Ngeanges Island, Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, Palau — On Friday, November 14, 2025, students from elementary schools across Babeldaob took part in a coastal cleanup at Ngeanges Island, strengthening their understanding of waste segregation and the impacts of plastic pollution. The activity turned classroom lessons into real action and empowers students to help protect Palau’s ocean.

Bobii Aikang is a team made up of teachers and their students from each of the Babeldaob elementary schools. Together, they learn and practice waste segregation on their campuses and lead efforts to promote cleaner, healthier communities.

Participating schools included Aimeliik, Airai, Ibobang, Ngeremlengui, Ngardmau, Ngarchelong, Ngaraard, and Melekeok Elementary Schools. Students cleaned the coastline, learned about the types and sources of marine debris, and collected over 660 pounds of trash, highlighting the ongoing threat plastic pollution poses to our pristine paradise.

After the cleanup at Ngeanges, students went to Ngermeaus for lunch and continued their learning with a hands-on waste segregation activity—testing what they’ve been practicing in their classrooms and applying it in a real-world setting.

“I saw a lot of plastics like styrofoam, bottles, and even a lot of rope,” said Tia Shiro of Melekeok Elementary School. “There’s so much trash coming to our islands, so we need to keep doing cleanups. We always practice segregation at school, and seeing all this makes me want to keep doing it and do even better.”

This activity was made possible through the support of some of the members of the Earth Day Committee: Friends of the PNMS, Koror State Solid Waste Management, Palau Conservation Society, the National Solid Waste Management Office, EQPB, JICA Alumni Association, Palau Community College and the Ministry of Education. Special appreciation is also extended to Palau’s grocery stores: WCTC and Surangel & Sons for donating the onion sacks used during the cleanup.

The event strengthened student awareness of waste management, boosted motivation to continue segregation efforts at school, and reinforced the connection between classroom learning and community action. Data collected from the cleanup will also support future awareness and outreach initiatives.

Aligned with the Palau Earth Day Committee’s 2025 theme, “Investing in Our Community: Safeguarding our Investments for a Cleaner Future,” this activity underscores the importance of empowering young people as environmental leaders. The Committee hopes that the broader community will continue to join and support future activities that strengthen waste management, protect the environment, and build a cleaner, more resilient Palau for generations to come.