PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Dear Alexa, Andrew, Auggie, Ava, Brisa, Caralina, Chloe, Elyse, Gracie, Helena, Grigs, Kara, Liam, Myah, Sam, Sarah and Tommy,

Whether you’re back home and planning your next adventure, or already ready to embark on a new journey, we want to take some time to reflect on this past summer together in Costa Rica.

This summer was filled with an endless amount of laughter and shenanigans that led us to understand more about ourselves and grow as young leaders in this world. From long, hot, meaningful service days shoveling sand, planting trees, and beach cleanups, to sunny days surfing the waves and ziplining through the Costa Rican jungle – our time together was priceless. We are exceptionally grateful for your willingness to trust the process and enjoy a foreign country in a new, unheard-of way. Montezuma and Parrita thank you for your dedication to service and hope that you continue prioritizing giving back as you explore the world around you.

Remember our ceremony around the fire. Time has passed so quickly, yet we aren’t who we were when we left Costa Rica behind. We’ve all now had time to integrate this new experience into our daily lives and, hopefully, have made a personal change if not also an impact in our communities. Are we still trying new foods, open to meeting new people and building strong connections, or pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone?

Together we have seen the realities of how garbage has consumed the natural places where turtles, monkeys, and even hermit crabs make their homes. Let’s look back on our OMG (one meaningful goal): to organize at least one community garbage cleanup in the next 6 months. If you haven’t yet thought about this, gather your friends with some gloves and garbage bags and remember how quickly we filled those bags at the beach. YOU too can make real CHANGE!

This summer was one to remember! We miss you all already and wish you the best as you find your place in the world.

¡Pura Vida, Mae!

Sawyer, Saylor, Sebas & Samber

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
4. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 11

Pura Vida!

Today we arrived in Costa Rica to begin our Marine Conservation and Sea Turtle Expedition program.

We started slowly arriving to our first homebase near San Jose and spent a rainy afternoon relaxing and meeting some of our new roommates. Those of us who arrived earlier in the day enjoyed a delicious Costa Rican lunch that consisted of chicken, rice, beans, plantains, salad and garlic bread with some fresh fruit juices. Yummmm!

After lunch some of us took our swim tests in the pool and played a couple different card games with our new amigos.

Later in the evening we enjoyed another delicious meal for dinner, tried a new fresh fruit juice, and had a little dessert before turning in for an early night.

The rest of our new friends arrived later on and we’re so looking forward to meeting them all in the morning! Our late arrivals enjoyed dinner together as soon as they made it to homebase before also heading off to sleep to get ready for the early morning departure.

We’re so excited to venture off to the beautiful coastal town of Montezuma tomorrow morning where we’re looking forward to enjoying some sunny beach days and beginning our community service project. (We even get to hop on a ferry tomorrow to get there!)

We have a great feeling about all the adventure that lies ahead and we can’t wait to uncover the beauty of Costa Rica and develop meaningful friendships and connections along the way!

Buenas Noches!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 13

It has been an exciting couple of days here in Montezuma.

We kicked off June 13th with our first leader of the day and a wonderful breakfast of pineapple slices, rice, beans, and some delicious fresh fruit juice. Everyone was buzzing with the excitement for our first service day! After breakfast, we got ready, loaded up the bus, and headed off, eager to see what the service site would be like.

After an amazing presentation about sea turtles, the group went to check out the hatchery (the place where sea turtle eggs can be relocated for protection against predators).

To keep the sand healthy and in the best condition for eggs, the sand needs to be replaced before each season. Everyone was so quick to join in on the hard work and lend a hand! Before long we had replaced a good amount of the sand and all felt very accomplished for the day.

We had another lovely lunch, after which we headed to a beautiful local beach where the group loved jumping and playing in the waves. Taking advantage of the time in the water to get to know each other more!

In the evening we did a super cool leadership activity where we explored social media usage and its impact on our daily lives.

After a dinner that was definitely a group favorite we got into our mentor groups. Here we reflected on the day’s activities and wrote letters to our future selves. Can’t wait to read them back at the end of programming!

Buenas Noches!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14

Buenas Dias!!!

Today’s leader of the day showed great enthusiasm from the very first moment, decorating the schedule with drawings and practicing their loud voice when announcing our plans for the day.

Day two of service had us clearing sections of the beach of debris and garbage. In order for a turtle to nest she needs to find the best spot for her eggs. So, we needed to clear the sand and create space for the turtles.

The group powered through the morning and was able to clear a large section of the beach. This activity really gave us the feeling that we were making a difference. After service, it was a race to the waves to cool off and enjoy some well-deserved beach time!

More and more of the group is embracing the culture of Costa Rica. Everyone was asking so many questions about every creepy crawly that we found during service, At lunch everyone is asking all about the food and trying things they had never had before!

After lunch laughter and smiles could be found in the “hang out room” (aptly named for all the hammocks that are hanging around) as card games, fun conversations, and friendship braiding took place. To continue the group bonding, we played some fun games that helped reflect on the work we are doing.

Dinner was taken to go as the group headed off on our first big adventure: kayaking in bioluminescent water! The group took off in pairs in their kayaks, some kayaking for the first time, to see this special plankton glow. Many of us even jumped in the water for a swim in the dark. It was SO cool to see how the water around us lit up with contact and movement. It was an amazing day!

Hasta Luego!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17

Hola Hola Famila y Amigos!

Today was an AWESOME and full day out and about in the beautiful town of Santa Teresa. We have been looking forward to this day since arrival!

First on the agenda today was… SURFING!!!

While some of us were already surfing pros, it was a lot of our first times out on the waves. So many of us were able to stand up on the board after just a short lesson!

When we finished our surf lesson, we were all rewarded with a fresh coconut. It revitalized us for the rest of our day in Santa Teresa!

We headed to another beach where we had a picnic lunch, played a huge game of volleyball, and jumped back in the waves.

Everyone was itching to head into town to do a bit of shopping and grab some food (the groups favorite location actually ended up being the local grocery store)!

After hanging in town for a few hours, we made our way back to the beach to catch the sunset. We played some more volleyball, dove back into the waves, and enjoyed our final few hours in the gorgeous town.

When we arrived back at homebase, we were surprised by a special guest performer. We had the most amazing barbecue for dinner and listened to some vibey music. When we finished eating, we all got up to dance and play instruments along with the performer. It was the perfect end to a long and exciting day!!!

Adios Amigos!!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

Hola, Buenas Días!

Today we put the ADVENTURE in Global Leadership Adventures with our ziplining excursion!

We left bright and early for the park where we strapped right into our gear and started our ascent into the trees. We weaved our way through the course flying through the stunning Costa Rican forest. A lot of us were super brave and flipped upside down!!

One of our favorite parts (or maybe the scariest for some) was the straight drop down a rope where you could feel your entire stomach drop!

We also loved finishing out the course by doing a Superman down the final rope!

After ziplining, we checked out the butterfly garden next door and saw some crocodiles! The butterflies were this super vibrant blue color that was AMAZING!

Back at homebase, we spent the afternoon listening to a guest speaker teach us more about sea turtles, participating in a leadership style activity, and playing a team competition game that had us up and active.

In the evening, we enjoyed our incredible homebase facilities with some of us playing pool, others competing in fusbol, and some of us just chilling.

It was the best day, but man are we tired. Heading off to bed to prepare for another day of service tomorrow!

Hasta Luego!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

Hi Hi!

Today was a day we were all tremendously excited for. We went to Manuel Antonio National Park and saw all kinds of incredible wildlife!

We set out with guides and telescopes and had the opportunity to see sloths, monkeys, iguanas, bats, snakes, and more!

After our trek to find wildlife, we had a chance to swim in the clear blue sea for the afternoon. We ate a picnic lunch on the beach and then returned to homebase to enjoy our last full day in Parrita.

The afternoon included a goal setting activity with our mentor groups and some chill pool/game time.

At night, we were surprised by an epic bonfire on the beach! We roasted marshmallows and reflected on our trip. We read the letters we wrote to ourselves at the very beginning of the program and were able to see how far we’ve come in the past two weeks.

It was an amazing way to conclude our time in Parrita. We had so much fun enjoying each others company on the most beautiful beach!

Talk soon!

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Abigail & the Costa Rica Team

What a trip – I bet you can’t remember how the program seemed like such a long time away from home that 1st day, and now, it’s starting to feel so far in the past! Can everybody say WOW? 1… 2… 3… WOOWW! (Thanks Ben.)

I for one am missing the frequent hikes surrounded by monkeys, birds and lizards, the squawking of the macaws, and the rumored ferocious feline. Though most of all, I’m missing you all, who truly made this trip the amazing experience it was with your humor, your generosity, and your curiosity about each other and the world.

Most of you will be back at school now (or some – cough cough Ellie, onto University (or College, for those in the US of A), and some onto stranger adventures still, I should expect. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, we hope that you, as we do, think back from time to time on the adventure we shared, the impact you had on us, and the time spent with Orlando, Gabby, Dianna, Anna, and all the local experts we had the opportunity to work alongside.

We all learned about the value of community, conservation, and research-driven work, and the importance of your place in shaping the future of our planet. We experienced the culture of Costa Rica, with bachata and merengue classes, cacao bean processing and arepa making, and experienced Tico Time and the pura vida lifestyle firsthand.

We ziplined alongside squirrel and spider monkeys, scoured for frogs and lizards with our headlamps on night hikes with our biologist, saw a (crocodile-free) crocodile bridge and a (water-free) waterfall, but always found the adventure anyway, with a new beach and rainforest lying in wait around each turn. We fed sloths in the pouring rain at the Animal Rescue Center, spotted toucans and mushrooms alike at Manuel Antonio Park, and got to ride out the waves and collect coconuts at some pristine beaches.

