GLA Spring Break Sesh 2!

We miss you! You are probably off enjoying your summer somewhere, likely still dreaming about hammocks, fruit smoothies, and chocolate covered bananas. As soon as you all arrived in Alajuela, there was immediate energy and connection and we knew it was going to be a good session! Though we only had a short time together, everyone seemed to bond quickly and build friendships that will last for years to come.

We started our week of adventure with zip lining through the beautiful rainforest! After a long ride in the van, we finally arrived to the boat which took us to our amazing, rustic home base in the middle of the jungle. Surrounded by monkeys and sloths (and maybe a few too many mosquitos?), we settled into life on the Caribbean coast for a few days with our gentle reminder from Hannah to put “toilet in the trash.”

We jumped into our service work as we took to the beaches to clean up the enormous amount of trash that washes up, including the paddle boat! We also learned about the effects of plastic on the environment and the turtles and brainstormed ideas of how we can reduce our use of plastic back home. Our night patrol walks were difficult, but you guys hung in there and did a great job and…WE SAW A TURTLE!!! It was exciting and rewarding to see firsthand the work we were out there supporting. We came back excited and everyone had PTH afterwards!

Teaching English at the local school, swimming in the Caribbean, (Boy) George’s adorable roommate for the last night, finger guns, and so many more memories were created in our few fun days together. We dove deeper in mentor groups and opened up with each other in group activities (stinky laundry bag anyone?) I hope you all have taken the lessons you learned on this trip and applied them to your lives back home in the States. You were an amazing group and set the bar high for the following sessions. Thank you for your hard work, willingness to be open and vulnerable, and overall awesomeness. Always remember to Be The Changɘ! We love you!

-Kelly, Rudy, and Hannah

 

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Jason, Auden #1, Auden #2 and Payton, thank you so much for an amazing first session! The entire staff couldn’t have asked for a better group to kick off the GLA Costa Rica Sea Turtle Initiative program. Even though we were together for a week, it felt like we had an eternal time spent together. By the time you get to read this you will have adjusted back to normal life but we wanted to share a few memories to recall your time here.

It seemed like the first day you all were pretty quiet but eager to begin your Costa Rican adventure. What better way to start the program than with zip-lining and going through the canopies of the lush rainforest. The first four lines were pretty slow but the last three we all went fast and some of us didn’t even make it to the end. Once at home base we got adjusted and got an awesome tour of the organic farm that Jason owns. Walking to town was also fun as we discussed Costa Rican environmental issues and then learned about sea turtles and the importance of protecting them. The night patrols were awesome and even though we didn’t see a turtle you guys were part of the bigger picture of protecting them. Remember that everything is connected and you guys did an epic job with patrolling.

Finally, who could forget about our last night patrol with pouring rain! The rain came out of nowhere and before we knew it we were soaked. Unfortunately, we had to cut our walk but what an experience no?! I felt bad for the guide because he got a bit confused with directions, but we made it safely to home base. I hope you guys use this time capsule letter to remember the purpose of your trip here and to continue inspiring those around you. We miss you and please stay in touch with us. Pura vida!

 

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Dear Allie, Amelia, Bella, Christophe, Dom, Faith, Hannah, Hazard, Imy, Jenna, Jesse, Julen, Julia, Laurel, Layla, Leah, Lyla, Maya, Naomi, Sage, SiSi, Tenley, Tori, and Tristin,

Somehow it seems like just yesterday that we were all unloading the bus at Caño Blanco about to embark on our new adventure. We remember the mixed reactions you all had to seeing the boats that would take us to homebase and to the news about walking in the mud barefoot while carrying your luggage. Despite not knowing what was really ahead, you all demonstrated curiosity and courage while the boats got stuck on the sandbar in the rain, in the dark, in the unknown. You trekked, arrived and calmly settled into your new home in the jungle. Awakened by unfamiliar sounds, you continued to acclimate, you all bonded very quickly and demonstrated your commitment to the program…it was impressive!

There were various days that seemed endless in between the delicious arepas for breakfast and us coming together for chow circle yet somehow you found the energy for night patrol. You worked as a team during beach clean and structured activities and managed to keep each other laughing and of course to interject with singing at any moment. We hope that moments like seeing the cayman at home base or helping Jason forage coconuts will remind you of how interconnected with nature we could be and how coexisting is a reality. You all brought meaningful insight and shared personal perspectives about conservation that at times went from teaching moments to full on debates!

We made note of everyone bringing their all to our day in town with the artisans, community members and kids, to those engaging in conversation with Macko, speaking Spanish with the guides, being grateful to the kitchen staff and mindful of keeping home base tidy.

Thank you for being your best selves! We wonder if that’s something that has shifted in some of you since. As you know lots of shifts can occur in a short amount of time; we witnessed them in some of you, and hope that you are acknowledging them in yourselves.

We’ve been reminiscing, and there were definitely many highlights from our time together, so I’m going to mention a few and let you all bring up the rest!

