Beautify CNMI!

Shark Stanley Needs Your Help

2013-01-17T10:23:00.002+10:00

Shark Stanley and his friends were playing on the reef,

When down came a net that swept them away.

But at last when they escaped, they saw to their grief,

Their home had no sharks! Leaving it barren and grey.

Now Stan and his buddies are searching the ocean

From Bali to Brazil and Bangladesh to Belize

For friends to stand up and cause a commotion

Because the world needs sharks to help save the seas!

“Hello friend! My name is Shark Stanley and I am traveling around the world to find friends who will support shark and manta ray protections at the upcoming Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting in March. If you would like to help me with this mission, you can print a picture of me - or my friends Manta Reina, Pierre le Porbeagle, and Waqi Whitetip - cut us out, and take a photo with us anywhere you wish. Then please send us this photo along with your name and where you are from! My supporters are compiling your photos from around the world to share on their blog and web pages, and sending them to governments voting at CITES to get their support! Help us reach our goal of finding 50 organizations and celebrities to partner with me, and to collect at least 5000 photos from all 177 CITES countries!”

Shark Stanley Downloads:

Shark Stanley Handout - 8.5"x11"

Shark Stanley Handout - A4

Large Shark Stanley Cutout

Color Me Shark Stanley

Stanley el Tiburón - Español (Spanish)

Shark Stanley - ภาษาไทย (Thai)

Shark Stanley - Indonesian

Shark Stanley - Tagalog (Filipino)

シャーク・スタンリー - 日本語 (Japanese)

Shark Stanley - Français (French)

Hai Stanley - Deutsch (German)

Shark Stanley - 繁體字 (Mandarin)
Shark Stanley - Cantonese

Shark Stanley - Português (Portuguese)

Shark Stanley - Nederlands (Dutch)

Shark Stanley - العَرَبِيَّةُ (Arabic)
Morski Pas Stanley - Hrvatski (Croatian)
Stanley lo Squalo - Italiano (Italian)

Manta Reina Downloads:

Manta Reina - 8.5"x11"

Manta Reina - A4

Large Manta Reina Cutout

Manta Reina en Español

Manta Reina - Indonesian

Pierre le Porbeagle Downloads:

Pierre le Porbeagle - 8.5"x11"

Pierre le Porbeagle - A4

Large Pierre le Porbeagle Cutout

Waqi Whitetip Downloads:

Waqi Whitetip - 8.5"x11"

Waqi Whitetip - A4

Large Waqi Whitetip Cutout

Send Photos:
Upload your photos to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram tagged with @SharkDefenders, #SharkStanley, and the country where you live (i.e. #USA, #Fiji, #Brazil, etc).

AND

Email your photos to info@sharkdefenders.com for us to compile into a unique petition. You can also send your photos directly to your country’s CITES representative (follow this link and look up your country).

Partner:
If your organization would like to partner with Shark Stanley at CITES, write a story about us on your blog or website with a link to this page , then email us your logo and five photos of your friends with Shark Stanley to info@sharkdefenders.com. We'll post your logo and link to your website on a special sponsors' page.

Shark Stanley in the News:
Ecozine Hong Kong: Shark Stanley
Saipan Tribune: Beautify CNMI joins global Shark Stanley campaign

Shark Stanley on the Blogs:
The Terramar Project: Have you met Shark Stanley?
Jen Richards: The Adventures of Shark Stanley
Banyu Biru Explorers: Shark Stanley
Sharks Need Love: Are You a Shark Defender?
Beach Chair Scientist: Strike a pose with Shark Stanley for Shark Conservation
Earth Race Conservation: Shark Stanley and Friends
Programa Território Animal: Coluna Natascha Wosnick Fique ligado – CITES 2013
Dive Indonesia: Shark Stanley and Friends Need Your Help!

Beautify CNMI joins global Shark Stanley campaign

2013-01-07T13:15:00.002+10:00

Shark Stanley and Beautify CNMI volunteers

Shark Stanley, a charismatic hammerhead shark traveling the globe looking for people to help protect shark and ray species at the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), has made his way to the shores of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Shark Stanley has partnered with local conservation organization Beautify CNMI! in order to organize local support for the proposals to protection five species of shark and two species of manta ray at CITES 16th Convention of the Parties to be held in Bangkok, Thailand March 3-16.