We cross-referenced new species to add for butterfly population management, set up camera traps and practiced the art and science of bio-inventory, and collected mangrove seeds and measured sea turtles, with a little time for sun (and rain)-bathing in-between. We got to experience the incredible beauty and fragility of the Osa Peninsula’s biodiversity, and join the people striving to preserve it. We learned about their diverse routes to their positions, and began to carve out our own paths to our future selves.

Remember the goals you set in the last session of the Internship Curriculum? What successes have you had since the program finished, and what roadblocks are there still to overcome? How can you take that next step towards change? Shoot us a message to share the personal goals you set with GLA, they’d love to see how you are BEING the CHANGE back home!

Start those dream projects, traverse down your career pathways, and don’t be afraid of a little left swerve every now and again. Most of all, I hope you remember, nourish and maintain the knowledge, wonder and ambition to make your impact on the world. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to grow alongside you and see a glimpse of the wonderful human beings every one of you chooses to be daily.

From the whole GLA team and Benjamin Mark O’Hanlon, International Director.

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
4. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

The Costa Rican adventure has begun!

On our very first day, as students gradually arrived, we had the opportunity to explore the community of Alajuela, including some quaint plazas, and stocked up on some snacks at a local supermarket and bakery.

Students took the opportunity to ask questions about the upcoming program, each other and our international team and, a few activities to learn more about each other.

We’re looking forward to students exploring their various internship interests with sea turtles, butterflies and wild mammals Beyond this, we’ll immerse ourselves in the enchanting culture of Costa Rica. From exploring ancient architecture to wandering through beachside villages, students will try exotic fruits and discover unique local crafts.

We’re all excited to grow our budding relationships and the adventures of the coming weeks.

From Ben and everyone here on the ground in Costa Rica!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

By Mia Vitale

Today we did introductions and toured the animal rescue centre from toucans to howler monkeys. my favorite were the sloths that will be released back to the wild soon. We learned about each animal’s rescue story and had the opportunity to prep their food.

Anna, our biologist, identified loads of plants and taught us more about the different animals! We looked over the code of conduct and were introduced to the program majors. We quickly went over the research project that we will have to present by the end of the trip. The research project will allow us to explore potential future careers and deep dive into a specific topic of our choice! We ended by breaking off into our mentor groups to debrief the day. Mia took the initiative to volunteer as our first leader of the day. We are excited to be assigned our majors and interact with the animals.

Jack gave us the quote of the day:
“Those who rush only waste time.”

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

Written by: Jack Lenkowsky

Pura Vida!

Another day in Costa Rica is in the books. Here are some highlights.

Photo 1: A couple students were given the opportunity to enter the Blue Macaw enclosure. We provided them with enrichment by dancing with them to “Firework” by Katy Perry!

Photo 2: This was one of many free roaming sloth sightings, apparently they can move quite fast when it means escaping the rain!

Photo 3: Check this duo out! These are two of many capuchin monkeys, and they are a sight to see. These beautiful creatures stand out from the other animals in the center for their seemingly infinite energy, and their unpredictable antics.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Today the volunteers continued their work in the Costa Rican animal rescue. From feedings, to cleanings, to tasks around the rescue, the students worked tirelessly to give the animals the attention and care they deserve. The amazing life stories of Fay, one of the volunteer coordinators, and Kaitlin, one of the vet interns on site, were shared, and students were given the opportunity to ask them questions about them and how they ended up where they are. Also, as it was the last day at the rescue, the students organized a mural to leave behind the GLA 2024 trip legacy. Finally, the day was ended with a fun night out at a local restaurant where the volunteers learned to salsa with the help of Lauren, the lovely local director for this trip. Overall, this day presented amazing opportunities for the volunteers to learn and give back while balancing it out with a bit of well earned fun! Here is to hoping there are more amazing days like this one as the journey leads us closer to the OSA peninsula.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Today was one of our first adventurous days. Starting with a morning drive to Manuel Antonio National Park but with a stop on the crocodile bridge to spot any in the bright morning. Starting the trail walk at the national park with a spotting of a Toucans. Catching a very beautiful waterfall. On the way back we got to see a Sloth with green patches showing the moss and algae growing on it.

After the amazing park we got to explore finding different insects, wild animals and fungi we got to enjoy the Manuel Antonio beach. Enjoying the fresh coconut right from the trees surrounding us. And stopping by to the local grocery store grabbing some new snacks to try. Spending time together in the clear cooling water, laughing together every minute.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Author: Nathan Fox, student

Today we visited Grijalba II and Batamabal archaeological sites. After a lovely breakfast prepared by the staff, we walked through pre-Colombian settlements of the Diquís people. After lunch we went to the Finca 6 Museum and learned about the significance of the man made stone spheres, Costa Rica’s first UNESCO World Heritage site. They were used for religious purposes and to denote rank. On the way to the Osa Peninsula we visited an old train that used to transport bananas.

After our lengthy bus ride, we finally arrived at our final home base, the Osa Discovery Lodge. After a quick tour, we sat down for our first dinner in our new dining room. After eating, our guest speaker, Spencer, arrives to inform us on how conservation issues are directly correlated to socioeconomic issues. This was followed by a late Chow Circle where we gave our shoutouts to others in the program and picked the next leader of the day. On our way to bed, we are finally given our long awaited majors that we will be studying for the rest of our trip, and we then settle into our new bunk beds and end our day.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

Pura Vida, Today we woke up at the OSA discovery lab and found out our majors. Mammals, Turtles and Butterflies. People doing mammals did two hikes to see and take photos of animals and plants to be later identified. The people doing turtles woke up early and went to the beach to plant mangrove seeds in pots and plant half grown mangrove trees. Then the butterfly crew went in the garden and researched different types of butterflies and hanged baby butterflies. Then we played mafia with a water gun. Lastly, we did mentor groups where we talked about ethics of nature at the end of the day.

Written by Aidan Burman

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Author: Mateo Perales

The day started with an optional hike.

At 8 everybody had finished with breakfast and was ready to continue the day.

The mammals research group had a hike that started at 9:00 and ended at 1:30. We were able to see much more things such as: butterflies, fossils, caterpillars, insects. And the hike was very nice and had certain parts were you needed to get wet because of a river we needed to cross.

Before leaving the place we needed to take SD cards from the cameras but one got stolen.

After that we had lunch and rest time. Afterwards we took some time to research the animals and plants that we had taken pictures of.

Turtle research project:

We walked a very long way around the mangroves to find seed and we picked up 112 mangrove seeds and we also picked up 2 tea seeds. And we were lucky to see turtles in the water and some dolphins in the distance.

Butterflies research project:

We spent time researching which butterflies are able to be kept in the garden.

This included finding which host plants each species use to lay their eggs and for feeding the caterpillars , it also included finding which butterflies share similar host plants to save space and so each species could live together. An idea for an edible garden also made us find many edible plants such as peppers, lemons, passion fruit, and lemongrass.

As a reward for finalizing the set of butterfly species for the proposed garden, we went to a local chocolate maker to get cocoa with coconut, oranges, ginger, and more.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

Author: Wyatt Messer

Pura vida!
Today was the second day of major projects including the sea turtle, mammals, and butterfly group each having specific tasks for the day along with unique adventures for each.

Butterfly group started the day with a hike to a river to collect butterflies along the way and at the river. They caught a variety of butterflies and added them to the butterfly garden to add to the collection. Later, the group returned to home base and met with the caretaker of the butterflies, Diego, to move larvae to new leaves.

The turtle group found and caught a 110 pound turtle and identified it with the tag it had. They took a break from a long day with a quick swim in the ocean.

Today the mammal groups continued to observe wildlife in the Osa peninsula by hiking up a mountain in the area, there they saw scarlet macaws. They then returned home to identify which animals they observed while hiking.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

Author: Tess Philbin

Hello and pura vida! Today we woke up and split into our major groups.

Turtles got an early start and walked the beach looking for mangroves before potting mangroves. We took a lunch break and then hiked out to monitor and measure previously planted mangroves. On the way we saw tons of scarlet macaws, vultures, pelicans, turtles, and even a rare roseate spoonbill.

Butterfly’s also got an early start today beginning with planting host plants for their numerous species of butterflies. They later collected the butterfly eggs for population growth and monitoring.

Mammals had a super interesting day and started off by going to the beach. It was high tide so the students took a boat across to take their hike. They found a spider monkey skeleton, a sloth, and lots of other flora and fauna. After their hike they all stay down to identify their findings.

In the evening we all were surprised with a trip to a local restaurant for dinner. We all got dressed up nice and and headed out for a fun adventure to end our day.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

Author: Kendra Robertson

Hi everyone!

Today was our first minor day which gave us the opportunity to explore and learn from the other majors. Six people from the mammal major went to work with LAST to track sea turtles and the rest went to the mammal group.

The new turtle group had a great day setting out nets and learning about different turtle species in the area but none were caught today. Even though none were brought in, we made the most of it, hearing the other volunteers stories and learning about LAST as well as relaxing on the beach and in the water.

The new mammals group went on a hike with our guide Orlando and had a very eventful day. They spotted a tayra, several squirrel monkeys, and even a wild horse. They ended their day identifying all of the plants and animals they saw that day.

And after dinner, as a group, we worked on our internship curriculum looking at the lesson “Keep it Glocal” We did some research and gave a short presentation on the sustainable development goals and how they change country to country. We also celebrated Nate’s birthday with some confetti pancakes, music, and laughter.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

Today we split off into our major groups in the early morning! We got some breakfast and then quickly headed out, either to hike with mammals or to plant mangroves next to a gulf filled with turtles. During the day with the mammal team, the group ventured deep into the forest, crossing muddy mountains and cold water rivers. They saw monkeys and different species of birds. While doing the identification later in the day, we found ocelots, anteaters, a skunk and much more. The turtle group planted mangroves right by the beach, and measured the ones that had already grown to see their progress. They then recycled bottle lids, helping keep the environment clean and healthy. Both groups were successful with their service, coming back to a warm dinner in the home base!

