ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam – Approximately 25 volunteers from Andersen Air Force Base and the local community gathered to remove debris from the base’s northern coastline during a beach cleanup March 7, 2026.
The Andersen AFB Marine Patrol Volunteer Conservation Officer Program partnered with the 36th Civil Engineer Squadron and the University of Guam Sea Grant to focus on restoring the natural habitat of Pati Point Beach and the surrounding coastal areas.
“Andersen’s beaches are all part of five locally managed marine preserves and this beach happens to be one of the most heavily populated nesting grounds for turtles on the island,” said Blaize San Nicolas, 36th CES natural resources specialist.
Volunteers collected 205 pounds of refuse such as microplastics, five buoys, and trash washed ashore by Pacific currents over the course of 1.25 miles during the event.
The cleanup was part of a broader effort by Team Andersen to protect Guam’s unique biodiversity.
The base’s northern beaches serve as critical nesting grounds for the endangered green sea turtle and by removing physical obstructions and plastic hazards, volunteers directly improve the turtles’ survival rate.
“It’s really important that we come out here and remove any of the things that would trap the turtles or prevent them from laying nests and going back into the water,” San Nicolas said.
The event also served as a bridge between the military and the local community. Residents from across the island joined active-duty service members, emphasizing a shared commitment to the preservation of Guam.
“I hope this sparks new interest with the new people coming into the installation,” she said. “We have a lot of marine and terrestrial life here that’s worth protecting and hopefully we can get some more volunteers for the program too.”
If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering, please contact Blaize San Nicolas’ email at mailto:blaize_joie.san_nicolas@us.af.mil or her work phone at (671) 366-2726.
Research has been done over the years for Cooperative Agreement N40192-23-2-8000: Sea Turtle Monitoring, Protection, and Educational Outreach on Andersen Air Force Base. The Marine Patrol Volunteer Conservation Officer Program is a subset of this Cooperative Agreement as a partnership between NAVFAC Marianas – AAFB and UOG SeaGrant. All individuals seen photographed in the attached document that are handling the sea turtles are covered under the USFWS Permit Number ES42195A-3.
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