“The Commonwealth is already an international leader in shark management and it is only natural that we want to see sharks protected at a global level,” said Cinta Kaipat of Beautify CNMI. “As islanders dependent on the ocean, and as part of the United States, we want to see these protections go through.”

Leah Meth and Onon Bayasgalan, graduate students at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, created the Shark Stanley campaign so that the global youth would have a voice at CITES. Their goal is for at least 20 people in each of the 177 CITES member countries to participate in the Shark Stanley campaign.

“Our idea is to create a campaign that will stand out from the typical petitions you see,” said Meth. “Each photo will serve as a ‘signature,’ representing a person who supports shark protections at CITES.”

People can participate in the campaign by cutting out a paper copy of Shark Stanley and his friends Manta Reina, Pierre le Porbeagle, and Waqi Whitetip, and then taking photographs with the characters, and posting them to social networks like Facebook and Twitter, tagging their posts with #SharkStanley. Meth and Bayasgalan are compiling the photos and with release the petition during the CITES meeting in March.

“We are able to get our materials translated into other languages and cultures by partnering with dive shops and environmental organizations around the world,” said Bayasgalan. “We have reached 47 countries since we launched last month, and we’re hopeful we’ll get to 177 as the campaign grows.”

The Pacific countries voting at CITES are Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Australia, and New Zealand. The Northern Mariana Islands will be represented by the United States at the meeting. The United States is a cosponsor of the proposals to protect the oceanic whitetip shark.

More information on the Shark Stanley campaign can be found online:
http://www.sharkdefenders.com/p/shark-stanley.html

DEQ Monthly Cleanup Brigade

2013-01-02T18:46:00.000+10:00

(DEQ) - The Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Cleanup Brigade will be at it again picking up trash at Tank Beach this Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 8 am.

If you would like to volunteer your time to clean and beautify our island, please meet the DEQ representatives on Saturday at the Tank Beach Parking lot at 8 am. Volunteers will split into groups and clean until 10:00 am and break for drinks and then continue, if needed.

This month, outstanding brigade volunteers who participated in at least ten (10) monthly cleanups will receive a brigade cap and those who participated in at least three (3) cleanups will receive a brigade t-shirt.

Last month’s Paupau Beach Cleanup was successful with over 50 volunteers participating. Thanks to, SSHS YEA Club, CUC, MINA, MAFEA and other volunteers about 260 pounds of trash was removed from the beach and properly disposed off.

The DEQ is looking forward to a repeat success this Saturday, so join DEQ’s monthly cleanup brigade and “Pick It Up!” Let us work together for the health of our coral reefs and cleanliness of our beaches for everyone to enjoy.

For more information about volunteering, please contact the DEQ office at 664-8500/1.

Share for Manta Ray Protections

2012-10-14T14:33:00.002+10:00

Brazil, Ecuador, and Colombia have put forth a proposal to list manta rays at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. If successful, governments will have to manage the trade of these charismatic animals. Want to show your support? Post this photo to Facebook and Twitter. You can Pin it, too.

Micronesia Speaks Up to Save Sharks

2012-09-22T13:58:00.002+10:00

Sharks are rapidly disappearing from the world's oceans, primarily as a result of the demand for their fins, which are valued as a soup ingredient in some cultures. Each year, up to 73 million of these animals are killed by humans. However, advocates in the Pacific would like to put a stop to this activity.

Soon, an area covering more than 2 million square miles of the western Pacific Ocean—approximately two-thirds the size of the land area of the United States—is slated to become the world's largest shark sanctuary, and the first created through a regional agreement among governments. The resolution, which was negotiated last year, also authorizes the development of a regional ban on the possession, sale, and trade of shark fins in the waters of Palau, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the Federated States of Micronesia, which includes Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae.

This short video, produced by the Pew Environment Group, demonstrates the need for countries to implement the agreement and recounts the successful efforts of Guam, where thousands of students and other citizens spoke out about the importance of safeguarding these important keystone species.

Cartoonist Jim Toomey on Sharks and Ocean Health

2012-06-07T03:46:00.001+10:00

Jim Toomey, renowned ocean life cartoonist, says there's a lot we can learn from Sherman the shark.

