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Saturday June 16, 2018

¡Bienvenidos a Costa Rica!

It’s a lovely day in San Jose! Our local and international staff have excitedly been preparing for our newest GLA arrivals! FINALLY the big day is HERE!!! From left to right: Local Director Jason, Mentor Brittany, International Director Adriana, Mentors Emily and Erin at the Green Gold Lodge in Parismina, Limon, Costa Rica.

Each student began their adventure by securely exchanging their dollars into colones with the help of a mentor, and arrived safely at Hotel Pacande to freshen up and settle into their next 10 days of Pura Vida! After enjoying lunch at the hotel, students had the option to rest, or participate in activities to break the ice and get to know their new GLA family.

Tomorrow, we will depart for our beachside rainforest home base, but not before stopping in the cloud forest for a zipline excursion! We are so excited to share updates and photos of our trek to the Caribbean coast where students will call home. We have a large group (24 students total!) which made today’s first group shot a bit difficult! We have two late arrivals, so their photos are coming soon! Tomorrow we will get a nice large group photo for the next blog post, we promise!

Sunday June 17, 2018

Today we left our hotel to go to home base. We made a pitstop at a Canopy Rainforest where we had an amazing experience zip lining. There were many lines ranging from short to long which led up to a 700 meter zipline. As the last few people were waiting in line it started pouring rain which made the experience sensational. We then had a very delicious lunch and headed on the road for another hour. We then made another pit stop at a local supermarket. After we bought snacks we drove another hour to a dock. Then we boated for about 10 minutes and then hiked to our final destination. After we settled in we ate dinner and discussed norms that should be followed in our mentor group.

Pictures coming soon!

Written by:
Jaden Perez, Alex Vogt, Jack Bushnell

Update: Here are some photos from the weekend!

Monday June 18, 2018

On a hot day like this one, nothing’s better than going to the beach. From playing games like Marco Polo to soccer, the beach was a blast. The sand is also black which is super dope, and Greyson was spotting some wild life. Not to mention the perfect ocean temperature that would make you think you’re in a wave pool.

On day three of our GLA trip, we explored the beauty of a Costa Rica. We had the chance to see different species of animals from tarantulas, lover’s grasshoppers, monkeys, and geckos. We got to see the fresh fruit they grow and experienced how they become the yummy food we eat for our daily meals.

Tonight, we are going on our very first night patrol to collect eggs and (hopefully) witness a mother sea turtle completing her nesting period. Tomorrow, we will be going on a boat tour of the mangroves and participating in a beach cleanup that will be crucial to the marine life and wildlife in the surrounding area, as well as going on our 2nd night patrol.

-by Gehrig, Greyson, Minnea

Update: Here are some photos from Monday

 

Tuesday June 19, 2018

After the long night patrol we finally spotted a 400 pound turtle laying eggs. The group was amazed to see the “small” turtle in a trance while laying its 80 eggs, sadly less than 1% of its babies will survive. We learned that only a 1 degree difference determines the sex of the hatchling. We went to bed well rested and excited for what else was in store for us.

Today we rose early with the sounds of the jungle. The boat tour fascinated us with diverse and colorful wildlife. We also did some community service work by beach clean up. All of us were dumbfounded by the rubbish we picked up. We returned to home base and relaxed in the hammocks gearing up for the night ahead. Tonight’s night patrol was not nearly as enthralling but returning to home base we knew that we made a difference.

-Jade, Amelie, and Parker

Wednesday June 20, 2018

Today was a hot one! Lots of hardwork was done by everyone all day long. In the morning, we went to see the village of Parismina for the first time. Many were surprised at how small and laid back the village was. The tour was given by Mia, one of the locals. She showed us the school, holding a total of 30 kids, which we will be visiting in the coming days. We were then giving a ride back to home base by locals, in the back of their trucks. Once we got back we had lunch, and then we received news that we would be able to help an ASTOP worker release two (very cute) baby leatherback sea turtles into the sea. This was an amazing and very fun opportunity the we were all very grateful to have witnessed. Next we had day two of beach cleanup. This time, we were even more prepared, and we got even more done. After all that hard work, we were all very ready for a nice, refreshing swim in the ocean to end our long day.

