(NMC) — Four Northern Marianas College Natural Resource Management students, three of whom are in the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Program, had the opportunity to attend the 15th Annual Conference on Island Sustainability hosted by the University of Guam’s Center for Island Sustainability. The conference featured regional leaders, scientists, and subject matter experts from across the region and included speakers, panel discussions on various topics relating to sustainability, and multiple breakout sessions.
A program priority for the Natural Resource Management Program is to connect students with Pacific researchers and professionals, identify career pathways, and build our students’ experiential learning. NMC students Kina Rangamar, Kianna Reyes, Mark Terlaje Pangelinan, and Christopher Pangelinan participated in this year’s conference and highlighted the opportunity to meet, connect, and present to researchers from across the region.
“Having the opportunity to present this research to a diverse audience of researchers from across Micronesia in an environment where Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge is cherished was truly a remarkable experience for me and my cohorts,” said Pangelinan.
The students also presented their research that was conducted at NMC’s Research Symposium held last March. Christopher Pangelinan and Kianna Reyes, who were awarded best poster presentation at last March’s symposium, presented their research poster entitled “Shoreline Monitoring of Saipan’s West-Facing Beaches,” a study on using rod-and-level surveys that found west-facing Saipan beaches showing a mix of stability, erosion, and accretion, with areas near tourist hubs experiencing more erosion while some areas showing signs of sediment build-up at the conference.
Mark Terlaje Pangelinan presented his research on “Geographic Risk Assessment of Anoplolepis gracilipes on Saipan” while Kina Rangamar presented on “Identifying Effective Communication Strategies for the Global Conservation Initiative.”
“Christopher and I were honored to present our…internship findings at Guåhan’s annual Conference for Island Sustainability, where we absorbed insights from various Pacific environmental leaders, poets, scientists, and artists — especially on championing sustainability and biodiversity in the Marianas Islands,” said Reyes.
The four students also had the opportunity to tour the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands Lab and met with Supervisory Entomologist Dr. Ken Puliafico.
“As Chamorro and Refaluwasch students from Saipan, this brief but impactful experience allowed us to strengthen our camaraderie while further steeling our commitment to responsible environmental stewardship, made possible by the tireless efforts of our deeply appreciated mentors — Velma Deleon Guerrero and Kelsey McClellan, to whom we extend our deepest gratitude,” said Reyes.
Funding for this opportunity was paid by the University of Guam NextGen COMPASS Program. For more information, contact Kelsey McClellan at kelsey.mcclellan@marianas.edu/.
From left, Northern Marianas College Natural Resources Management Program coordinator and instructor Kelsey Lynn McClellan with NMC students Mark Terlaje Pangelinan, Kina Rangamar, Kianna Reyes, and Christopher Pangelinan at the 15th Annual Conference on Island Sustainability hosted by the University of Guam’s Center for Island Sustainability.