Written by Malaika Khanna

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 19

Written by Tess Philbin and Mia Vitale.

Turtles started off the morning by hiking out into the mangroves to measure and monitor their growth. Once we got back we started building a second mangrove nursery. We had a lunch break in which we took a moment to swim and cool off and headed out to a recycling center. There we sorted various recyclables and learned about the process as a whole.

Mammals went on a hike with Orlando, the ranger on the preserved rainforest land, through the jungle to identify plants and animals we saw. When we got back to homebase we updated the data inventory and looked through all of the footage from the camera we set up last week.

Then, butterfly crew went into the butterfly lab and learned how to make jewelry and preservation techniques with butterfly wings. I was able to make two necklaces! Then we circled with the entire group for announcements and to discuss our day.

In the evening a group of students participated in a cooking class. Helena taught us how to cook a variety of things such as quesadillas, hot dogs, fruit and more.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 20

Written by: Priscilla Saldivar-Mora

We woke up really early around 5:30 to prepare for our long day. We hiked the rocky trails for a few hours at Matapalo. The outcome can be interpreted in different ways. Although it was a very nice natural atmosphere the small trickling waterfall was a disappointment for those expecting a large spectacle because it was unfortunately drier at this time. However, it was a very exciting journey that still rewarded us with an opportunity to see different breeds of monkeys as we walked on the trail and enjoyed beautiful natural scenery. Later on in the afternoon we headed to Playa Preciosa and enjoyed a variety of fresh scrumptious fruit while others enjoyed their time swimming in the blue water under the rainbow.

We had the chance to buy souvenirs from local artisans, from traditional masks to butterfly jewelry to local craftsman, and ended the night with reflection in our mentor groups.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

Written by: Lilianne Hung

Today we went to a coffee shop in the town so we can enjoy the studious environment. While savouring the comfortable atmosphere at the cafe, we enjoyed delectable coffee, ice cream, smoothies, and we spent several hours deeply engrossed in research for our final project on our dream careers, taking advantage of the peaceful setting to focus. Then we went to a local souvenir shop that held many beautiful artisan items and gifts.

In the evening, we learned how to make handmade Venezuelan arepas for dinner with fresh produce. The process was fun and educational and the end result was delicious. We enjoyed our homemade meal together.

Finally, we ended the day with a dancing lesson where we learned bachata, salsa, and some choreography. The instructor was energetic and patient, making the experience enjoyable and engaging.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

Written by: Kayla Mead

On July 22, we woke up bright and early for our second, and last, minors day. After breakfast, we left to work in either wildlife monitoring or sea turtle tracking.

Our wildlife monitoring group trekked the usual path through the rainforest where they took down their camera traps. Sadly, they found that the camera had been set up incorrectly and they were not able to gather any new footage to research.

Our turtle crew had an eventful minor day, where they managed to capture a turtle from their nets. They identified the turtle as a Hawksbill and collected their needed measurements and information before releasing it back into the ocean. They added tags so the turtle’s health and behavior can be monitored.

In the afternoon, half of us went to the beach, while the other half worked on pinning butterflies for research and collecting butterfly eggs for repopulation. We spent our extra free time at the lodge working hard on our final projects and ended the night with a guitar and singing session.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

Written by: Kennedy Holland

Today we woke up for a later breakfast and headed out to a beachside restaurant to work on our research projects. While there, we went kayaking. After a few hours of working and kayaking, we came back to home base for a delicious lunch. We then had a few hours of free time to continue working on our research projects before doing a fun get-to-know-you activity as a group. Afterward, our biologist, Anna, led a plant workshop where she showed us various exotic plants that she found in the jungle of Osa Peninsula. She showed us one plant in particular that released a blue dye when boiled, and we painted with it. After our activities, we ate a quick dinner and headed back to the beachside restaurant for our second dance class where we learned the salsa, bachata, and the merengue. Today the group got to learn a bit more about each other through our activity, and strengthened the friendships we’ve made over the past three weeks.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

Written by: Luisa Kazanjian

Today we went flying through the jungle on zip lines. Between the zip lines we saw spider and squirrel monkeys! Afterwards we went to a traditional tico farm where we made tortillas with masa, and harvested coffee and cacao beans. We learned about traditional farming from a local Costa Rican, ground cacao beans down and made our own hot chocolate, and saw 3 toucans.

We met with a professor named Ed from Portland State University who is establishing an eco research station up in the mountain by the farm. We skipped stones along a small stream and ended the night by inviting Orlando, our mammal guide, over for dinner. We celebrated all 3 birthdays, Ellie, Priscilla, and Tess together with tres leches cakes and flan.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

Written by: Max Ordonez

Today was the 2nd to last day of this amazing adventure! We got to wake up later than usual, and we made pancakes for Tess’s birthday 🥳

We then all dressed up and got ready for the final project presentations on our dream projects in our future careers. Every presentation was amazing and interesting to listen to, and everyone had creative and inspiring ideas. The projects ranged from sustainable architecture for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, to starting a Biosphere in the Yukon. Others included an ethical primate rehabilitation center, zoonotic disease development, and recycled plastic clothing lines. Students’ career aspirations ranged from veterinarians, field researchers, Chief Sustainability Office, ecologists, environmental law, and more.

Later on we finished with all the presentations after a delicious dinner, and we went on our last night hike in Costa Rica! We then played an emotional goodbye game to appreciate one another, and after that we listened to two more beautiful songs played by Ben on the guitar.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 26 & 27

Written by: Mia Vitale

Our departure day arrived faster than we’d like!

We packed our bags and left the Osa Peninsula, our home base and research focus. We each received our Airplane Letters, notes written to us by other students to read on the airplane home to remember and reflect on the memories we made together, and maybe shed a few tears over.

After a dramatic goodbye, I realized how amazing this trip was. I was able to ID all the animals we saw, work on tagging turtles for research, and learn about Costa Rica in general. I was able to make friends with people who have similar interests and do so many fun activities thanks to the staff. One of the most impactful things we had to do was make a presentation for our “dream careers”. We had to deep dive into the jobs we chose, figure out what steps we need to take to achieve that goal, and do a case study. Overall, this trip was an amazing experience with amazing people, all in one of the most biodiverse parts of the world.

Here are some of our favorite photos from across these incredible 3 weeks together!

Pura Vida!!

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2

Hi families,

What a beautiful start this has been! With very little delays or changes, all of the students arrived in throughout the day two days ago, and since then, Home Base has been filled with new faces and lots of new stories. After being quiet here for a few days, the first few arrived in the peak of the afternoon, when the sun was shining the brightest and the colors of Costa Rica could be seen all around us. The trees are so green here and the mangos that fruit from them brought Howler monkeys to greet the first crew and stayed with us throughout the day.

Once the second group arrived in the afternoon, Home Base felt much more full of life and we started all to get to know the new friends we have here. So many different people from so many different places! The pool was a perfect place to sit, hang-out and cool down from the strong summer heat and we all gathered there waiting for the sun to set on our first day in Costa Rica. Rain came with the sunset and just in time for us to come around the table for our first dinner. Almost all of us arrived by the end of dinner and with bellies full, we played “get-to-know-you-games” to try and begin learning all of the new names.

Our next day arrived all too quickly and we spent the day preparing for all the Beachside has to offer. We had even more time in the pool and explored the jungle we now call home! For the afternoon, in true Costa Rican fashion, we spent hours playing in the waves and having a great time on the beach!

We are so excited to all finally be here and to get started!

Look forward to more blogs from our Leaders of the Day throughout the week! We are sending you love and good wishes from here!

Your team here in CR,

Michelle, Milena, Emma, Cris, Mireia, Melissa, Marco, Andy, TJ and Digby

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3

Hello Friends!

Today was our first day of service! At Guanacaste Water Centre, we learned about watersheds, before we mixed rice, charcoal, and woodchips into dirt to create soil. Then we labelled bottles of homemade honey which we later tried along with many other kinds that had varying colours, textures, and tastes.

Today the group of GEA met Frank who showed us the school. He took us to the forest where we then cleaned up trash all around. The forest was an area that had suffered many forest fires due to the taca trees planted there. We ended up with multiple bags of trash and took them to playa negro (Black Beach). We took a pit stop and swam in the waves for a bit before going back to cleaning up. On our way back to the bus, we picked up trash all along the beach. Overall, today we really got to learn about the environment in Costa Rica and had a very successful day cleaning it up while practicing our Spanish.

We kicked off our Hatchery conservation services at VerdiAzul by walking across the street to the beach to familiarize ourselves with where turtles live in Costa Rica and how they lay their eggs and dig their nests. We got in groups to experience first hand how different species walk up the shore and dig down to hatch over 120-150 at a time! We played name games and met our service providers, Spencer and Andres and dug holes with fresh sand for new hatchery holes to ensure the eggs will thrive. We took a nice dip in the beautiful blue waves and continued on with our hard work… great first day at Verdiazul!

Today at Uniendo Comunidades we learned through picking up trash on the beach about the Costa Rican environment and its ecosystem and the importance of helping the community through Ester´s stories. We arrived at Playa Blanca to clean up garbage on the beach and learned about all the small life on our beaches that are negatively affected by litter. We were able to practice our Spanish with Ester, our community service director! Afterwards we were lucky enough to have time to swim in the beautiful ocean.

In the afternoon we went to the beach again to play soccer and have fun in the sun. Then we had a great debate where we practiced public speaking in front of each other and learned about the Pineapple Industry. It was a great day!

“It was so fun to try all the different types of honeys and learn about the bees in Costa Rica!”

Freya S.

“I love working with people who speak Spanish, it really makes me feel comfortable practicing in front of them.”

Anna C.

“I have been enjoying my experience with the new people I am meeting and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.”

Abby G.

“I enjoyed learning about how litter negatively affects the ecosystem in Costa Rica and how we can help the animals.”

