Book Launch and Plant Identification Tour 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 8 Agriculture & Life Sciences Building

A revised edition of “Trees and Shrubs of the Mariana Islands” by the late Lynn Raulerson and Agnes F. Reinhart will be launched at the University of Guam on Sept. 8 followed by a plant identification tour around the campus. Hosted by UOG’s Cooperative Extension & Outreach program at the College of Natural & Applied Sciences and the UOG Press with local produce refreshments provided by UOG’s Triton Farm, the launch event will take place at 10 a.m. at the Agriculture & Life Sciences Building.

The book offers readers images and information of 102 trees and shrubs that can be found around the Mariana Islands that have provided food, medicine, shelter, and countless other necessities for thousands of years. These natural resources continue to thrive and serve the people of these islands.

“Trees and Shrubs of the Mariana Islands” was originally published by Raulerson and Reinhart in 1991. With support from the Raulerson Living Trust, the Cooperative Extension & Outreach program partnered with the University of Guam Press to republish a revised edition including updated photographs, plant names, and information.

The book is intended to serve as a guide to help the general public, school children, developers, and tourists to identify, propagate and maintain, and learn about the natural history and uses of some of the more important trees and shrubs of the Mariana Islands. This revised edition, with durable, laminated pages to withstand varying weather conditions, is printed to function as a field guide.

The revised edition will be available for sale at the launch for $20 per book.

The launch will also include a plant identification tour led by Frank Camacho, a member of the Raulerson Living Trust and an associate professor of biology at UOG, and Claudine Camacho, who graduated from the biology program at UOG in 1991.  Claudine Camacho has more than 27 years of experience as an environmental consultant, including work conducting floristic surveys in the Mariana Islands with Raulerson.