-By Reese, Izzy, Erin

Thursday June 21, 2018

The morning was very refreshing and a few students woke up early to watch the sun rise at the beach. After an early, but delicious breakfast of arrepas, we saw an adorable family of Capuchin monkeys eating bananas that Jason put out for them. Then, we hopped on the bus for a 3 hour ride to Puerto Viejo for a surfing lesson with Naima and some other friendly instructors. Thought it took a few tries, all of us had a lot of fun catching waves on the clear Caribbean waves. It was also exciting for those of us not surfing to watch our friends having a blast. After sharing cookies with the surfers, we headed downtown to Lidia’s Caribbean cafe to enjoy beautiful Afro-centric art and delicious food. Traffic behind a crowd of Chiquita trucks made our ride stretch a bit. When we got back, it was dark, but thankfully, our friend Chico was still willing to take us back to home base in his nose. We were all exhausted from surfing and after the scrumptious meal the señoras left for us, we were all ready to pass out!

Good night,
Karson, Maddie, and Keira

Friday June 22, 2018

Day 7 was an adventure filled day where we had the opportunity to be welcomed into Parismina’s community. The students learned how to cook empanadas from locals. Then we refreshed ourselves with smoothies and other cold treats. After that we walked to ASTOP and had lunch and chilled for a bit. We then participatd in the artisan fair where some of the locals had booths set up selling their hand crafted treasures. Later on we played games with the local kids in the area such as soccer and volleyball.

After we re-hydrated, we rode back from town and had a few playful wrestling matches. During that time some of the girls made bracelets. After chilling in the hammocks we had our mentor groups and reflected on our stay in Costa Rica. Finally we had our dinner and went out for our third night patrol where it rained hard, but that did not stop us from saving the sea turtles because the grind does not stop.

Eva, Serenity, and Kenai

Photos coming soon!

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Friday August 10, 2018

Welcome to Costa Rica!!

Yesterday was a successful arrival day! We spent the day relaxing at our hotel and getting to know each other. Now that every student is here safe, we are so excited to start sharing this experience as we embark to our homebase at the coast! As we say in Costa Rica…Pura vida!

Hannah Calloway, International Director

Saturday August 11, 2018

Beunos Dias!!!

The first full day in Bailla Ballena was a success. We started with a nutritional, locally grown breakfast, before a quick bus ride to the beach. At the beach we split into two groups. One group went with the fabulous Bodhi Surf instructors begin the first lesson on basic surfing. The second group learned about litter, micro-plastics, and beach clean up. We alternated roles halfway through, so both groups got both experiences. After that we returned to homebase and enjoyed a delicious lunch. Then we went on a walk through the community and learned about wildlife and cultural norms. We learned more about litter with a life sized whale model made of plastic bottles- A picture of how much litter is used every day. We are all looking forward to day two of service in Costa Rica!

Pura Vida!!!!

Sunday August 12, 2018

Hola! Today was a beautiful day in Costa Rica. We went to the beach and swam and saw some bottlenose dolphins. We also learned how to open coconuts and we drank fresh coconut water. We enjoyed quesadillas and potatoes for lunch. After that we went and painted a mural in a local neighborhood. Everyone developed new painting skills, bonded, and had a blast! Then we returned to home base and relaxed, swam, and socialized with eachother. Another great day in paradise!

Pura Vida!!

Monday August 13, 2018

Parents, Family and Friends,

Day 5 in Costa Rica carried its own adventures and experiences. Pancakes for breakfast had everyone ready for surf lessons pt. 2. Today we all learned how to stand up and turn our boards. Everyone had success in one way or the other and we definitely all improved in our general knowledge of the sport.

After surf we went to work on some GLA projects including painting, nailing boards and cutting and measuring planks for signs and structures. After a long dark rainstorm back at camp we learned how to make some traditional Costa Rican entree (i.e. Empanadas and tortillas) and we ate our masterpieces at dinner.
Last but certainly not least was dancing!!

We learned Salsa, Cha Cha, and Merengue. Dancing was certainly the highlight of the night and we all learned, and sweat a lot.

Buenos Noches from the Uvita province!

Pura Vida

Tuesday August 14, 2018

¿Que tal?