For 15 years, Toomey has been creating the daily comic strip Sherman's Lagoon, which appears in over 150 newspapers in North America. It combines Toomey's two lifelong passions: drawing and the sea. Now, he's partnered with the Pew Environment Group to create a series of short films to help educate people about ocean life.

The inspiration for Toomey's comic strip can be traced back to a family vacation in the Bahamas where he saw a real shark swimming in a remote lagoon. The Bahamas also happens to be the site of one the world's first shark sanctuaries, a place where sharks are completely protected from fishing. Since they are at the top of the food chain, protecting sharks is an important part of maintaining a healthy marine life balance. In a new film, Toomey enlists the help of Sherman himself to illustrate just how important sharks are to ocean health.

First Friday Films to Celebrate 2nd Anniversary with “Ocean Frontiers”

2012-05-23T11:19:00.004+10:00

Come help us celebrate First Friday Film's 2^ndanniversary and World Oceans Day! They're celebrating by showing the film Ocean Frontiers, sponsored by the Pacific Marine Resources Institute on June 1st, 2012 at 6:30pm at the American Memorial Park Visitors Center. Following the film, audience members will also be invited into the courtyard of the Visitor’s Center for a brief reception.

Ocean Frontiers takes us on an inspiring voyage to seaports and watersheds across the country—from the busy shipping lanes of Boston Harbor to a small fishing community in the Pacific Northwest; from America’s coral reefs in the Florida Keys to the nation’s premier seafood nursery in the Mississippi Delta. Here we meet a mixture of unlikely allies, of industrial shippers and whale biologists, pig farmers and wetland ecologists, sport and commercial fishermen, reef snorkelers and many more, all of them embarking on a new course of cooperation, in defense of the seas that sustain us. Filmed in HD, Ocean Frontiers is a documentary and outreach campaign to inspire and mobilize audiences to better care for the ocean, for the good of all.

Exhibits by DEQ Marine Monitoring Team, Pacific Marine Resources Institute, and Marianas Island Nature Alliance will be on display in the lobby area of the American Visitors Center before and after the film. After the film and courtyard reception, movie-goers are invited to join the First Friday Films crew for dinner at Spicy Thai across from the Park to discuss the films they’ve viewed and the future of our film program.

First Friday Films is a monthly film series brought to you through a partnership with the National Park Service and the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), with generous support from community groups and organizations such as the Pacific Marine Resources Institute, which is sponsoring this film.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 80 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public.

Find more information about the film at www.firstfridayfilmssaipan.blogspot.com. Subscribe to the blog for regular updates on upcoming events.

2012-04-26T13:26:00.001+10:00

This month First Friday Films will be holding its 1st annual Environmental Film Festival and Picnic starting tomorrow! See the schedule and notes below for details. Please help us spread the word as we think this will be a great event!

FRIDAY April 27^th

6:30pm Zero-Waste Picnic Kickoff* (location: AMP outdoor amphitheatre)

7:00pm FEATURE FILM: Addicted to Plastic (location: AMP outdoor amphitheatre, runtime 85 minutes)

SATURDAY April 28^th

10am – 1pm CHILDREN’S FILMS (location: AMP Visitor’s Center indoor theatre)

10:00am The Lorax (animated 1972 version based on the book by Dr. Seuss, runtime 30 minutes)

10:45am The Man Who Planted Trees (runtime 30 minutes)

11:30am DisneyNature’s OCEANS (runtime 84 minutes)

2pm – 3pm MATINEE: Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific (location: AMP Visitor’s Center indoor theatre, runtime 60 minutes)

4pm – 6pm REGIONAL SHORTS (location: AMP Visitor Center’s indoor theatre)

4:00pm Fanihi: A Cultural Digest (runtime 15 minutes)

4:15pm Talakhaya: A look at the Rota Revegetation and Luta Livelihoods Project (runtime 15 minutes)

4:30pm Home for Hawksbill (runtime 30 minutes)

5:00pm Micronesia’s Changing Climate (runtime 30 minutes)

5:30pm The Voices of Laolao (runtime 15 minutes)

6:30pm Zero-Waste Picnic Kickoff *
(location: AMP outdoor amphitheatre)

7:00pm FEATURE FILM: The Disappearing of Tuvalu
(location: AMP outdoor amphitheatre, runtime 75 minutes)

* Bring your dinner to the park for a Zero-waste picnic before and during the film. Movie-goers are encouraged to bring food, drinks and snacks that will create no trash to enjoy throughout the film. Bring reusable plates, utensils, drinking cups, water bottles, and cloth napkins. Package your food in Tupperware instead of plastic bags. Compost and recycling will be collected but trash bags will not be provided. Learn how to reduce trash on Saipan while enjoying the movie. (Please note: alcoholic beverages are not permitted within American Memorial Park.)

