This workshop will focus specifically on the ifit (Intsia bijuga), dukduk (Artocarpus mariannensis), and sophora (Sophora tomentosa) trees. Participants will learn the plants’ common and scientific names, how to identify and propagate them, and their common uses from Joseph Tuquero, an extension agent and instructor at UOG, and Justin Santos, a forester with the Guam Department of Agriculture.

Native plants are important to the ecosystems of Guam as food sources and wildlife habitats. They also help reduce runoff that contaminates reefs, improve water quality in rivers and aquifers, and influence soil in ways non-native plants cannot. Guam’s native plants are being researched in regard to their medicinal properties, food production, and environmental enhancement as well as for cultural resources. In some cases, native Guam plants are not found anywhere else in the world.

The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Guam Department of Agriculture in Mangilao. Registration is necessary, as the workshop is limited to 30 people. To register, please call (671) 735-2080 or (671) 735-2021.

Download the Native Plants Workshop flier.