Day 6 in Costa Rica rainy season was very productive! The day started off with service building service signs for a reforestation project. We also had lots of fun spotting native animals such as Howler Monkeys, and Leaf Cutter Ants. Did you know that Howler monkeys are the loudest mammals on the planet? After lunch we learned all about ways plastic has impacted the beaches of the planet, sobering experience. Then we got to work on ideas to start preventing plastic use. We had some really practical and creative ideas.

Pura Vida.

Wednesday August 15, 2018

¡Buenas!

Today was our final day of surfing. Our instructors taught us how to properly catch waves while remaining on our boards the entire time. Surfing as a whole has been an amazing experience for all of the students and a great way to connect more to the community of Bahía Uvita. Surfing will be missed dearly by all the students but the lessons learned and the awareness raised to the dangers of plastics to Bahía Ballena and beaches across the world have changed our mindset for the better.

Pura Vida!!

Thursday August 16, 2018

Toady, we had to eat breakfast at 6am in order to take a boat to Corcovado National Park, which contains 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity. As we got on the boat, waves were gradually stronger, making the ride feel like a rollercoaster. Luckily, our guide, Risto, was able to spot dolphins. As we started walking towards the national park, we saw many hermit crabs on the shore. This created an optical illusion, as the sand seemed to be moving. Throughout our hike, the wildlife we spotted was breathtaking: spider monkeys, howler monkeys, agoutis, bats, yellow-headed caracaras, and blue morphos were some of many species we were privileged to see. While we experienced costa rican flora and fauna, we also experienced its culture, as we ate arroz con pollo for lunch. While the park was pristine and remote, we still saw a lot of plastic on its beach, stressing the importance of this program. On the boat ride back, we saw three humpback whales: two mothers and a calf. After a long day, we all relaxed at home base and rested up for the upcoming adventures.

-savannah conway

Sunday August 19, 2018

Wow! The last few days certainly are not the least. Today we went to a beautiful waterfall, a 4Km walk. When we got settled we jumped into the crystal clear water and enjoyed the scenery. We saw monkeys and jumped into the water from a ledge. The waterfall was probably the highlight of the day – but the bakery after may be a close second.

We went to a few souvenir shops and got some quality Costa Rican merch. (Mothers get ready for some key chains)
We all are excited to bring the knowledge that we have gained on this trip back home to our family and friends.

Pura Vida!!

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Tuesday July 24, 2018

Welcome to Costa Rica!!

Yesterday was a successful arrival day! We spent the day relaxing at our hotel and getting to know each other. We are all so excited for our last student to arrive this afternoon, and once Kaci is here, our community will be complete! As we say in Costa Rica…Pura vida!

Hannah Calloway, International Director

Thursday July 26, 2018

Today we did some hard work! We worked in mud with ants and other wild jungle insects as the humidity was with us. We all were sweating and working but everybody was positive, no groans or complaints. It showed how much the kids here don’t care about the conditions as long as we can help the community and just simply our planet. The surfing, ziplining and dancing and other fun activities are just bonuses.

-Written by Pipa, part of the student blog team (paparazzi!). See photo below for this session’s list of leadership roles and those who decided to take them on!

Saturday July 28, 2018

Today we went swimming in the whale tail beach. While walking with friends and mentors, it was filled with fun and facts. There was no dull moment with our group or I’m guessing any group. As you are walking half way through the whale tail you look back to the main land and see how the tail look works both ways. It was truly breath-taking and did not make you miss home. It was paradise. In the afternoon we did service at the tree nursery! It was a great day.

Written by Pipa, pictures by Kayla

Monday July 30, 2018

Usually Mondays aren’t everyone’s favorite. Waking up early isn’t everyone’s favorite either. But today was magical. We all were so excited to wake up at 5:30 and get ready to go on a beautiful hike to Corcovado park. The boat ride was mind blowing. As the air blows in hair with cultural music playing around as you see your peers smiling aside you. We saw a baby humpback whale and its mama. It was breathtaking and all your problems went away as you saw these amazing mammals.

When people capture these animals in pictures you may just think “wow, a whale”. But when you see them in real life, as you put your phone down, it becomes something else. You feel as if it’s just you and the whales. And it is. The hike was just as beautiful. We saw small mammals and insects we wouldn’t normally see. Spider Monkeys that swayed on trees. It was truly a beautiful and once in a life time experience for some kids.