First Friday Films to show "Castaways" Friday

2012-04-04T10:30:00.000+10:00

First Friday Films will be featuring another episode of BBC’s South Pacific, entitled Castaways, on April 6^th, 2012 at 6:30pm at the American Memorial Park Visitor’s Center as part of their ongoing monthly environmental film series.

Remote islands that emerge out of the ocean as a consequence of different geological events are initially barren of land-based living creatures, but not for long. This episode looks at how plants, animals and humans all eventually find their ways to even the smallest and most remote of islands by riding ocean and wind currents or taking advantage of storms. Some crafty organisms even find ways to hitchhike around by attaching themselves to other species or riding along on boats with people. Come see another episode of this beautiful series presented in HD quality Blu-ray!

First Friday Films is a monthly film series brought to you through a partnership with the National Park Service and the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), with generous support from community groups. This particular film is provided by the Bearden Foundation.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 50 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. For more information about First Friday Films, check out their blog at www.firstfridayfilmssaipan.blogspot.com or email fffsaipan@gmail.com to be added to our mailing list.

Stay tuned for more information regarding our upcoming Environmental Awareness Month Film Festival on April 27 and 28 at American Memorial Park.

First Friday Films to show "There Once Was an Island" tomorrow

2012-02-02T12:22:00.000+10:00

Its the first week of February, which means its time for another First Friday Film event! Tomorrow (Friday 2/3), we will be screening the award-winning film There Once Was an Island: Te Henua e Nnoho, by New Zealand director Briar March. Showtime will be 6:30pm at the American Memorial Parks Visitors Center.
This very moving feature documentary is not to be missed. The film follows three people from Takuu atoll in the Solomon Islands as their community experiences the devastating effects of climate change firsthand. Will they decide to stay with their damaged and sinking island home or move to a new and unfamiliar land, leaving their culture and language behind forever? You can see the trailer for the film here: http://www.thereoncewasanisland.com/

Additionally, we will have Noah Idechong, Speaker of the House of Delegates of Palau and founding member of the Palau Conservation Society, giving a very special video presentation about the effects of climate change on Micronesia and how Palau and other Micronesian nations are looking to combat it through political means.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 80 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. A special thanks goes to the NMI Council for Humanities, who sponsored this film.

See you tomorrow!

Talakhaya film to be show on channel 2 tonight!

2012-01-25T14:31:00.000+10:00

A new documentary on Rota’s Talakhaya Revegetation Project will be featured tonight, Jan. 25, on Channel 2 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The Talakhaya Revegetation Project was implemented in 2006, where community planting efforts were greatly increased to reduce impacts of decades of deforestation by illegal burning.

The 14 minute, locally shot and produced documentary highlights the challenges they face with burning and soil erosion, the revegetation efforts of the community, and the project's successes over the last 5 years to reduce sediment from running off of the land and polluting adjacent coral reef ecosystems. The short film will air immediately following Channel 2’s evening news programs.

Funding for the film and the Rota DLNR headed revegetation program has come from the U.S. Coral Reef Initiative.

Don't Miss it!

First Friday Films to show "Economics of Happiness" Friday (Jan 6th)

2012-01-03T11:16:00.000+10:00

First Friday Films will be featuring its first film of the year and you don’t want to miss it. The Economics of Happiness, a film by Helena Norberg-Hodge, Steven Gorelick, & John Page, will be showing on January 6, 2012, 6:30pm at the American Memorial Parks Visitors Center.

Economic globalization has led to a massive expansion in the scale and power of business and banking. The Economics of Happiness describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On one hand, the alliance between governments and big business continues to promote globalization and consolidation of corporate power. And on the other, people all over the world are resisting those policies. Communities are coming together to re-build more human-scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – the economics of localization. More information about the film can be found here.

