Earth Day Committee launches events to engage with students and community members across Palau

April 22nd, 2025 will mark the 55th anniversary of Global Earth Day. Every year, over one billion people across the planet observe Earth Day on and around that date. In Palau, the Earth Day Committee has been meeting regularly to plan events and activities. Last month, His Excellency, President Surangel Whipps Jr signed Proclamation No. 25-392 “Declaring the Month of April 2025 as National Earth Month for the Republic of Palau.” With the theme “Kaukledem el Kirel a Ungil Omengereomel el mo Klungiolel a Ungil Klukuk er Kid; Investing in Our Community: Safeguarding our Investments for a Cleaner Future,” National Earth Month will feature a number of activities hosted by different organizations.

The Solid Waste Management Office (SWM)–Bureau of Public Works (BPW) is collecting old tires in Keiukel (April 14-15) and Desbedall (April 16-17). The End-of-Life Tire Collection Event: Get Rid of your Old Scrap Tires encourages members of the public to bring their tires to the State Office and Public Works between 9am and 4pm. For more information, call 488-2480/2850.

On the evening of April 17th, the Guardians of Palau Tourism Seminar will be held at the Civic Center. This event is to inform tour guides and operators on travel market insights, cultural site etiquette, groundbreaking environmental research data, and best business practices through the Palau Pledge.

On April 18th from 9am-3pm, our annual 2025 Green Fair will be held at the Bureau of Agriculture’s compound in Ngchesar. Activities will include a plant contest for both medicinal and ornamental plants, weaving demos, a live band, a raffle, and cultural games.

On the same day, Palau Red Cross Society (PRCS) will have a grand opening of their thrift shop at their Warehouse and Training Center in Ngebudel, Airai from 10am-3pm. The store will sell second-hand men, women, children and baby clothing, household items, books, and more, donated by different organizations and people from the community. PRCS also has a thrift store naming contest, which is open until April 16th. Please see their Facebook page for more information.

Palau’s Ministry of Education (MOE) and Palau Conservation Society (PCS) are launching the Ocean Stewardship Program for seventh-grade students in all public schools. During the week of April 21-25, each school will collect, segregate and weigh plastics at a designated site by the shoreline, and submit the recorded data to MOE and PCS. Angaur Elementary School will carry out a similar activity but focus on microplastics. 

The Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) is holding a social media challenge series following the theme “Investing in Our Community”. Each challenge will be one week long, with seven in total, starting on April 21st, concluding on June 9th and encompassing Earth Day, World Environment Day, and World Ocean Day. Check out Palau International Coral Reef Center-PICRC Facebook page each Monday for details on that week’s challenge. Prizes include a glass blowing voucher donated by Koror State Government (KSG), disaster kits donated by Palau Red Cross Society, and calendars and stickers donated by PICRC.

Palau Community College-Cooperative Research and Extension (PCC-CRE) has invited NGOs, schools, community organizations, and state hamlet groups to participate in the “Adopt a Bluu” initiative. This program aims to promote sustainable agricultural practices by encouraging the adoption and cultivation of a traditional Palauan mesei (wetland taro patch) plot located in Ngermeskang, Ngeremlengui. Once participants have adopted a designated mesei plot, PCC-CRE will provide hands-on training and support on planting, maintenance, and best practices, as well as transportation to the site. At the time of harvest, adoptees can choose to consume, sell, or donate the produce. Interested groups are encouraged to contact Sasha Kyota (680)775-7279 and or Elchung Hideyos (680)775-5343 for further details.

Last Friday, on April 11th, Palau Pledge hosted their 3rd annual Dive 4 Earth Day, a dive clean-up at T-Dock, Meketii. The clean-up attracted 30 participants from different organizations like Friends of the PNMS, PICRC, the Environmental Quality Protection Board (EQPB), Bureau of Tourism, and students who took part in the Palau Pledge Dive Club. In total, 194kg of trash was collected. This was then segregated with the help of Koror State Government (KSG)-SWM.

The Earth Day Committee includes members from PICRC, EQPB, PCS, Friends of the PNMS, MOE, Palau Office of Climate Change, PVA, Chamber of Commerce, KSG, PCC-CRE, MAFE, Palau Pledge, NSWM, Civic Action Team, Ministry of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development, Department of Conservation and Law Enforcement, Palau Red Cross, the Ministry of Health and Human Services, and more. The Committee will continue to host events and activities to encourage community members to invest in their community and enjoy the natural environment of Palau.