Written by Pipa
Photos by Kayla
(Student Blog team)

Sunday August 5, 2018

It was hard to say goodbye to this group, a few tears were shed as we watched your flights depart. What a wonderful, funny, engaged and passionate group of young people. You inspired us with your dedication to service work and the joy with which you participated in activities. Your ideas and creativity as well as your willingness to engage in new ideas motivated us and reminded us of why we love this job. We are so proud of all we achieved together. We look forward to each of you continuing your journey and hearing of the positive changes you manifest in your personal lives and in your community. Keep being awesome PTP 3.

With lots of love from your GLA team, Sam, Gerrie and Hannah.

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Sunday July 8, 2018

Welcome to Costa Rica!!

Yesterday was a successful arrival day! We spent the day relaxing at our hotel and getting to know
each other. Now that every student is here safe, we are so excited to start sharing this experience! Things today are off to a great start, and we are headed to Bahia Ballena! As we say in Costa Rica…Pura vida!

Hannah Calloway, International Director

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Hello world, parents, and future students. We made it to Costa Rica and are safe and sound at home base! It was easy making friends thanks to the help of our awesome counselors. The food is amazing and don’t even get me started on the fruit, incredible. The sights are awesome and already on the fourth day we’ve done a ton of helpful community service. Also a lot of us learned to surf which was insanely fun! The trip is just getting started and I know it’ll be a great one, we’ll keep you updated!

-Written by Catie Rose McDaniel
-Photos by Bailey and Tori

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Today was amazing not only did we do four hours of service, but we also learned to salsa! The entire day was fun, while doing service, we all swapped roles and kept things interesting. It felt really good to help out and really give back to the community. Salsa was super cool and our instructor was super helpful. Talk to you soon!

-Written by Catie Rose

Friday July 13, 2018

Today we did a lot of service and it was rejuvenating. It felt so amazing to really be helping out, we all got to plant trees! After the work, we also got to play around in the river to cool off after our hard work. Everyone had an amazing time, with all the heat, the cool water was the best feeling ever! Talk to you soon.

-by Catie Rose

Saturday July 14, 2018

Today we took boats to Corcovado National Park, which hosts 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity! The park was amazing and we saw all sorts of wildlife. Bugs, mammals, reptiles, and birds of all sorts of colors. We also looked at the trees, we learned that one tree can host many different ecosystems of many different species. This is one of the reasons we are doing what we are doing, to protect these ecosystems, and see their beauty.

– Catie Rose

Sunday July 15, 2018

We walked to the whale tail of Bahia Ballena, and swam in the cool water for a bit. Only during low tide the whale tail is above water, so it was really awesome to be there and see it. We also went out into the community to play soccer with some of the local kids. I’m not good at soccer, but watching these kids play was amazing, I couldn’t keep up. These tiny kids were crazy strong and fast, they were amazing and it was humbling to play with them. We split up to play with them so the teams were mixed which just made everything better. It was incredibly fun to play with these kids and I honestly wish I could do it again.

Written by catie rose
Photos by Victoria Smith and Bailey Koch

Friday July 20, 2018

It was with great sadness that we said goodbye to everyone today. Looking back over the last two weeks we remember all of the fun, laughter and learning we experienced. The friendships made, the lessons learned and the trees planted will all continue on after this trip. The impact on each and everyone one of us will also continue to impact us in ways visible and invisible. We look forward to hearing of all the amazing change these young leaders will bring back to schools, families and communities. Everyone has departed safely and in good spirits, despite a dew goodbye tears.

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Wednesday June 20, 2018

Welcome to Costa Rica!!

Today was a successful arrival day! We spent the day relaxing at our hotel and getting to know each other. Now that every student is here safe, we are so excited to start sharing this experience! As we say in Costa Rica…Pura vida!

-Hannah Calloway, International Director

Friday June 22, 2018

Today was a very eventful day! First we had a 20 min walk to our first service location. We split into groups and tackled a variety of projects. One group built a table, another painted plant beds, while the others transplanted trees into different bags making them ready to be planted by rivers and beaches. Then we headed to whale bay and began our first surf lessons and beach clean up. The surfing was almost as amazing as the beach views! Everyone was pretty tired after our first full day of activity that we had a quiet night at home base to end the night.