Roya K.

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 4

Hi everyone,

We had an early start today and then we headed off on our adventure day starting with tubing down a river over whitewater on innertubes. It was super fun and a lot of us ended up with wet socks and shoes. Next, we went to a buffet style lunch where we got to try traditional foods and drinks including a potato dish and guanabana juice. Then, we ziplined through the canopies of the forest and rock climbed a wall. We headed back to camp and stopped on the way back for some ice cream and souvenirs. Overall, it was a great day with lots of new experiences and fun times.

“Nature and adventure is the best medicine”

-Emily C.

“I loved flying through the trees on the zipline. I haven’t done it in many years and it was an incredible experience”

-Amelia M.

“Tubing was really great. I hope I get another chance to do it again someday.”

-Ellory L.

“I had so much fun today on the ziplines. The trees and the water were so pretty to look at”

-Brian A.

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5

Hello GLA family!

We started this beautiful, sunny morning with pinto, eggs, and some refreshing fruit to fuel our morning of service! Que delicioso! For GEA students, our leader, Frank led us through a local school, Los Paragos, where we volunteered on a series of projects such as picking up and sorting trash around the school community. We especially enjoyed taking a well-deserved break to go monkey spotting! We saw many baby monkeys swinging from the trees and enjoying a mid-morning snack, mangoes, before heading back to service! The diverse wildlife never fails to amaze and amuse us students.

With Uniendo Comunidades, we went to a town called las Delicias. When we first got there, we met a tour guide named Jeffrey who is deeply involved in the community. We started by walking around the soccer field and picking up trash. While doing that, we spoke to a group of children that attended the school. When we took a break, some of us played soccer with the young children and were impressed by their athletic capabilities. We then began painting the inside of two outdoor bathroom stalls. Once we finished, we said bye to the children and got on the bus. Today was extremely fun and rewarding, it was especially nice to meet the children!

Today at Guanacaste water center we prepared 300 trees to prepare them to be donated to the families of 2 local schools so that they can have fruits in their gardens. We saw a big frog and the first duck of the season. The jungle was very humid but we had a great day preparing for tomorrow.

At VerdiAzul we continued to fill and dig holes for the incoming turtle eggs. We also filled up buckets of sand to create a wall-like area to keep the tide away from the hatchery. VerdiAzul has also helped release 50,000 turtles into the ocean this year.

After some much needed rest time whether spent playing cards poolside or exploring Home Base, the group was ready to play games and make empanadas! We tirelessly ground corn in two ways, hand rolling and then a more modern grinder. We then rolled the dough. After filling, folding, and adding our personal touches, we were ready to enjoy. Whether you love cooking or simply just eating, there was so much to enjoy about tonight´s activities.

“I loved making empanadas!”

– Claire

“It was cool to see all the different kinds of trees that are in Costa Rica!”

-Wiley H.

“We aren’t just helping the turtles, we are helping the earth”

– Jozy T.

“I enjoyed playing a game called Caballitos, it was like quidditch”

-Indy W.

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 6

Hello GLA Families!

This morning we started off with french toast and pinto to fuel our day. Everyone split off into groups for service where we all contributed heavily to our different projects.

Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas started the day at the beach, where Frank, our service leader, shared some insightful information with us all. He made all of us sit in a circle and explained to us the meaning of this “power circle.” He informed us of the threat of global warming and identified the major causes. The “power circle” is derived from the fact that knowledge, as opposed to ignorance, gives us power – Power to make a change. Then we cleaned the beach with the help of a small black puppy. After the cleaning was done, we took a dip in the ocean to cool off.

Today at the Guanacaste Water Center, we brought some of the trees that we had labelled yesterday to a local school. There, we donated the trees to kids ranging in age from 4-13, giving them the choice between several different types. We were able to practice our Spanish when talking to the kids, asking them things such as their names and ages before handing them their trees. After we had gotten through all of the kids, we walked around their school, exploring the cafeteria, classrooms, and playground. We found that some parts of their school were very similar to ours, while others were vastly different. When the kids got onto their break, we went out to the field and played soccer against them. We lost horribly, but that´s okay, it was awesome seeing how happy the kids were to be winning.

Today Uniendo Comunidades went to a local community to finish the project we started yesterday. We have been painting the bathrooms by the soccer fields to make them look nice and a better space. We split up into two groups so while one group would paint, the other would pick up trash. After we picked up the trash, we would sort through it and put it into either recycling or trash bags. The kids in the neighbouring house saw us picking up trash and decided to help. They ran around their yard looking for trash and then passing it though their fence. All of the little things make a big influence on others and are a big inspiration to keep green and make choices that benefit the whole community.

The first event of the day at VerdiAzul was to finalize the trench we dug to slow the process of natural erosion by making it more difficult for the tide to wash into the metal support beams that allow the tarps that hang over to give the nests shade. After the trench, we took our first water break of the day, where we went into the ocean to cool off. Then, we went back to digging nests and got about half way before we had noticed that the last egg for the year had hatched. We called all other volunteers for the organization to come as we watched “Frederica Mason Hole” swim into the ocean. Then, we went back to digging the last nesting holes until the end of the day before finishing off our work by taking a second swim break.

After services, we all had a blast at our dance class learning traditional Costa Rican dances. It was a great way to get all of our energy out, learn about the culture, and share some laughs. We were able to create our own dances after using the moves we learnt and adding some of our own creativity. Then we headed to dinner where we had amazing homemade tacos. To end the evening, everyone came together for the group-wide talent show where everyone was able to share their special talents. It brought everyone together and we all had a really good time. What a great way to end the evening!

“Seeing the kids´ faces when we handed them their trees made our work feel so rewarding. It´s so much better to be able to see the impact you´re making.”

-Gabriella C.

“All of the little things make a big influence on others and are a big inspiration to keep green and make choices that benefit the whole community. ”

-Mia Y.

“Many hands make light work, especially with buckets of sand!”

-Luca C

“Knowledge is power”

– Natasha

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 7

Hello all,

Everyday has been adventurous but today was extra special. This morning Guanacaste Water centre finished up a 4 year project! We placed signs at different creeks and rivers in the water shed. Us having meaning and names should mean that every living thing should as well, nothing deserves to be unlabelled. We dug holes for the signs then repeatedly placed concrete and dirt into the holes to make sure the signs were all going to last forever. Guanacaste water centre is so happy that these rivers and creeks now have names, meaning and importance.

Today in GEA we painted signs to inspire others. We wrote about how anyone can make a change, including us. We cleaned the beach after painting our signs. This week we´ve picked up over 200 pounds of trash with only six of us. We´ve made a difference. We also learned more about plastic´s origin and impact from Frank our mentor. We got to practice our Spanish in conversations with Frank. We learned that a lot of trash comes from other countries and washes up on shore. This further shows how pollution is everyone´s issue and we must make a change. Overall, we had an educational and fulfilling service for today.

Today in the Uniendo Comunidades we had the honour of working with Esther again (the founder and president of Uniendo Comunidades) where we went to a local park and sorted the trash. All of the trash was just thrown into bins without being properly organized and separated. This means that we can’t recycle or we use items and our landfills would be more full. We also took away 3 garbage bins from the park. This way if there are no garbage bins people are forced to bring their garbage back home to properly sort it. This also creates less waste in the bins and park for animals to go into and spread around the garbage. Lastly, we planted some trees and weeded the garden to make it look prettier and cleaner.

Today at VerdiAzul, we dug the last hole in the hatchery and did a beach cleanup. This was one of the most efficient days of the week and I am so glad I could help out the community. The beach was full of micro plastic and we also saw a sea snake washed up on the beach. I am so thankful for the opportunity to work with VerdiAzul and see the difference I can make in the community.

In the afternoon, at the sustainable goat farm, we got to step outside of our comfort zones to milk, feed, and play with goats. We saw so many babies goats who were so adorable and who we got the pleasure to hold and snuggle with them. We then got to eat and try goat milk, goat cheese, and goat yogurt for a little snack to end the day. What a great day!

“I loved playing with the goats and feeding them.”

-Nyella

“I had so much fun meeting baby goats just coming into the world”

-Maude

¨Baby goats are adorable!¨

-Lorelai

“I enjoyed cleaning the beach today.”

-Damon

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 8

Pura Vida!

Today was the last day of service at Verdiazul was sad to leave the hatchery behind. We worked on sorting trash we collected the previous day and then cleaned it to correctly dispose of it. After that we finished the rest of our time adding sand in front of the hatchery to make sure the tide wouldn’t reach the top of it when we are gone. Overall we are all proud of the work we’ve done this past week and know that it will make all the difference during the turtle nesting season in a few months.

In Uniendo Comunidades, we spent the morning on the beach collecting coconuts and tree branches. We collected these to turn the local area near the beach into a more enjoyable place to be. Then, we headed to the beach where we picked up microplastics and other larger pieces of trash. Ester, our service leader talked to us throughout the day about contributing to the community and what our work means to her. She mentioned how grateful she was that we were helping her throughout this week. We went around and shared that this service has taught us about not just picking up trash, but protecting the life.

Our team for the last day with Guanacaste Water Center was a combination between our service group, another group of Spanish-speaking high school students and the children from the school we visited. All together we cleaned up and helped the garden at the school. As some kids helped plant beans and some helped plant corn, others did composting or helped create a new fence. Together we all as a community helped the garden thrive to its fullest extent.

Today at GEA we hung up our recently painted signs about spreading awareness for environmental consciousness. We also had a talk about why the climate is changing the way it is and our service leader Frank gave us his insight on what he believed to be the problem and solution. Soon after, Frank gave us a test on everything we learned that week, with local fruits as the prize to answering a question correctly.

In the afternoon, we had some well-deserved beach time at Playa Negra. We had a beach Olympics, and played in the water with our friends. The waves were incredible and we played sports like limbo, soccer, javelin, and long jump.

