In Fino' Chamoru, the phrase "Sågan Tinanom" means "Place of Plants." The Nature Park is a 10-acre secondary limestone forest, surrounded by homes, two schools (Maria A. Benavente Middle School), and a ponding basin. In the 1960's, the land was designated as the future site for the development of additional staff housing for the neighboring schools. However, those plans never came to fruition, and it became re-designated as a neighborhood park, with a portion being cleared for a football field. Following more than 50 years of overgrowth, neglect, and inundation by invasive species, Sågan Tinanom/ Dededo Nature Park was founded to repurpose the land into a safe place for classrooms and members of the community to physically connect with nature while actively learning about and practicing sustainability. Inafa'betde - "To make green"
Sågan Tinanom is dedicated to fostering and increasing the level of self-sustainability of Guåhan through our plan of "Inafa'betde." This calls for our use of solar energy, the implementation of rainwater catchment, storage, and irrigation systems, the reduction of community waste through composting, the protection and cultivation of indigenous and endemic plant species, and decreasing our need to import produce by growing locally and encouraging the local growth of food sources through our PVIP and HGP programs. We strongly believe that our intentions must exceed the perimeter of the Nature Park, and so our greatest implementation will be through education. This involves the creation of educational materials, engaging our visitors about the importance of sustainability, explaining the impact of climate change on our world and island, sharing what Sågan Tinanom is doing to foster sustainability, and challenging our visitors to take similar steps in all areas of life.