Question of the day: How did your first surf lesson go today?

Carla – ” I loved having this new experience. It was tricky learning to stand but at the end of the day, falling is more fun anyway”

Alice – ” It was pretty good. I fell a few times but you just have to learn to get back up again.”

#surfsup #rad #resforestationnation #riceandbeans

– The Student Blog Team!

Saturday June 23, 2018

Today we woke up early and had Gallo Pinto! After breakfast we had our second surf lesson were we learned to control our speed and direction on the wave. It was pretty awesome. While one group surfed the other spent their time planting trees along the beach. Then we all came back and ate lunch and took part in a GLA activity. The debate was very engaging. After that we had a cooking lesson from the amazing chefs at home base. We made and later ate empanadas and tortillas! We also watched the making of plantain chips. Then we finished the night with our casual mentor groups.

Question of the day: What was your favorite meal of the day?

Rachel Starr – “ My favorite meal of the day was dinner because we ate the empanadas we cooked ourselves and it was a really great experience, I learned a lot, and I can’t wait to go home and teach my family how to make them”

Jackie- “ My favorite meal was also dinner because we got to make it ourselves. It was a great experience because Costa Rica empanadas are different from Mexican empanadas. It was really cool learning how to make plantain chips along with everything else!”

Pura vida!!

Tuesday June 26, 2018

Today was an exciting day full of service at the home base. We carved out wooden signs to hang in the local community to provide color and excitement to trash bins. We also made trash holders that prevent dogs from getting into the trash and stop trash from spilling on the ground. We worked in the sun and in the pouring rain. To make service more fun we were surprised with a slip and slide to enjoy during the rain. After we finished an amazing amount of work we cleaned up and headed to a dance class taught by a local dancer. We got a crash course in the salsa, merengue, bachata, and cumbia. Overall it was a really fun and tiring day!

Question of the day: “What was your favorite part of the day?”

Anna – “My favorite part of the day was the surprise slip in slide. I am still soapy!!!”

Daniel – “My favorite part of the day was the salsa dancing! It was chill and a good release from the hard work we have been doing.”

– Written by Hailey

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Today was probably the best day of the trip so far! We woke up at 5:30 so we could eat and make it to the boats by 7. We took an hour and a half long boat ride to Corcovado National Park. We saw a few whales on the way and some amazing sights. When we made it to the park we took a 3 hour long nature walk through the jungle. On our walk we saw white nosed Coati’s, howler monkeys, white-faced capuchin monkeys, an agouti, and so many other animal and plant species. After our walk we ate lunch at the park and boated back where we got snacks!! Everyone was very excited about the snacks! After that we just chilled the rest of the night because we were all exhausted from our long day!

Question of the day-“What was your favorite animal you saw today?”

Katherine-“I had two. The whale was so magnificent because I didn’t expect to see any so that was amazing. I also loved seeing the ants and learning about their relationship with Mother Nature.”

Luke- “I thought the whale was pretty sick, that was something I was really looking forward to seeing. So yeah that was awesome.”

Saturday June 30, 2018

Today was a fun day! We started off with an early breakfast at 6, followed by a 30 minute drive to the canopy tour. We rode 9 zip lines above the river through the beautiful trees and clouds. We headed back to home base for lunch before service by the river. Service included planting trees on the edge of the river while learning how to use new tools. We ended service with a swim in the river filled with splashing and laughter. Our day finished with dinner at the home base and mentor groups before bed!

Tuesday July 3, 2018

The last day of the program came with mixed feelings. Excitement about going home and seeing loved ones again, but there’s also sadness of leaving behind what many students already called a ‘life changing experience’ in a country with more shades of green than one could possibly count. Parting with newly made friends was difficult for more than a few.

It fills our hearts to have seen these students bond as a group, create such an inclusive, fun and supporting group culture in such a short time. We are incredibly proud of what this group has achieved; they worked so hard and with an incredible dedication that stood out to both international and local staff. And wow, how these students have grown in confidence, self knowledge, social skills and willingness to take action to protect our planet.

Thank you for taking this brave step in your leadership paths, for your willingness to learn and grow and for caring for our planet. Have a save flight home beautiful friends and a soft arrival, now that you are all safely on your way back.

May you all be inspired to follow your dreams and may they become contagious wherever you go!!