SandFest kicks off environmental stewardship awareness
Seashores around the island differ depending on location. In some areas it may be a mangrove, in others a beach which, according to the Bureau of Statistic and Plans, is very limited and must be protected.
To raise awareness about the importance of protecting these shores, the BSP Coastal Management Program has teamed up with the Governor's Islandwide Beautification Task Force to host the inaugural Guam SandFest 2024 on Saturday, BSP announced during a press conference.
"Beaches (are) such a very limited part of the seashore reserve, we want to work together to make sure we manage that resource for the future, and this is how our program was folded into this, in which we are now able to leverage the federal partner which is (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), ... around the issue of erosion," BSP Administrator Edwin Reyes said during the press conference on Thursday.
According to Reyes, SandFest 2024 kick-starts awareness in the community in a fun and unique way.
"We are using art as a way to connect spaces and engage people by driving people to the beach so they can appreciate that," Reyes said.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero welcomed professional sculptors Albert Lucio and Wade Lapp, who flew into Guam days ago, to hit the beach and sculpt sand to help raise awareness.
"I'd like to welcome our friends from off island who are professional sculptors of sand. What an amazing career. I think I'll be that after I am governor. I also want to echo my sincere appreciation and gratefulness to the community in support of finding and making common change and awareness event. Using this as an awareness event to educate our community to the importance of our beaches, ... I understand we have 113 miles of coastal line but less than a third is our beaches," the governor said.
A beach is more than just sand, according to the governor, it's an important part of the island's history.
"Many of our ancestors erected their residence, or place of living, on the beaches because they provide food and sustenance for our island and, more importantly for us, it provides a way of family recreation, bonding of family members and friends," she said.
Lucio, who will be sculpting sand art on Saturday, first got his hands sandy 18 years ago in Corpus Christi, Texas, in his home state.
"For me, I completely agree with the governor about a sense of pride in being from the beach, a sense of pride that we as sculptors get from the beach and for us, a big part of what we do is keeping that interest and art of doing something out there. For us, we have a motto: unlitter and when you unlitter you are taking more litter than you're putting out there and that's a big part of what we do," Lucio said.
Lapp, a sculptor from Washington state who has been turning sand into art for nine years, shared in the sentiment and was excited to be a part of the event.
"I'm so grateful to be here, just to be able to attend this event and be a part of it," he said.
The sculptors already have started playing with some sand at the Pacific Islands Club, where the press conference was hosted. Lapp noted they were getting the feel for the sand.
"We've been playing with some sand here, ... we've gone out and tested out the sand for this weekend. ... I think it's going to be a great challenge for us. I would say we are prizefighters and we are going to go out and do the best that we can and try to see what we can create," Lucio said, noting the sculptors would be pushing the limits of the sand.
SandFest 2024 takes place on Saturday, at the Gov. Joseph Flores Memorial Park, or Ypao Beach, with the sand sculpting competition featuring eight teams kicking off at 8 a.m.
"A highlight of the event is the Sand Sculpting Competition, where teams, schools, corporate groups and community organizations compete to create stunning sand sculptures with coastal and marine themes. Attendees will also be treated to on-site demonstrations by professional sand sculptors from off island, adding an artistic flair and encouraging a deeper connection with nature through creativity," BSP said in a press release.
The event is free and open to the public and will conclude at 4 p.m.