Anthony Pellegrino, owner of Saipan Aquaculture Co. Inc. and Cargo Air Bridge, will be on hand to discuss his vision for a sustainable local economy in the NMI as well as to share how he believes the community can participate in building it. Additionally, he will be answering audience questions following the film.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 65 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public.

Nominate Kathy Pagapular Ruszala's Sixth Grade Class for a Peter Benchly Ocean Award

2011-12-21T01:16:00.000+10:00

Here it goes, I'm asking for your help yet one more time. Will you nominate Kathy Pagapular's San Vicente Elementary School Sixth Grade Class for a Peter Benchley Ocean Award in Youth Activism? Kathy's class supported shark protections in the Northern Marianas this year and jumpstarted momentum for a year of shark conservation. They deserve recognition.

Click here to learn how to nominate San Vicente Elementary School for a Peter Benchley Ocean Award in Youth Activism.

The deadline for nominations is December 31, 2011. Nominations should include 2- 6 paragraphs on the nominee and why the nominator finds them deserving in their category. Feel free to include supporting materials and/or links. Please include the nominees contact information and your contact information.

Submit to benchleys@bluefront.org. Mark subject line - Benchley Nomination - Youth Activism. Nominators names will be held in confidence.

2011 was a watershed year in shark conservation. And where did it all start? Saipan. On January 27, Governor Ben Fitial signed a law criminalizing the sale, trade, and possession of shark fin. This act kicked off 12 months of improved protections for sharks, including shark sanctuaries in The Bahamas, Honduras, the Marshalls, and Tokelau, shark fin bans in Guam, California, Washington, Oregon, and half a dozen Canadian cities, protections for oceanic whitetips, hammerheads, and silky sharks on the high seas, and agreements by international and regional bodies to implement more protections in 2012.

The law in the Northern Marianas was supported by many in the community, including fishermen, divers, and the conservation-minded, but a sixth grade class at San Vicente Elementary School may have done more than anyone else to make sure sharks received protections.

I could tell their story, but filmmaker Rob Stewart does it much better with his short film Sharkwater Saipan. This short film is just a preview of Rob's second feature film Revolution, due out in theaters next year.

Watch Sharkwater Saipan on Youtube.

I am asking you to write your own nominations (but I am available to help or edit). Two paragraphs should not be that difficult. Think of this award as something that will come home to the Marianas, not just San Vicente Elementary.

I make this request as the Saipan Blogger and the Godfather of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, not as someone who works for an organization that shall go unnamed. I have had the honor of meeting many shark champions around the world this year including Tony DeBrum from the Marshall Islands, Ev Quiel and Melanie Blas on Guam, Manoa Rasagitale in Fiji, Rob Stewart in Canada, and many others, but my home and my heart lies with Saipan. So let's bring that award home!

Fiesta Resort & Spa: Makaka Beach Clean-up

2011-12-20T12:31:00.000+10:00

On Dec 17th, 40 volunteers collected 20 bags weighing approximately 100 lbs. This is our last, but not the least, beach clean-up for the year 2011. The clean-up was followed by calisthenics lead by our S&R lifeguards and a healthy breakfast at the cafeteria.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Tan Holdings: Susupe Beach Park Tree Planting

2011-12-14T11:35:00.003+10:00

Sharing with you are the pictures from our recently concluded “1st Tree Planting” initiative of Tan Holdings at the Susupe Beach Park. A group of 50 executives and key managers went out early in the morning of Saturday, Dec 10, 2011 to join and participate in this worthy activity. More tree planting activities are set for 2012 as we continue our commitment to share our time in preserving our mother earth.

DEQ Cleanup Bridge: Old Man by the Sea join us on Saturday!

2011-12-14T11:24:00.008+10:00

The Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Monthly cleanup brigade is deviating from its regular 1^st Saturday of the month schedule and scheduled its December cleanup on December 17, 2011 picking up trash at Old Man by the Sea, Saipan.

The beach is littered with float and jet-stream trash and it needs our help so DEQ is asking for more volunteers to join this particular cleanup.

If you would like to volunteer your time to clean and beautify our island, please meet the DEQ representative on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. along the road heading to King Fisher Golf. Come join us and “Pick it Up!”

Volunteers will split into groups and clean until 10:00 am and break for drinks and then continue, if needed.

