledge out and apply that knowledge out to the community,鈥� she said. 鈥淸鈥 Our island is very fragile. I love our island. I鈥檓 sure you all do. We live here. No one else is going to do it but ourselves, and I really appreciate your commitment and your efforts.鈥�
In their first few weeks, the members are scheduled to assist with the expansion of the G3 Community Garden in Hag氓t帽a, familiarize with Guam鈥檚 waste management and zero waste operations, and partake in regular village revitalization projects.
The G3 Conservation Corps is supported by Guam鈥檚 Recycling Revolving Fund with approval from the Guam Environmental Protection Agency Board of Directors.
About G3
Aligned with the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, the Guam Green Growth initiative, or G3, cultivates an ecosystem for transformative action to achieve a sustainable, prosperous, and equitable future for Guam. The 91快播 facilitates the island-wide initiative in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of Guam and the 100 members of the G3 Working Groups, representing all sectors of society.