After some free time when we got back from the beach, we had our last leaders of the day pass the torch to the entire group so everyone had the chance to pass the service torch. We also had our last mentor groups of the trip where we read letters, we wrote to ourselves at the first meeting and discussed goals we made at the beginning of the trip and our goals for once we leave. It was a bittersweet day where everyone reflected on the memories we made during our service groups and the last of many activities.

“I learned so much about the environment and the lives we are saving through Ester”

-Leah

“My favorite part wasn’t just helping the garden but being with others to create a place that can provide and educate kids”

-Khloe

“I learned so much about the true harms to the environment which will be able to help me find solutions in the future”

–Ava

“I am really happy with the friends I made at Verdiazul”

-Sam

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 10

Good morning,

We´re writing this to you on the last morning of the summer and for us it is truly a bittersweet ending. We´ve had so many touching moments here and it seems all-too-soon that they are coming to a close. We started and ended this session with so many beautiful and happy faces and now, have memories that will last a lifetime. Get ready to hear all about them when we finally get back!

Our final moments were just as special and left us felling full-hearted going into travel day. We rose with the sun (maybe a little bit later but it felt like it!) and got ready for our journey to Tamarindo to board our catamaran for the day. The boat and it´s huge mast greeted us and it only took a few moments of putting on sunscreen before we were ready to set sail. The true Costa Rican colors were brighter than ever today with the ocean as a bright, mixing turquoise and the floating islands as a vibrant green. Before arriving to our snorkel spot, we came upon some turtles and dolphins who happily greeted us at the surface! They were being so playful and jumped across the side of the boat, showing-off by doing jumping tricks. With the sun so hot, we were very excited to swim and snorkel when we arrived! We all jumped in with our masks and went over to the nearest rocks to discover some local fish, a lot of sea urchins and some even saw a sting ray! Afterwards, while some swam to the empty beach we had found, other jumped off the boat until it was time for our delicious on-cruise BBQ lunch. Barbeque chicken and pico de gallo seemed to be the best to fill our stomachs before our calm cruise back and some naps along the way!

When we arrived back home, we had a last afternoon in the pool and spent some more quality time with our friends. Even though it has been only 10 days, this session has gotten so close and will hopefully stay in contact when we get home! Our feria (or fair in Spanish) was next so we all got dressed-up to meet local artisans and buy last-minute gifts for all of you waiting at home. The best ending to all of this was running to watch the sunset on the beach and sharing our last moments with a rose-tinted colored sky.

Like we said, we have said such a beautiful and incredible journey with all of you! We can´t believe the days flew by so fast but we know they did because we enjoyed every minute with you! We are so proud of everything you have done and we can´t wait to hear about the amazing humans you become!

Sending Pura Vida and the best wishes from our jungle home in Junquillal,

Michelle, Milena, Digby, TJ, Mireia, Melissa, Andy and Emma.

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Michelle & the Costa Rica Team

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 20

Hi Families and Friends!

Sorry we have taking a couple days to write! Some of us had quite a complicated journey getting here after flights were moved or cancelled but, almost all of us now have finally made it! For those of us who arrived early, we started with getting to know our new friends and our new home directly next to the beach. We arrived already having made some memories because a lot of us met in the airports on the way over. While waiting for everyone, we hung out in the pool and got settled. Our first night, after having our first dinner together, we played some games to get to know each other and start remembering names! It’s exciting there are so many new faces! We were still missing 10 friends when we went to sleep on the first night so home base was a little quieter but still cozy and welcomed after the long journeys! The next day, we spent the morning preparing for the rest of the week, learning all about the community we would be in and getting our first look at the services we would be doing! Two more arrived just in time to go the beach. We were so happy to get to splash in the ocean and run around playing soccer on the beach. Another group arrived just in time for dinner and trivia with our mentors! What an exciting time!

Today we are off to our first adventure day and will report back about it tomorrow! In fact from here, our Leaders of the Day will take over the blog and you’ll hear all about our activities and thoughts as we continue! Check back for our updates. We can’t to have a great 10 days here in Guanacaste, Costa Rica!

Sending best wishes from your Beachside Team,
Michelle, Milena, Emma, Marco, Andy, Melissa, Mireia, Digby and TJ

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

Hola everybody!

We woke up bright and early today and had to be on the bus by 6:15 to get to our Adventure Day on time. We were given delicious empanadas for breakfast on the bus! After a 2 hour bus ride we arrived for tubing, where we were informed that we were zip-lining first instead! Everyone was a little shocked but adjusted quickly and we were all pumped for zip-lining.

The course was super cool and included a slide, drop, rock wall, and a rope. Afterwards were had a wait for tubing but it gave room for new adventures! A few people spotted a white-faced monkey and a tapir, then once we finally went down it was a ton of fun! Especially connecting with people we had just met, it was a good way to bond with our new friends.

Tubing was a chaotic experience, people were getting stuck on rocks, falling on their tubes, and there was a friendly spider that surprised everyone towards the end! After that we headed up to the restaurant where there was a large buffet with a variety of amazing Costa Rican foods. Everyone was so ready for lunch after our busy morning. Then we took a quick bus ride to a souvenir shop and ice cream shop. Everyone got some fun gifts for themselves, friends and family. Then we headed back to home-base, during the ride we saw an amazing sunset with a cotton candy sky. Also while passing over a bridge we saw a huge crocodile swimming in the river.

Once we got back to home base we had to rush to dinner then we (todays leaders) got to lead the chow circle before talking with our mentor groups for the first time! We wrote letters to our future selves to read at the end of the week, we were instructed to set goals and list things we are looking forward to during our service projects! Overall our first adventure day was a success and we are looking forward to the rest of the week.

“Tubing was THRILLING ADVENTUROUS AND FUN”
– Dean C.

“I had so much fun experiencing the Costa Rican jungle environment today while ziplining and tubing! I also got a chance to practice my Spanish skills with the instructors where I travelled outside of my comfort zone but I appreciate too so much!”
– Lia L.

“I enjoyed the zip-lining. I loved how the course was unique. I also enjoyed the tubing and seeing everyone helping one another get unstuck! It was all so much fun and a great way to get closer to our peers!”
– Audrey M.

“ I really had a great time zip-lining. It was exhilarating experience with fun and different activities as well as tubing was so so fun! I´m very excited for the days to come.”
– Genet D.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

Buenos días!

Today, July 22nd, was our first GLA service day! At the Guanacaste Water Center, the day went by all and of us volunteers grew accustomed to the hot weather and had to use a lot pf sunscreen and bug spray as a result pf being in the dry forest. Towards the beginning, we got closer to our guide, Alberto, who taught us about the significance of erosion and how natural land formations like ¨water sheds¨ help us humans control erosion. According to Alberto and our mentor Mireia, the mission of the Guanacaste Water Center is to combat climate change by informing local communities about the importance of water protection and the harvest of plants. Our main task of the day was to create makeshift ecosystems that were made out of cardboard, plastic boxes, and soil. This was our main task because these ecosystems would be used as a haven for plants like avocado and cashew trees to be able to grow. Alongside myself, other volunteers that I was with like Nicole, Korbin, Arun, and Lola had mentioned that being out in the dry forest was both interesting and eye opening. We are all looking forward to tomorrow´s activities, but can confidently say that the 1st day of service at the Guanacaste Water Center was a success.

“Being in the forest was very thrilling and fun. Seeing all of the wildlife around us was on my bucket list and I am glad that I could say I was even able to go on a trip like this!” -Kevan P.

We started the day by introducing ourselves and meeting all of the group members that help run the trash pick up program. We then broke into groups, aluminium, plastic, and glass, and started to sort through piles and piles of trash. After a couple hours of sweat, ants, and finding new crawly creatures, we were given fruit and tea by the workers. We were informed that through all the separation, those never-ending cans and bottles, would later be sent to be recycled to then later be created as a service ramp in the community for disabled people in several elementary schools. We then ended off the day by a great dancing and singing performance from a local boy, Liam, that stayed with us till the end of the service, bringing laughter and joy to all of us through a pretty gross and definitely different time.

“Although the trash was very dirty and gross, being involved and helping the local elementary school felt very worth it and heart warming to know that it would go to help the kids” -Natalie B.

A Costa Rican named Frank introduced me and my GEA group to the Los Pargos school. He explained all the symbols on the murals that the previous GEA students had created. The palm trees on the school mural represent tourism, the fish is called a red snapper which is the name of the town, and the boat represent the fishermen in Costa Rica. After Frank showed us all around the school it was time to head to the woods where trash was getting dumped illegally. We all spent about 1 hour picking up cans, glass bottles, cardboard, plastic, Styrofoam, and bins. GEA made a difference in the Costa Rican community today. From learning the school’s history, to playing with the kids, and picking up others trash to clean up. Me and my group feel accomplished in our helpful actions today, and we can’t wait to see what challenges tomorrow will bring us!

“Just remember that each piece of trash that is dropped is either eaten by an animal of left there for over 100 or more years unless we do something.”
-Kelly R.

In VerdiAzul, we left to the beach which was a five minute walk from homebase. We started service off by stretching and warming up then we started talking and learning about different turtles and fun facts about them. Then we were told about what happens when the tides rises and what could happen to the turtles if the water gets up to far. We started filling buckets up with sand so then we could put in a specific area so when the tide rises the turtle eggs won’t get destroyed so that when they hatch, they can go to the sea safely. After about 30 minutes or so we got to take a break where we got to swim in the water at the beach and then we went back to work!

“Leatherback turtles are as tall as Michelle, our director! That was cool to learn about” -Ethan G.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

Hello everyone,

Today was a productive and engaging day. For breakfast, we enjoyed a variety of items including cereal, French toast, beans and rice, accompanied by bananas, coffee, and juice. Today’s service in VerdiAzul involved conservation work with turtle nests; we dug out old sand and replaced it with fresh sand to create a suitable environment for the turtle eggs. After a break in the ocean, we returned to our project and learned how some turtles move symmetrically and some move a-symmetrically. We were also taught how to locate turtle’s eggs with a prodding stick to locate the eggs- this day was not only educational but filled with exciting and rewarding moments.

