Every September, Guam highlights environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, and green innovation during Sustainable September. This month-long movement connects island community action to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the world works toward the 2030 global benchmark.

At the core of this effort are the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant), Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative, and Guam NSF EPSCoR programs. Together, their initiatives turn ambitious global goals into practical local solutions that reflect and include the diverse, multicultural communities that call Guam home. Here are just some of their efforts:

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant has named journalist and media professional Thomas Mangloña II as the first UOG CIS & Sea Grant Marianas Science Communications Fellow, launching a new effort to strengthen the way science and environmental research are shared with communities across the region.

The Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative leveraged approximately $1 million in annual local funding to attract over $30 million in external support, showing that local sustainability investments can deliver significant socioeconomic benefits. At the 2026 Virtual Island Summit, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero shared these results and highlighted Guam’s ongoing sustainability initiatives during a panel with policymakers and practitioners.

True science communication also honors the human stories behind the programs, behind research. Serving as a mentor for the Navigating Home program this year gave me a renewed appreciation for this truth. While I have guided reporters and community educators in the past, mentoring Kira Reklai—a fellow with a background in early childhood education—for Navigating Home was a uniquely rewarding journey.

Local fishers are reporting an increase in both the size and overall abundance of several fish species across Guam’s reef waters following the 2020 ban on SCUBA spearfishing, according to observations shared during a recent Fisher Forum hosted by community science initiative Guihan for Guåhan.