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SKÅL Guam partners with UOG GROW to plant 45 trees in Ugum Watershed
SKÅL Guam
August 31, 2026
SKAL Club members with Atkins Kroll and Morrico Equipment employees join the Guam’s Restoration Of Watersheds (GROW) team in tree planting at the Ugum river in Talofofo, Guam. (Photo courtesy of SKÅL Guam)
Tree-planting initiative supports watershed restoration, wildfire resilience and protection of Guam’s coastal environment.
GUAM — SKÅL International Guam recently joined the University of Guam’s Guam Restoration of Watersheds (GROW) Program for a community tree-planting activity at the Ugum Watershed restoration site in southern Guam, planting 45 native and fruit trees as part of an ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable tourism.
The activity supports SKÅL International Asia’s “One Member, One Tree” initiative, which has set a goal of planting 10,000 trees throughout the region by 2030.
SKÅL Guam members worked alongside the UOG GROW team to plant trees selected to help restore and strengthen the watershed. As the trees become established, they will help enrich the soil, create natural fire breaks against grassland fires, and reduce soil erosion and sediment runoff into Guam’s rivers and coastal waters.
SKAL president, Ernie Galito, joins Morrico Equipment employees Saylyee Bonapard, ReyRey Cando, and Ashley Ann Benavente-Camacho in planting a pandanus dubius tree. (Photo courtesy of SKÅL Guam)
Reducing erosion is particularly important to the health of Guam’s marine environment. Sediment carried downstream can settle on coral reefs and affect coral and other marine life in the island’s estuaries and coastal areas.
“For those of us in tourism, protecting our natural environment goes hand in hand with protecting the destination we share with our visitors and call home,” said Ernie Galito, President of SKÅL International Guam. “This project gives our members an opportunity to turn the environmental stewardship message of SKÅL Asia into meaningful action here on Guam.”
Galito added that SKÅL Guam hopes to make tree planting a recurring activity and continue its partnership with the GROW Program.
The project also brought together SKÅL members and volunteers from Atkins Kroll and Morrico Equipment, demonstrating how Guam’s business and tourism communities can contribute directly to conservation efforts.
The tree planting reflects SKÅL’s broader belief that sustainable tourism should benefit destinations as well as the people who live in them. By supporting watershed restoration, SKÅL Guam hopes the trees planted today will contribute to healthier forests, watersheds and reefs for generations to come.
About SKÅL International Guam
SKÅL International Guam is part of SKÅL International, the world’s largest global network of tourism professionals, bringing together leaders from all sectors of the travel and tourism industry. Through professional networking, education, community service, and sustainability initiatives, SKÅL promotes responsible tourism while fostering friendship and business relationships among its members.