“We learned how some turtles move in different ways and how they burry their eggs.” -Jordan G.

This morning we woke up early and got on the bus to go back to the school. My service group(GEA) meets at the school in the community. When we got there we met with Frank, the leader of our service who lives here in Costa Rica. When we got to the school, we helped Frank weigh the trash we collected yesterday. We collected 170lbs on all yesterday, and we were determined to break our record today. Before we went out and collected trash, we sorted the trash from yesterday into two groups: actual trash and recyclables. We learned that lots of trash can actually be repurposed. Once we labelled the bags and dropped them off, we went back out into the forest to collect more. We spent a little over an hour collecting all sorts of trash. We then returned to the school and weighed our bags from today. In just one day we removed 242lbs of trash from the local community. We broke the record for most pounds of trash collected in one day! That’s 411 pounds in just two days of service, which is just a couple hours work. Everyone was passionate, productive, and dedicated to the project today.

“Today we learned that small actions can really make big differences and changes in the world. We beat the record of trash collected in one day in just an hour of work.” -Jessica G

Today was Day 2 of service at Guanacaste Water Center, and I am glad to say it was very successful! Our mission and goal today was to place signs to place to label local rivers and creeks in order to help teach visitors about the area the area and about its bodies of water, such as the River Pargos and River Zapote. We started out by stopping at the Water Center to grab what we needed for the day, which included shovels, cement, buckets, and the signs. With the help of Alberto and his helpers at the Water Center, we headed over to the first river, where we happened to see three howler monkeys, including a baby; it was crazy! We worked very well as a team today, with some of us digging the holes for the signs, while others mixed and placed cement, as well as gathering rocks. It was a lot of hard work but we all found it really fun and fulfilling! Big thanks to the guys at the Water Center for letting all of us pile into one of the trucks to cross the river because we were all wearing sneakers! Some group members described it as a day that went by very fast because it was fun and they really got into the work. Overall, it was a really fun day of service, and we are very excited for Day 3!

“We learned about the importance of teaching people about their environment, and got to witness some of Costa Rica´s natural beauty in its forests.” -Arun P

Today was a an extremely productive and fulfilling day, firstly in my service group (Uniendo Communidades) when we arrived the heat was unbearable, speaking to the director made everyone realize what great of an impact we are doing as a group for this community. We were able to paint the specific place where certain individuals from the town get they´re water. As a team we were encourage everyone to push, the productivity was incredible and it was extremely fulfilling watching every single person with a smile on they´re face even through the heat. With the help of Ester we were able to understand that every step of the way was extremely helpful to make this town more beautiful than it is. We were separated into two groups one group painting the borders and the other group painting the walls we all worked as a team and tomorrow we will continue to finish this extremely big project that is extremely helpful for the community. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity and can’t wait to continue to make a change with my peers extremely excited for the future days ahead of me.

“I was able to step myself into these individuals’ shoes and how I would like to see the community which gave me the energy to make this change.” -Oasis B.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

Hola chicos!

We woke up to the peaceful sound of birds chirping and waves crashing as we started our third service day in Costa Rica! We had a delicious breakfast of muffins, eggs and rice and beans which was a big hit across the group. After breakfast, we headed off to our service groups for an amazing day of community work.

Starting off in Verdiazul, we prepared for our strenuous work by stretching in a circle and listening to the top hits of 2014. Then, we did erosion protection around the turtle hatchery by dumping sand and compacting it. After that, we dug out previous turtle hatching nests to clean them and replace them with new sand. To finish, we refilled the nest and proceeded onto lunch.

At Unidad Comunidades, we finished painted the wall that surrounds and protects the local communities water source, supplying water to about 120 people. We also started to paint tires, which will be used to plant different flowers to spruce up the community. Our group also began to paint the mural that will face the street so many people can see it. Even though we were all covered in paint, the group worked together and were very enthusiastic the whole time!

Then in Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas we started the day off with a warm up game of random hot potato. This woke everyone in our group up and allowed for us to listen to Frank’s talk about the importance of combating climate change. Following this talk, the group split up and collected trash all around the beach. Everybody realized how much climate change affects us all throughout the entirety of the service and we are all so excited to continue making a difference in our communities!

It was also Day 3 at the Water Centre and our Misson today was to relocate plants that have long roots to help stop erosion at rivers. The first step to relocate plants is to dig and collect the plants. So we had groups digging grass weeds chopping the plants in half. The reason for that is because we want these plants to survive and when we pull the out of the ground it breaks some of them so we chop the, so the roots can keep the plant alive. The second step was making buckets with rocks with bamboo for this school we are going to that needs the grass. The buckets were for a perimeter for the road so cars can go around us as we work.

After lunch, most of the group went to the beach. At the beach we swam in the ocean and played soccer and volleyball. The waves were huge! After, we watch the beautiful sunset. To end the night, we did a talent show where people danced, sang, performed skits, and played instruments. It was so fun, and really bonded the group. Overall, it was such a great day!!

“The ocean was a perfect way to relax after dealing with buckets of sand”
-Dean & Sarah

“Working all day in the sun and with all of the local people really gives you respect for all they do for this place” -Korbin

“Knowing that you are helping people and seeing the people in the community light up seeing all of our hard work makes all the work worth it.” -Eliza

“Picking up the trash on the beach was so calming and made me see the beauty in cleaning the environment!” -Alicia

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

Buenos dias!

We woke up to a sunny warm morning and had pancakes, cereal, and rice for breakfast. Then we got ready for the day and headed to our service groups for a good day of work.

In Verdiazul, we walked in the mangroves collecting trash which lead to the beach where our group collected so much trash! Each member worked very hard and collected at least half a bag of trash. The work did not end there though, we then went back to the base of Verdiazul and cleaned out the sand in one of the turtle nests and then replaced the sand with bacteria free sand for the turtles. The team was tired but we powered through!

It was Day 4 at the Water Centre and our mission for today was to first pick up lots and lots of trash. We then planted a variety of trees and bushes for the sake of erosion and the ecosystem. Although the day was tiring, we persevered as no tree or bush is too big for the GLA Community to conquer in order to save the environment.

In GEA we got to design and paint signs to hang in the community with reminders of positive change and encouraging notes to the community members. We then began sorting trash into plastic, glass and glass completing our purpose to reduce reuse and recycle. We were surprised with a performance from the local kids primary school celebrating Guanacaste unification with Costa Rica 200 years ago today. Filled with kids dancing, songs blasting, and laughter flowing.

In Uniendos Communidades we all arrived to finished our project that we started to work on, on the second day. We’ve been transforming something ugly like a tire into something beautiful like a colorful flower bed and painting murals on what used to be boring walls. It was a lot of hard work and everyone seemed uncomfortable at first, but seeing our progress has made it all worth it. All of the seemingly endless trash we’ve picked up, all of the shovelling we’ve done, and the painting that’s finally been completed, has made us feel like we have made a difference on this community. Helping to actually change this place to make it more spectacular has truly been so fulfilling and impressive. Seeing the gratitude on the community members faces and the feeling we all feel after the work is done is indescribable.

After the work was done, we headed on home to get ready for cooking class and rally games at a local center. We participated in traditional Costa Rican games with the kids and made home made empanadas. We learned how Costa Ricans used to grind corn in the older days and used platano leaves to form the empanada shape. The end of the day was filled with mentor groups and fun shout outs to appreciate other people. Altogether, the day was so eventful and filled with entertainment.

“I`ve never sweated so much in my life however, it was fun experience in all”.
-Emmanuel

“Soccer was so much fun!” -Sierra

“I guess you could say our group in the best at playing pato pato gonso (duck duck goose)” -Ella

“Nothing can compare to homemade empanadas and a fresh strawberry drink after a long day!” -Cristina

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 27 (JULY 28 BLOG ALSO ADDED)

Buenos dias!

We started off our eighth day in Costa Rica with our usual morning routine: an early breakfast of fruit, rice, eggs, and cereal. Then, we got ready for our fifth and final service day!

In Uniendo Comunidades, we started the day off by walking over to a playground, which was by the beach. We picked up microplastics for a few hours, then walked back to a playground to clean up coconuts, leaves, and more trash. After all of that we went to a beach and swam.

“I´m so happy from the new connections I have made on this trip and how I am able to help out the community” -Lyndon

For our final day working with Frank in Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas (GEA), we learned about the importance of our work and how it will impact the surrounding community. Frank began by informing our group about Costa Rican culture, society, and tourism. He explained how our generation has the ultimate superpower of TIME, since we are the ones who can change the future of the world. Then, we took a trip to the beach, where we hung our painted, inspirational signs to spread awareness about environmental issues. Afterwards, Frank led “El Examen Final”, which was a fun game to test our learned knowledge about Costa Rica. We played beach volleyball and of course, had a mini photoshoot with Frank and Elvin! We ended our service with ice cold smoothies as a reward for our dedication to helping the community this past week.

“We are so grateful for Frank and his passion for GEA! We had such a fulfilling week learning about our ability to benefit the Costa Rican community and environment!” -Tatum

For our fifth and final day at the Guanacaste Water Center, we traveled to the nearby school of Guaposte to help them with their ongoing garden project. We split into a couple different groups to complete all of the tasks. One group painted a “pollinators hotel” that bees would move into: the roof was red, the walls were white, and they doodles flowers and swirls all over the sides. Another group put together bamboo homes for the bees in the “hotel.” A third group sanded down and painted varnish over signs for the garden. We had some people planting cucumber plants, some turning dirt to make it better for the plants, and some taking weeds out of another section of the garden. A final group made a fence out of wires to protect the garden. Overall it was a busy day, and we got a lot of work done. Before leaving we played a bit of fútbol with some local kids, and the man that runs the Water Center— Alberto— gave us some sacred leaves to sprinkle over the ground as we made wishes for our and everyone’s futures. We greatly enjoyed working with the Guanacaste Water Center, and will treasure our time with Alberto and all the memories we made.