This is a cleanup that should not be missed, so join DEQ’s cleanup brigade and “Pick It Up!” Let us work together for the health of our coral reefs and cleanliness of our beaches for everyone to enjoy.

So join DEQ’s Cleanup Brigade and “Pick It Up!” Let us work together for the health of our coral reefs and cleanliness of our beaches for everyone to enjoy.

For more information about volunteering, please contact the DEQ office at 664-8500/1.

Tan Holdings: Adopt-A-Pavilion Cleanup

2011-12-14T11:01:00.007+10:00

A team went out Saturday, November 26, 2011 to do the monthly clean-up for the Tan Holdings Adopt-A-Pavilion program. Approximately 225 lbs (or 15 bags) of trash were collected by the group of 25 employees. A breakfast in celebration of October and November birthday celebrants followed right after the clean-up.

First Friday Films to show "Fragile Paradise" tomorrow

2011-12-01T16:26:00.000+10:00

First Friday Films will be featuring another episode of BBC’s South Pacific, entitled Fragile Paradise, on December 2, 2011 (this Friday), 6:30pm at American Memorial Park Visitors Center.

Additionally, for all those who missed it, at 5:15pm we will be reshowing the Ocean of Islands episode we screened last month from the same series.

The new episode looks at the conservational measures being implemented across the South Pacific, such as marine reserves and coral nurseries, and what is being done to preserve the ocean and its wildlife.

It is a very well done and beautifully shot series, so don't miss the opportunity to see it on the big screen on Blu-ray!

For planning purposes, both films run about 50 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, so please arrive early to ensure admittance. For more information about this film and upcoming events visit their blog page at firstfridayfilmssaipan.blogspot.com

See you Friday!

2011-11-28T10:27:00.006+10:00

Hello, Everyone!

Every year, one of Beautify CNMI!'s premier partners--PDM Promoters, Inc.--invites schools to participate in the Tree-Decorating Contest at the Paseo de Marianas using recycled materials. This has become a *favorite* annual event and we are grateful to the nice folks at PDM Promoters for the generous opportunity it grants the schools to raise funds (prize money) for their school activities.

As part of the on-going holiday festivities, PDM Promoters also invites the public to the JUMBO Christmas Tree Ribbon Decoration. Tie a ribbon on the tree to represent your favorite cause. Of course, don't forget to include a green ribbon or two to represent Beautify CNMI! and the other environmental groups. Thank you! Everyone is welcome to participate in this. Please see below for details. Arigato Gozaimasu, Olomwaay and Si Yu'us Ma'ase, PDM Promoters!

* * * *

A new Jumbo Christmas tree is up at Paseo de Marianas...It will be ready for visitors there to tie ribbons of their choice with their wishes written thereon, beginning on this coming week's Street Market night on Thursday, December 1. The lighting ceremony program begins at 5:30 p.m. on that evening.

We have once again prepared ribbons as listed below (with the names of the supporting organizations in the past years):

Green - for environmentalists' causes (Mariana Island Nature Alliance (MINA), DEQ and Beautify CNMI!)
Pink - cancer prevention awareness (Commonwealth Cancer Society)
Blue - autism awareness (Autism Society of the CNMI)
Yellow - "Support Our Troops" (Operation CNMI Homefront Support)
Orange - "For Brighter Future of Our Children" (Luta Cares)
Red - for general purposes
See also last year's report attached.

Those who like to make brief appeals for their causes on behalf of their organizations at the lighting ceremony to the gathering audience, please advise me.

Thank you for your usual understanding and cooperation.

horiguchi.
(volunteer advisor to PDM Promoters, Inc., a CNMI non-profit corporation)
tel: 234-2067
fax: 234-7530
cell: 287-9233

PDM Promoters, Inc. (purposes):
To provide for and act as a forum or an avenue for the promotion, coordination and/or collaboration of collective activities by the businesses located on the Paseo de Marianas pedestrian mall, Puntan Muchot, Garapan, Saipan, and any other locations in the CNMI designated by the Board of Directors from time to time, all within the confines of exempt purposes in order to lessen the burdens of the government, lessen neighborhood tensions and/or combating community deterioration and juvenile delinquency, as set forth in NMTIT Section 501(c)(3) .

