GROW Project Lead Joshua Muna assists 4-year-old Keith Daniel Santos at the GROW in Malojloj tree-planting event. Santos was one of the many volunteers on hand that helped plant over 1200 trees at the first event of the season. (Photo courtesy of University of Guam)
The University of Guam’s Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant), in collaboration with the Guam Restoration of Watersheds (GROW) Initiative, successfully hosted a community tree planting event this past Saturday, August 2, at the Ugum Watershed project site in Malojloj. The event marked the official start of the year’s planting season, drawing volunteers dedicated to protecting Guam’s natural resources from ridge to reef.
The event brought together dozens of volunteers, including students, conservationists, and community members, working to restore the degraded Ugum Watershed.
The ongoing reforestation efforts are crucial for securing soil and preventing sediment runoff, which can harm southern rivers, interfere with the island’s water treatment systems, and suffocate nearby coral reefs.
“We want to thank everyone who came out and did their part to help protect our lands and prevent as much as we can from ending up in our oceans,” said GROW Project Lead Joshua Muña.
According to Muña, his team spent the past several weeks preparing for the event, alongside the newly launched Guam Green Growth GROW Corps.
“The entire team was doing site preparation for the plantings, we started drilling holes for the new trees, and we created erosion mitigation devices with the use of the dead trees that we cleaned up,” added Muña.
Altogether, organizers touted over 1200 trees planted within the three-hour event.
The GROW initiative, part of the larger Guam Green Growth (G3) partnership, focuses on empowering the community to take an active role in sustainable development. The tree planting series is designed to restore the watershed’s badland areas, which have been severely impacted by erosion.
Austin Shelton Ph.D., Director of UOG CIS & Sea Grant, has emphasized the tangible impact of the volunteers’ work. “Planting trees is a tangible way to contribute to the health and resilience of our island,” Shelton told the GROW Corps, adding that every tree planted is a part of a legacy for future generations.
The event also served as a service-learning opportunity for high school students, offering them a chance to earn credits while contributing to an important environmental cause.
The GROW in Malojloj event series is scheduled to continue select Saturdays throughout the planting season, with the next being prepped for September 6, 2025. The organizers encourage families, community groups, and corporate volunteers to join future events and help make a lasting difference for Guam’s environment.
