13 Flame Trees adopted under newest Beautify CNMI program

Flame Tree Adoptions: MINA Board member Chuck Sayon, Nancy Rushmer, Rep. Cinta Kaipat, and Doreen Jesus of Guam pose with some of the Adopt-a-Flame Trees.

Beautify CNMI is gearing up for another round of tree plantings this year with an Adopt-a-Flame Tree program.

Beautify CNMI! is asking members of the community and business owners to “adopt” a Flame Tree by donating $20 per tree to the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance.

The trees will be planted in the location of the adoptees choosing, but Beautify CNMI is urging people to have the trees planted along Beach Road. According to Rep. Cinta Kaipat, “We would like to encourage the planting of the trees along Beach Road because a lot of the old trees are infected and will die soon. We want to plant now before they get taken down and it looks empty.”

Adoptees will be recognized with a certificate, a small marker next to the base of the tree, and with a picture on the Beautify CNMI website. The adoptions are ongoing and planting will begin in late June. Says Beautify CNMI Chairman Angelo Villagomez, “We’re just waiting for the rain.”

Adoptees will be invited to the plantings, but if they can not make it, they will receive a photo along with the GPS coordinates of their adopted tree.

Doreen Jesus and Greg Pangelinan of Guam each adopted a tree for Jesus’s son, US Army Sergeant Jesse Castro, who lost his life serving in Iraq last December. Castro was buried in Guam, but his father, Jesus Castro, is from Saipan.

The adoptees from the Flame Tree Festival are Aya Matsumoto (2), Shirley’s Coffee Shop (3), Nancy Rushmer, Ian Catlett, Calvo & Clark LLC, Don Bader, Nathan Tan, Doreen Jesus, Greg Pangelinan, and Bree Reynolds.

In 2006, Beautify CNMI planted 22 Flame Trees along Beach Road and in January 2007 they planted 4 more. To adopt a Flame Tree, contact Angelo Villagomez at 483-1078 or angelovillagomez@gmail.com.

2007 Flame Tree Arts Festival

That's not trash: Beautify CNMI partners promoted recycling at this year's Flame Tree Festival.

The Arts Council graciously donated a tent to Beautify CNMI! at this year's Flame Tree Arts Festival, the largest festival of its kind in Micronesia. Using recycling bins borrowed from Division of Environmental Quality, Beautify CNMI promoted aluminum can and plastic bottle recycling during the four day event.

Student Volunteers: Volunteers from San Vicente Elementary, Koblerville Elementary, and Hopwood Junior High School helped Beautify CNMI man the tent.

Volunteers from Marianas RC&D, Mariana Islands Nature Alliance, Rep. Cinta Kaipat's Office, Hopwood Junior High School, San Vicente Elementary, Koberville Elementary, and Friends of the Mariana Islands helped Beautify CNMI! staff the tent from the opening to the closing cermonies of the festival. Thanks to everyone who helped out!

The Tree Guys: Angelo Villagomez and Ken Kramer of Marianas Resource Conservation & Development Council (RC&D) pose with some of the Adopt-a-Flame Tree trees. RC&D hosted a tree care workshop in January and leads the tree planting activities of Beautify CNMI.

The Flame Tree Festival was the perfect opportunity for Beautify CNMI! to kick off the Adopt-a-Flame Tree program. Beautify CNMI! partner Marianas RC&D planted Flame Trees along Beach Road last year, hosted a tree care workshop for CUC, DPW, and Parks & Recreation earlier this year, and plans to continue the replacement of the missing and/or dying trees along Beach Road. At this year's festival 13 Flame Trees were adopted. They will be planted a the onset of the rainy season.

The cost to adopt a Flame Tree is $20. If you or your business would be interested in adopting one or several trees, please contact Angelo Villagomez.

Super Volunteers: (right to left) Angelo Villagomez, Susan Macario, Jerry Tan, and Cinta Kaipat pose for a photo.

We also sold T-shirts, buttons, stickers, and MINA annual memberships. In total we raised $748. These funds will support Beautify CNMI! programs in the upcoming year. Tan Holding's Shirley's Coffee Shop donated $260. They purchased three Adopt-a-Flame Trees, a MINA corporate membership, and donated $100 towards the purchase of a trash trailer for our cleanups! Thank you Shirleys!

Earth Team Award Winners: We handed out individual certificates to all of the MOVER members who helped us win an USDA Earth Team Group Award.

In addition to fundraising and recycling, we also had a few meetings. The Animal Welfare Committee met inside the tent on Thursday to discuss the upcoming National Pet Week and Boonie Dog Pet Show. On Sunday we presented MOVER members with their individual certificates for winning the 2006 USDA Earth Team Group Award.

Thanks again to everyone who helped us this weekend!