Number 25
-The epic bus sing alongs
-Lacey love and restraining yourselves from sharing the love
-The guest guitar and ukelele
-A particular someone screaming way too often
-Eating, eating and more eating… definitely the group with the healthiest appetite!
-The creative beings you brought to life during our council
-Learning to make cook with the women from Parismina (out of curiosity, has anyone made empanadas or prestiños? We know miss Sayleen and miss Yolanda would be proud)
-Catching the waves at Playa Negra
-Surviving the mosquito and ant bites
-Learning some new moves with Maya and dancing up a storm
-Walking through the storm at 2am during the second night patrol shift
-Flying through the cloud forest and seeing a sloth actually move
-Discovering first hand why we should not throw toilet paper in the toilet
-Spotting the trifecta of monkeys and all the other wildlife with Jason on the boat and on homebase
-And most importantly, anything that has to do with a roach

Lastly, we’d like to share some words of wisdom. A wise human once said, “Be the change”. Remember, change is contagious. Keep spreading what you have learned, what you were challenged by, what inspired you and what makes you the future leader we all got a glimpse of during our time together. It was lit.

Pura Vida Maes,
Adriana and the Sea Turtle team

 

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More than any other group this summer, this group had one lesson driven home: you can’t control mother nature!

Our first full day in Costa Rica was spent soaring over the cloud forests, while tapir, toucan and sloth sightings filled waiting time in between ziplines. The cumulative joy and excitement you all experienced was tangible, and seeing you all so fully engaged and full of anticipation for what was to come was truly a gift to all of the GLA staff. Watching the shooting stars as we rode into home base our first night gave us a beautiful reminder of how vast mother nature’s wonders really are.

Experiencing the transformation on homebase was equally as rewarding. Rising to the challenge of living without wifi, mirrors and hot water for a week was a testament to your commitment to the program and your ability to persevere in unfamiliar situations. From critters to weather, each of you confronted the day’s challenge with the strength and humility that we know will translate into your future leadership endeavors.

Mother nature had some alternative challenges in store, with heavy rain maintaining an almost daily presence. Wading through water in Parismina gave us an invaluable glimpse into the lives of Parismina’s community members, and drove home another important lesson about the importance of gratitude and rising to the challenges of adversity. Soaking wet, twelve of us were welcomed into the home of Ana, who prepared a local favorite, prestiños. The warm, sweet treat was a welcomed respite from the extreme weather outside. Because her home was flooded, Sayleen brought all of the ingredients to prepare empanadas to the ASTOP home base; another example of the generosity and hospitality we enjoyed in the tiny Caribbean village we were fortunate enough to call home for a week.

-Mentor Brittany Patangay

 

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Do you remember that time you went to Costa Rica? how you came to thrive in the jungle on the Caribbean Coast?

It’s been a few months now since our trip but in some ways it still feels like yesterday….

We can still see Brody dancing the floss while keeping the group in fits of laughter with his one-man band practice, Ocean communicating to Sayleen’s cat like Doctor Dolittle, Jenna cutting some decent shapes on the dance floor, Sarah mowing those local kids down on the soccer field, Taryn curled in the hammock with a good book, Tania making light work of the sweeping duties like camp mother, Maggie making set point with her killer volleyball serves and who could forget about Kamis, Jackson, Alex and Kat’s duck-diving team, Ella Z’s photographic eye, Ally’s delicious birthday cake, Maddie’s great contributions to bus debates, Teya’s hidden surf talents, Emilio’s obsession with all things coconut, Molly’s awesome welly-boots, Hannah’s environmental focus, Karina’s music, Ella K’s compassion and Tori’s tyre walking.

Boy did we have some fun, surfing under the sun in Playa Negra, frolicking in the waves near home base , enjoying snack times after supo runs, trying to find drink bottles in the sand while blind folded, seeing caiman, monkeys, roseate spoon-bills and even a swimming dog on our boat tour, and of course the time we got to watch the rare Hawksbill turtle nest. Afew shout outs must also go to the uneventful sunrises, long bus rides, the cooks for the delicious food and all the mosquitoes that didn’t bite us!

Seriously though, now you have had time to reflect we hope you feel a sense of pride in the contribution you made to the village of Parismina last season. All your rubbish collection efforts meant there were less mirco-plastics on the beach that could affect the turtles nests and your presence on the beach during night patrol prevented those poachers from coming out. We gave another few turtles the chance to live. Not to mention the fact that you were able to become comfortable with being uncomfortable, I bet you haven’t been as itchy, sweaty or tired since your time in Parismina, but that you might now have a new found confidence to tackle anything that life throws at you. It was truly amazing to see how well you banded together to overcome the challenges you faced, how you accepted those around you when they might have not looked or felt their best and came to embrace cold showers, limited service, heat and bugs. Being unplugged was a great way to connect with each other on a deeper level and appreciate our surroundings, I know we were lucky to get to see so many weird and wonderful wildlife during our stay.

We really hope you feel empowered to put into practise some of the things you learnt about conservation while you were in Costa Rica, every little bit can make a difference and things like water and power conservation at home doesn’t have to cost any more time or money. We now know the harmful affects of plastic on the planet and how we do have the power to change the outcome by being more conscious about where we spend our dollars.

So with this in mind, go forth, go be the change you want to see in the world, and remember these seemingly little moments because one day you may realise that they were the big ones!
We wish you the best in your next phase of life, in whatever you choose to do. Go well 🙂

Best,
Emily and the rest of the Sea Turtle Team

 

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