Daok Planting at the Grotto

Yesterday morning, Beatify CNMI members CNMI Forestry, MOVER, Marianas RC&D and Rep. Kaipat's office planted 64 Daok trees along the road leading to the Grotto.

Daok is a beautiful local canopy species used in traditional medicine and to make oil.

The trees planted yesterday won't directly effect erosion rates or the amount of sediment washing out onto Saipan's coral reefs, but they will make the island a more beautiful place to live. The planting keeps our volunteers involved and gives them ownership in the stewardship of our island.

Hiking up to our revegetation project is hard work. We can't expect volunteers to want to hike up there week after week. We are trying to combine our difficult plantings with easier plantings, hence our coconuts on the beach plantings and this planting. The idea being that when we do our plantings that have more of an affect on Saipan's coral reefs, like at Lao Lao, by keeping our volunteers involved on a weekly basis, it will be much easier to organize and recruit them.

This is working. Although it was pouring rain most of the morning, 29 volunteers showed up to plant trees.

Thank you to everyone involved in yet another successful planting!