(MINA) — The Mariana Islands Nature Alliance (MINA) was founded by a group of individuals that recognized the need to initiate collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors on ways to increase the effectiveness of conservation efforts in the CNMI. A meeting facilitated by The Nature Conservancy was attended by approximately 30 individuals representing CNMI government natural resources agencies, community organizations and volunteers who discussed ways to formulate focused community efforts to enhance stewardship of the island’s natural resources. The outcome of this initial meeting was the founding of the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance with the proclamation that “There is a clear understanding that we, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, have the right and responsibility to act as stewards of our own natural inheritance.”
As a result of the work of these dedicated individuals, MINA continues to partner on projects with the Division of Coastal Resources Management, the Division of Environmental Quality, the Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Division of Forestry on a variety of environmental projects where MINA helps fill in some of the gaps in the CNMI’s collective environmental mission. The first of these collaborative projects was the Obyan rehabilitation that prevented vehicles from driving on the beach due to the presence of sea turtle nesting sites.
Through the engagement of community partners such as government organizations, schools, private business establishments, and volunteer organizations, MINA creates programs that not only encourage the involvement of the community but also depend on this support for the successful implementation and sustainability of the programs. There’s a saying, “It Takes a Village,” and in the case of environmental stewardship here in the CNMI, the community has really stepped up in partnerships with MINA’s ongoing programs.
This year’s Earth Day theme is Planet vs. Plastics. We’ve all witnessed plastic pollution on land and sea. Plastic litter can be found on our public beaches and other areas, including illegal dumpsites. Absolutely, plastic pollution is a problem on our islands. It harms our environment, human health, economy, and is a serious threat to our island ecology, causing ingestion, entanglement, and habitat damage.
The first of many of MINA’s long-standing programs known as “Adopt a Bin,” has been in operation since 2010. Receptacles for recycling plastic, glass, and aluminum cans are placed at eleven different sites at public beaches and parks. Data collected in 2023 yielded, on average, 1,020 lbs. of plastics, 3,228 lbs. of glass bottles, and 1,020 lbs. of aluminum cans which indicates that the general public is utilizing them as intended. MINA’s Adopt a Bin program continues to be a viable deterrent for plastics entering the ocean, and is made possible by the commitments of MINA’s valued corporate sponsors who “adopt” a bin to assist in the cost of collection and maintenance. MINA has also garnered the support of many of the businesses in the CNMI throughout the years that contribute to fundraising efforts at MINA’s Annual Green Gala. Additionally, Saipan’s major hotels and community partners engage their staff and management with MINA in beach cleanup events, tree planting, and other environmental initiatives.
The most recent initiative undertaken by MINA is the Community Recycles Plastics Program. With the knowledge that Saipan doesn’t have potable water, MINA’s team reached out to the Public School System Office of Nutrition requesting data on the amount of plastic water bottles distributed through the school lunch program. The data that came back was an astounding number of 3,392,800 / 8oz water bottles distributed to the students over a period of 180 school days. This doesn’t take into account the consumption of bottled water by the general community throughout the year. This data led to MINA’s interest in searching for a solution to begin to address plastic pollution in the CNMI and the introduction of a circular economy. This vision became a reality when MINA was able to purchase plastic upcycling machines that process plastics into usable products with the goal of keeping plastics out of the environment and creating a circular economy, the first of its kind in the CNMI.
As science has proven, habits begin at an early age, so MINA’s Community Recycles Plastics pilot project was first introduced to students. DanDan Middle School, Saipan International School, Northern Marianas College and Northern Marianas Technical Institute currently house plastics upcycling machines, collect and prepare plastics for processing, and are creating products. MINA currently has plastics collection points at twelve schools, three government offices, one community hub, and two commercial businesses, and discussions are currently underway to engage two CNMI government agencies in partnerships for the plastics upcycling program. The primary goal of this pilot project is to keep plastics out of the ocean and reduce the amount that goes into the landfill.
Other long-standing programs that MINA has initiated over the years are the Schools for Environmental Conservation (SFEC) and the Tasi Watch Ranger Program. The SFEC Program is tailored to the middle-school-aged audience with presentations on environmental issues such as climate change, the critical nature of watersheds, marine debris prevention, on-campus rain gardens and other environmental issues coordinated with the schools’ science teachers.
MINA’s PayPal account and access the volunteer application.
MINA’s Tasi Watch Ranger program is a workforce development initiative that engages unemployed youth who are high school graduates, many of whom are students at Northern Marianas College. The Rangers become the Eyes of the Ocean and are trained in best practices for environmental stewardship, including coral restoration, marine debris prevention, native species tree propagation and planting. The Rangers also present at outreach activities at schools and community events, which gives them valuable experience in public speaking.
MINA fosters community and science-based conservation programs to enhance and sustain the CNMI’s environments and cultures. If you’d like to support MINA’s efforts in empowering communities for conservation, please contact minaoutreach@gmail.com, visit their website at www.minapacific.org, or follow them on Facebook /MINAPACIFIC, and Instagram @minaoutreach. Financial contributions are welcome, and can be made by scanning the QR code below to donate to MINA’s PayPal account and access the volunteer application.