“I feel that the work we did at the Water Center made a great impact in this community and the health of its natural resources.” -Sophia

Today at VerdiAzul, we picked up trash and dug holes for turtles. It was very rewarding and accomplishing. I am very grateful to have been a part of this experience. I’ve learned a lot about turtles and conservation of marine life. In verdiazul we also sorted through 460 pieces of trash.

“I think I’ve made friends for life” -Dara

After lunch, we hopped into the vans and took a fun little trip to visit a goat farm! Even in the pouring rain, we were able to feed the goats, milk the goats, and even drink the goat milk! We also saw the cutest baby goats, some as young as seven days, and got to eat fresh goat feta cheese. It was such a cool experience and we were all pushed outside of our comfort zones getting to milk the goat!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 28

Hi Families!

Writing to you as we sit here sipping our coffees on the morning of departure day, 10 days after we had the joy of meeting this crew. The goodbyes today will be so bittersweet because we know how excited they are to reunite with you (and hug their dogs!) but also, sad to see such a great group go!

Luckily our last day, yesterday, brought just as much excitement and curiosity as we had here, learning and growing together at Beachside. We started the day early to get to the boat on time to enjoy the entire morning sailing on the ocean. As we started, we noticed we weren´t heading directly towards our island spot and we all realized why when a juvenile Humpback whale came to greet us at the surface right next to the boat! It´s early in the season, and we haven´t yet seen them in our other groups so we were all watching in awe. As we continued on, dolphins and a sea turtle were also spotted, making it easy to feel completely surrounded by the Costa Rican wildlife that we have come to know and love. We anchored near a hidden beach and all dropped happily in to snorkel and swim. Some of us even jumped off the boat. We wrapped up our amazing sailing adventure with a BBQ lunch and a calm cruise back in the sunshine!

After lunch, we got back to Home Base to pack and get all dressed-up for our Feria, or our artisan fair, which had local vendors for us to buy last minute gifts. While we were getting ready, we got a call that 100 baby sea turtles had hatched!! We all finished as quickly as we could and ran to watch the little one’s crawl to waves and swim away to start their lives. What a special surprise and that was only the start of an incredible afternoon! After, at the Feria, a dancing school performed traditional Costa Rican festival dances and the marimba, a traditional instrument was played. Some of us even went to try to play it ourselves!

The last sunset was full of beautiful smiles and the first farewell hugs given to our service and mentor groups as we organized photos for memories. A delicious dinner was followed by our Appreciation circle and a pool party; allowing us to truly celebrate these 10 days in the fullest fashion. What an incredible trip! We will miss you all so much!

Sending love from your team here in Guanacaste,

Michelle, Milena, Digby, TJ, Emma, Melissa, Mireia, Marco and Andy

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Michelle & the Costa Rica Team

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

PURA VIDA!

Wow! We are so excited that most of us were able to join us here at Home Base yesterday to start this incredible adventure together! For those of us that arrived earlier, we already had some great time to be in the pool, got to meet some of our new friends and got to walk around in the jungle we will call home for the next 10 days! It´s definitely hot down here, and a little bit of jungle rain greeted us too, as we all started filling up the bungalows.

As more arrived, it was so neat to see that we all come from such different places and have ideas and stories that we can´t wait to share! Our delicious dinner consisted of chicken Casado, salad and sweet plantains, a traditional dish down here in Costa Rica. After we filled our bellies, we played “Getting-to-Know-You” games so that we could get a jump start on all of the names! We were all pretty exhausted by the time, lights-out time arrived, and so we all pilled into our new rooms excited for a new day tomorrow.

Currently preparing for lunch on our official second day in Costa Rica, we can´t wait for what´s to come! Looking forward to our beach time this afternoon and for getting ready for our full schedule in the up-coming days. Like we said, it´s just exciting for us all to finally be here!

Look forward to more blogs from our Leaders of the Day throughout the week! We are sending you love and good wishes from here!

Your team here in CR,

Michelle, Milena, Emma, Cris, Mireia, Melissa, Marco, Andy, TJ and Digby

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Hola!

Here in Costa Rica so many things have been happening and we can´t wait to tell you about them. First, today was the first day of our service groups, and we were able to all choose one of four service projects.

The first one was Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas. There is a town called Los Pargos (the red Snappers) because it was home to many fishermen but now it is home to many tourists. In our group, ¨GEA¨ we collected 161.76 pounds of trash. Caleb found a painted turtle and I climbed in the river to get two empty bottles. We also went to the beach and swam and we saw the boxer (dog) from yesterday and named her Pura Vida and call her Vida and we hand fed her water. Pura Vida is a well known phrase, that translated to Pure Life, and is used in many interactions. One of the locals Frank said at the end of the service ¨I wish we could be here all day doing this.¨

The second group to choose from was Guanacaste. In the Water Center, students learned about all the different locations of watersheds around the world. We learned about the dryest seasons of Costa Rica and how the owner, Alberto, deals with the Water Center at those times. Everyone reapplied bug spray and were very excided to get to work. Students broke into separate groups to help build and maintain the watershed.

“Today was eye-opening, I am more aware of water problems in Costa Rica.” (Bella)

Another one of the service groups is, Verdiazul. We started off with fun games to learn more about turtles and their process of laying eggs, then we started the process of cleaning the sand of the bacteria from the egg shells that the baby turtles hatched from. During our breaks we got to cool off in the ocean and play more fun games. Everyone is having so much fun and learning so much about turtles. Everyone is so excited for the next four days of service because we have such good chemistry within our group and we made the service work fun. One member of the group Chloe said ¨It was thrilling to learn all these new facts about turtles while helping the community¨

The last service group of the day was Uniendo Comunidades. We began the day by working to transplant native trees from inland to a beautiful park along the beach. After this, we began to work along the beach cleaning trash that comes from all over the world. Once finished we listened to Ester talk about the true importance about what we were doing. It truly brought things full circle.

“Seeing someone so passionate about what they do, such as Ester, inspires me to step up in my own community.” (Mason)

After service we had lunch and rest time before we went on a nice beach walk. We walked as far as the tide pools where we got to watch the ocean and its big waves hit against the big rocks. Later, we have the big debate where we are going to debate the Pineapple Industry and learn how to be better consumers in our community. Then we are going to watch the mesmerizing sunset and enjoy dinner before we go into mentor groups and end the day.

Thank you so much for reading!

From our Leaders of the Day,

Mason, Gavin, Bella and Kayla

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

Pura Vida!!

Today we wrapped up day four and had a blast! It was a day of fulfillment for all on their projects, followed by excitement at the sustainable goat farm, learning about their practices and even milking goats! Today was another excellent 24 hours of nonstop fun, all thanks to GLA.

At Verdiazul today we again were digging up nests and replacing them with clean ones for the hatchery. We had an amazing day optimizing our assembly line organizing ourselves. Today we really became a team, sharpening our skills with the double shovels and had fun competing in digging competitions.

Today at the Guanacaste Water Center we gathered signs, gathered our cement materials and headed off to start our day. Our goal of today was to put these signs in the ground which Marcina our leader had been wanting to get done for weeks. We first dug a hole and made sure it was big enough to fit our sign in. After that we made cement and filled the holes with rocks and the previous made cement. We repeated this process three other times which filled our four hours of work.

Quote from our advisor Marcina who states, “I love when the people in general can be different, try new things, and remember the importance of togetherness´´.

Over at Uniendo Comunidades we began by sorting through trash at a recycling center placed recently by legislature. We finished in just over an hour and then took a quick swimming break. Then we began painting a Costa Rican tourist shop. This shop is highly important for the park and surrounding areas because all the funds raised in the shop goes to improve the community.

The founder of Uniendo Comunidades, Ester says, ¨No es nuestra basura, pero es nuestro planeta.¨ This means, It is not our trash, but it is our planet.¨

At GEA today, we started the day off by sorting out the trash we picked up yesterday into plastic, glass, and garbage. We then took a walk to playa Negra to find some trash on the beach. For this we split up into two groups. We ended up tallying a total of 30lbs which is amazing. Then we headed over to the beach volleyball court for some action-packed fun with Sebastian, our invaluable helper. And finally topping it off we hit the waves for a good end to our service day!

Sending good vibes!

Our Leaders of the Day,

Giorgio, Arshaan, Sophia and Ella

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Pura Vida!

Today we woke up bright and early at six am to pile into the bus for our first adventure day! The entire group was very enthusiastic and excited to go tubing and ziplining. During the duration of the 2 hour bus rides, the service groups enjoyed empanadas and appreciated each other’s company by spending time playing cards, karaoke, and sharing funny stories.

The fresh cold water woke us all up from our sleepy bus ride. The crazy current carried us down the stream, and an unfortunate few fell out of our tubes, which we found quite comical. It was nice to take a break and connect with all of our peers outside of service. After tubing we went to a hotel restaurant for lunch and had a buffet style meal, which all of us enjoyed and went back for seconds.

After a delicious lunch, we started our journey ziplining. There was a total of eleven different zip lines. We went through forests, canyons, and got so close to many different waterfalls. We had so much fun. There was an optional activity to jump off of a thirty-foot platform thirty feet high and rock climb back up, and around half of the people here participated. One of the best parts was massive swing we were strapped to, where we went from one side of the canyon to the other after taking a leap of faith. Lastly, there was a section where you slid down a slide into the zipline above a waterfall. Most people found ziplining to be the highlight of their day due to the stellar sights and different activities along the way.

