By: Julianne Castro
The Santa Barbara Catholic School students continue to learn new ways to be good stewards of the environment in response to Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si. This October, they learned how to preserve the coconut trees on their island of Guam through pest management.
Coconut trees are an important part of Guam’s culture. Palm trees line the whole island, swaying beautifully against the clear skies whether the weather is sunny or rainy. They are a source of drink, food, and cooking. The coconut tree’s leaves are also used for weaving.
On October 16, 2015 the school welcomed Ms. DonaMila Inta Taitano to give a talk on the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle for the 6th and 7th grade students’ Science class under Mrs. Lolita Limjap. The students were informed of how to stop the beetles from feeding on living coconut and palm trees as well as damaging their leaves.
Ms. Taitano is the Extension Associate for the University of Guam’s College of Natural & Applied Science Cooperative Extension Services for the Agriculture and Natural Resources Division’s Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Program. For the talk she was joined by her Extension Assistants, Raymundo San Miguel, Marty Hara, Derrick Diego, and Donatus Somol.
The students learned the Principles of Coconut Rhinocerus Beetle (CRB) Management, which are: Education (learning facts about the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle and how to take proper care of palm trees), Monitoring (observing CRB activities and damages they caused in the area), Sanitation (Maintain the areas’ green waste and trees) and Trapping (Using traps to help prevent CRB from damaging the trees).
Ms. Taitano and her team educated the students on the beetle’s behavior and biology, later on letting the students have first hand encounters with the beetles that they brought with them. The students were able to see and touch beetles in different stages of its life, from pupa to adult beetle. They were encouraged to monitor the waste in their own homes and in the school, and were taught how to detect signs of damage done by the beetles on the trees. The students also learned the different trapping methods for the beetle.
Tekken Netting, a gill net that traps the beetle, will soon be laid over piles of green waste around the school by the students. The green waste is what attracts the beetle.The entire school body will be able to observe how effective the Tekken Netting is, and most importantly, the great effect this small effort has for the coconut trees and our common home.