Get FREE Light Bulbs

2011-11-09T09:53:00.002+10:00

This week only, the CNMI Energy Division is at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe (until Thursday) providing the community with important information about how to conserve energy.

Meet with Energy Division Specialists to learn simple tips and tricks that you can use to help lower your CUC power bill. No appointments necessary...just drop by between 9am-4:30pm.

Stop by the Multi-Purpose Center with your CUC bill in hand and qualify for free give-a-ways, including energy saving light bulbs for your home or office.

Check out energy savings ideas and suggestions at their website: http://www.cnmienergy.com/

For more information, call (670) 664 4480 or email energy@cnmienergy.com

Shark Hope

2011-11-09T00:57:00.003+10:00

You will find a familiar Beautify CNMI face in this documentary about shark conservation in Fiji.

First Friday Films to show "Ocean of Islands" tomorrow

2011-11-03T10:55:00.000+10:00

First Friday Films will be featuring BBC’s Wild Pacific: Ocean of Islands tomorrow, November 4^th, 6:30pm at American Memorial Park Visitors Center.

BBC’s Wild Pacific: Ocean of Islands presents an overview of the natural history of the region. This landmark series explores the sheer scale and majesty of the largest ocean on Earth. The film will also detail the methods of formation of its islands, the diverse ecosystems, the extraordinary journeys wildlife and humans have gone through to reach these specks of land, and how both have adapted to life here.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 80 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, please arrive early to ensure admittance.

For more information visit and subscribe to our blog: firstfridayfilmssaipan@blogspot.com

Mt Tapochau Cleanup

2011-10-29T15:25:00.007+10:00

On October 22, 2011, the staff, family and friends of both Fiesta Resort and Spa and Saipan Grand Hotel went to Mt. Tapochau to clean the area. Thirty-seven (37) volunteers braved driving the bad roads going up and collected 30 bags with approximate weight of 150 lbs. We removed unwanted weeds and grass, and cleaned the steps.

The volunteers were treated scrumptious breakfast at Shirley's Café. Fiesta Resort & Spa and Saipan Grand Hotel are members of MINA.

Please Sign White House Petition to Protect Sharks

2011-10-08T02:03:00.001+10:00

Earlier this year the Northern Mariana Islands kicked off a global rush of shark conservation by banning the sale, trade, and possession of shark fin. Since the day Governor Fitial signed Public Law 17-27 into law, leaders in Guam, Honduras, The Bahamas, Chile, Tokelau, and the Marshall Islands have passed shark conservation measures. Additionally, Governor Fitial championed the declaration of the Micronesia Regional Shark Sanctuary, the first multi-jurisdictional shark sanctuary in the world.

I started a petition on the White House’s We The People website asking the Obama Administration to “ban the sale, trade, and possession of shark and shark products, including shark fin.” The petition needs about 1600 more signatures for the Administration to issue an official response. Please take a few moments to sign.

The petition can be found online at: www.wh.gov/gWs

The Northern Marianas is a global leader in marine and shark conservation. Like the students from San Vicente elementary who helped support the passage of our shark protections, these protections should spread from island to island, from country to country. The United States should be the next country to protect sharks.

Angelo Villagomez
Washington, DC

2011 International Coastal Cleanup

2011-10-05T08:31:00.000+10:00

Hello Everyone,

On behalf of Coastal Resources Management Office, I would like to personally thank you all group coordinators for organizing a group of volunteer to make 2011 International Coastal Cleanup a success. This event could not have been a success without the help of you and the many other volunteers who donated their time in making Saipan's beaches clean.

We are happy to share the result with you, the total weigh in of trash collected in our cleanup is 5,120 lbs. at about several hundred pounds less than last year. Even though it rain on us we still manage to cover most of our beaches.

A lot of your data card have been turn in and received and have totaled each individual trash collected on the list. On top of our list is cigarettes filters with 2,349 pieces, second we have caps and lids at 1,198 pieces and on third of our list is plastic forks, knives and spoon and Styrofoam cups and plates at 825 pieces. I am still collecting data cards, please do send me through e-mail or stop by CRMO to drop off.

I also like to thank Beautify CNMI!, DEQ, DPW, and MINA in providing helping hands and supplies for this year's International Coastal Cleanup. Summary of data card and photos will be attach.

Olomwaay,
Guy Macaranas
Saipan Coastal Coordinator