The bus ride back took 3 hours but was filled with groups laughing and bonding about the day. We stopped along the way back at gift shop to buy gifts for our loved ones back home, and for some of us buy tourists t-shirts as we were running out of clean ones. Afterwards, the bus ride continues and we finish the night by eating a delicious dinner and completing our chow circle.

¨I enjoyed the tubing most! It was a once in a lifetime experience and I found it absolutely breathtaking. The bus rides were lots of fun and helped us get to know each other better. The best part was getting to watch my friends face their fears both in the water and on the ziplines.” – Hailey B

“My favorite part of today was the ziplining because it was such an eye-opening experience to glide through the canyons and explore among the forest.” – Milo K

“It was so fun riding back from the adventure because my bus was talking about our lives back home, and throwing marshmallows into each other’s mouths. Shout out to Andy for letting us play music and scream songs the entire ride.” – Fiona C

“My favourite part of the day was ziplining because of the great views and the thrill of it.” – Eli B

“My favourite part of the day was bonding with my friends on the bus and going through the rapids while tubing.” – Sierra

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Hola!

Today we woke up to another beautiful Costa Rican morning!

After a nutritious breakfast, we dispersed into our service groups. Uniendo Cominidades finished painting the building in the park with sea animals and finished up with leaving our handprints on the inside to finish off a great 3- day long project.

“Today was hard work, but it was good because we did it with love and passion, which made it good. You guys give me hope for the future. “—Ester, Uniendo Comunidades service leader.

Verdiazul continued digging holes and preparing a habitat for the baby turtles to hatch in. Ecologic group de Avellanas painted inspirational phrases on boards to post up around the community. One great example was “Trabajamos juntos para hacer el cambio”, which means “We work together to make change.”

Our service leader, Frank, said “This next generation of people will be the ones to make the change needed and this is the first step towards it”

Guanacaste Water Center dug holes, planted trees, and measured native species populations in the river.

After service finished, we had lunch and some free time by the pool. Students grabbed ice cream and hung out with their peers. After that the mentors gave us time to practice for the talent show. We were all finishing up with our practices when the mentors looked excited and told us that they had a surprise for us today. We had no idea what was going to come next! So we gathered quickly and went to the beach across the street! That´s when they announced that 56 sea turtles were hatching!! We watched the sea turtles hatch and waddle their way to the ocean! It was such an incredible experience. Then a speaker came and talked to us about Costa Rica and its history. At the end of the night, we performed in our Talent Show. We had magicians, singers, dancers and even a special guest! It was so fun!

“My favourite part of the day was watching the turtle´s life begin and crawl to the ocean into their new world¨ Justin Ghiselli

Can´t wait for our next surprise here in our last few days in Costa Rica!

“Never put off till tomorrow, what can be done today.“ Sensei Wu

All from our Leaders of the Day,

Noah, Will, Fallon and Sydney

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Pura Vida!

Our day started off with a wonderful 7 am breakfast that consisted of French toast and sausages.

With Verdiazul today, we visited a local mangrove and learned about why it is important to preserve the wildlife in the area. Throughout our visit, we picked up trash and plastics around the area to maintain the cleanliness of the environment.

With the Guanacaste Water Center we visited a local elementary school. We helped out their garden by creating a compost as well as weeding and planting or replanting trees and plants. Some of us also created a fence to protect the greenhouse there from animals and insects while others built an insect hotel to give shelter and a place to live for many bugs, safe from birds and other predators.

With Uniendos Comuninades today we visited the community of Florcita. The community is new, only around 5 years old. We painted signs with positive messages of recycling for their community center. We had some locals helping out with painting, they were very kind. They brought their children to help out too. They gave us watermelon and banana for snacks.

With GEA today, for the first time we went to a different beach with nobody on it. Once again Sebastian and Kaunu were there on their dirt bike ready to help and have a good time. After Frank taught us about mangroves and environmental issues, we split into our usual two groups and walked down the beach, hanging up our signs that we made yesterday as we went. On our way back, we picked up any trash that we saw, which unfortunately ended up being a lot. One group primarily picked up microplastics, while the other group found many piles of trash on their side of the beach. The final tally was 108.6 pounds of trash. Afterwards, we went back to home base, and Chris let us stop at a coffee shop for drinks and pastries.

Once our services were finished, we all had pasta as our lovely lunch. We had downtime and were very entertained with things like hanging out by the poolside and spending time with friends in our rooms. After some free time, we split into groups and went to play rally games, learn juggling, and were taught how to cook potato and bean empanadas which had mixed reviews. We then headed back to home base, had chow circle and dinner, then went to mentor groups and were done for the day.

From today´s leaders of the day,

¨Cooking and playing games with Frank was super fun.¨ -Jason O

¨Learning new skills can be challenging, but are worth it in the end.¨ -Karli F

¨Changing our mindsets is the first essential step towards making a change.¨
-Caleb E (Inspired by Frank)

“If you devote your time and energy to a cause, your actions will be recognized, and spread the right message” -Zach M

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

Hola!

We started our day today with a big breakfast and hoped on the bus to head to service.

Today at Verdiazul we started of with digging holes and filling then back in. Today we reached a goal of completing 5 holes. After we began to sort the trash, we collected at the mangrove yesterday into different categories. We learned more about the turtles and had a great time together. We all were very connected today and had a great time playing in the pool after. We played many different games and had some laughs.

Today was the last day of service with Uniendo Comunidades. We went to a local park today as the last place we visited as a group. After we had a tour of the community we started work by carrying lots of tires all the way over to the playground to start our end goal. We were building little tables for all the kids who come to play at the park, by stacking tires, painting tires and filling them with gravel to create the tables and chairs. We carried stacked and then painted the tires. We dug lots of holes in the ground to keep the tires in place, we carried lots and lots of gravel across the park to fill inside the tires to keep them in place. It was very hot and sweaty. And hard and tiring work, but it felt good to do something that would make a clear difference by the time we were done. We built a little tunnel of tires and a little hopscotch course with them too. And some of us even tried it out, even though we were probably a little too big for it. By the time we were finished, we´d built three tables with chairs of standing tires planted all around it, painting them so they stood out and were a lot more fun, and added to the playground beautifully. It being the last day of service we talked a bit about all wed done over the last five days once we were finished, and I think we all feel very proud of the work we´ve done. It´s a special thing to know that we created something here. Something that will stay. And be used and hopefully loved by everyone who comes by.

The Guanacaste group stayed at the water center today to finish projects that we started on day one. We split into several groups doing tasks such as composting, clearing a fallen tree, and building plant beds. The day was a huge success and we were able to finish all of our tasks with plenty of time. With that time, we played games with local high schoolers who were also volunteering. Despite the language barrier, we had lots of fun with a lot of laughs. Our experience over the five days was amazing and very rewarding.

Today in the GEA group we went to a beach resort. Frank showed us several types of mangrove trees as we walked through the dense forest. We saw many different species of animals as we walked on the boardwalk. Frank taught us how the resort installed solar panels instead of powerlines to protect the monkeys. As we arrived at the beach some local kids joined us in picking up trash. We went to an isolated spot with them on the beach and picked up trash. Shortly after picking up trash, we played a game with Frank where he gave us treats for answering questions.

The rest pf the day was full many fun activities. We immediately hopped on the bus and went to the beach, where we swam, played soccer with some local kids on the beach and walked through tidepools. After that we headed back to homebase where we had a dance class with a local. We learned the salsa and reggaeton and a local dance that is specific to this community. We ended the night with dinner and our final mentor groups and talking about how the trip has been overall.

From today´s leaders of the day,

Elly, Chloe, Asher and Alex

¨The salsa was one of my favorite activities of the trip.¨ -Elly K

¨Seeing everyone work was magical.¨ (inspired by Valerie) -Chloe M

¨It was super rewarding seeing the finished plant beds after 5 days of work¨
-Asher E

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Hola!

Today was our last full day in Costa Rica and it was very bittersweet. We started off the morning bright and early to head over to the catamaran. Everyone had been looking forward to this adventure day and it was finally here! During the ride over, we had breakfast burritos and spent time resting or playing games. Our service groups have bonded over these long bus rides which have been so fun!

Unfortunately, it was raining this morning but that didn´t stop us from having a good time! It was the most rain we have had so far on this trip. We loaded onto small boats that brought us over and were impressed with the catamaran. We then all got settled in and got some drinks!

Once everyone was on the catamaran, we set sail and headed towards a secluded bay to swim. On our way there a massive pod of dolphins swam up to our boat. We could see them swimming right under the boat! It was a really cool experience. When we arrived at the bay, we all jumped off the edge of the boat. We had to use pool noodles which was pretty funny. There was even a slide that went off the back of the boat! After spending some time in the warm blue water, we feasted on a meal prepared for us by the crew. This meal consisted of BBQ chicken, other sides, and cookies which were gone in seconds! As we started our journey back to shore the rain finally went away and music began to play. Everyone piled into the main cabin and it soon turned into a full-blown dance party. We all made everlasting memories that we will never forget!

Once we arrived back at shore, we again enjoyed the bus ride home and had some free time. Our last afternoon consisted of getting ready for the feria and packing up our things. Everyone looked beautiful in their sun dresses and linen shirts. The feria was super cool and right at home base! We all picked up some souvenirs which ranged from bracelets to kitchen utensils. Afterwards, we went to sunset which was filled with laughing and bonding about the day. The night soon concluded with a wonderful last dinner and an appreciation circle.

“I had the best time enjoying the catamaran today! It was such a perfect way to end this wonderful trip and I loved bonding with all the kind people I have met.” -Madison B

“The catamaran was for sure one of my highlights of the trip, especially the dance party on the ride back. I am looking forward to the dinner we will have tonight as we say our final goodbyes.” -Justin G

“The catamaran trip was a great way to end this amazing experience. I will remember it for the rest of my life.” -Carter T

“The catamaran ride was so fun and swimming in the water was so refreshing! It was such a nice ending being able to relax and hangout with all the amazing people I met here!” -Lola P