Spearheaded by the Coastal Resource Management Office, the local cleanup event drew hundreds of people from different government agencies, non-government organizations, businesses and other community groups.
As in the previous years, volunteers were all over the islands picking trash of all sizes and shapes ranging from cigarette butts to toilet lids.
The event also allowed participating groups to promote their own ongoing environmental protection initiatives and annual events.
For the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance and Hard Rock Café, for example, the cleanup was a way to further raise environmental awareness among community members.
MINA executive director Sam Sablan said the cleanup also helped them boost their ongoing adopt-a-bin project. Part of the federally funded marine debris project, MINA’s adopt-a-bin gives volunteers the chance to commit to beach cleanups at least twice a year.
Volunteer groups can adopt any of the 17 bins at major beach parks throughout the island. Every year, they hold a big beach cleanup of their own or participate in a bigger event by picking up trash surrounding the bin they adopt.
Hard Rock Café, which has partnered with MINA’s adopt-a-bin project, celebrated its anniversary this year by taking part in the international cleanup.
Sablan said MINA has been one of the active partners of CRMO and other lead agencies in the annual cleanup.
Last year, volunteers picked up over 6,000 pounds of trash.
Guy Macaranas, CRMO coastal coordinator, said the turnout this year was also great.
He has yet to hear from the transfer station regarding the amount of trash collected by the volunteers.
The cleanup, he added, also boosted CRMO’s clean beaches campaign, “Love our beaches. Keep them clean,”
Macaranas said, “We got to take care of our island specially its beaches, because these are why the tourists come here.”
He added, “We should be grateful. In many other places in the world they don’t see these kinds of beaches that contribute a lot to our tourism industry.”
Those who failed to join due to the heavy rain will conduct a cleanup from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. this Friday.
CRMO, he said, would like to thank all the participating organizations.
The Division of Environmental Quality provided vehicles; the Saipan mayor’s office trimmed overgrown trees and other vegetation; while non-government groups provided volunteers who picked up trash.
These organizations included the Paseo De Marianas Promoters inc., MINA, Hard Rock Café, Marianas Baptist Academy, Seventh Day Adventist, Fiesta Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Mount Carmel School, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the U.S. Coast Guard, Northern Marianas College, McDonald’s, Saipan Rotary Club, No Kai Oi, Tan Holdings, Lions Club International, CTSI Logistics, Pacific Islands Club, the Department of Public Lands and the Marianas Visitor Authority.
