2013 Initiatives

CONTENTS

PG

2013 ................................................................ 3

Inspire Ocean Guardians .................................. 4

The Ten ............................................................ 5
Yoga 4 Community ........................................... 6
Developing Best Practices for Surf Schools ...... 7
Maps That Make a Difference ........................... 8
Honoring and Respecting Mother Ocean ........ 10
Celebrating the Humpback Whales ................. 10
Commemorate our Protected Lands ............... 11
The Changemaker FEST ................................. 11
Forjando Alas ................................................. 12

Yoga 4 Community

Cleaning the Shores ....................................... 12

III Annual Global Wave Conference ................. 13

PG

12

PG

11

My Ocean Guardian Journey Contest ............. 14

Protectors of the Pacific ................................. 14
Positive Messages by Positive People ............ 15

PG

Maps That Make A Difference

Cleaning the Shores

Commemorate our Protected Lands

2013

2013 was a big year for us: we saw our business grow significantly, opened the doors to our first
bungalow and yoga platform, and either spearheaded or were involved in a number of projects
and initiatives in and around our community. As business owners and citizens of this world, we
constantly try to do our best to be stewards of positive change, especially in the spheres of
sustainability, responsible tourism, conservation, and community. It is for that reason that we
proudly present (in a compilation format) the initiatives that we have been a part of this year.

BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

Inspire Ocean Guardians

We at Bodhi Surf are serious about our love
for and commitment to the ocean so on
January 1, 2013 we officially launched the
Ocean Guardian Pledge to help educate
and empower our guests, friends, and
family on how to reduce their impact on
Mother Ocean. In order to help others make
their journey to become Ocean Guardians,
we pulled together 10 concrete actions that
they can perform on a regular basis to help
p ro t e c t t h e o c e a n s , p ro m o t e t h e i r
importance, and encourage others to do the
same. Each month Bodhi Surf highlights an
inspiring Ocean Guardian to acknowledge
their efforts to protect Mother Ocean.

During June 2013, the MarViva Foundation

and Bodhi Surf School launched a 1-month
Ocean Guardian campaign and Facebook
contest in Costa Rica, Colombia and
Panama teaming-up with other
responsible businesses in Costa Rica such
as Product-C, Bikl, and Chepecletas. The
winner of the contest was Edneyder
Jimenez, and his prize was a two-night stay
at the Bodhi Bungalow. After getting to
know Edneyder for a few days we declared
him the Bodhi Surf Ocean Guardian for June
2013!

BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

The Ten
1. Use Less, Reuse What You Do Have
Make a point of making less impact. Use less water: for showers, dishes, brushing teeth, shaving,
washing your car, watering your yard; less energy: drive less, do all errands on one trip, bundle up
before heating your house, use fans instead of air conditioning, disconnect appliances not in use;
buy fewer things; buy sustainable food and local products. We are all connected and everything we
do impacts everything on earth, the ocean included.
2. Use Less Plastic
So much plastic ends up in the ocean, killing and endangering all of its marine life. Plastics never
break down fully, so even the most minuscule pieces are starting to find their way into even the
smallest marine creatures, with detrimental and deadly effects. Use reusable shopping bags and
water bottles, store food in non-disposable containers, use cloth diapers if possible, do not use
straws for your drinks, Styrofoam cups or containers. Refuse first, reduce second, reuse third, and
recycle fourth.
3. Choose Safe & Sustainable Seafood
The depletion of marine life due to overfishing, irresponsible capture, and contamination of the
environment is becoming a major marine issue. Do research into what seafood is sustainable and
healthy in your area. Responsible practices to look out for are: whether the species is endangered or
vulnerable, if it was caught with low impact fishing gear (avoid trawling, gill nets and explosives), if it
was captured during its reproduction season (closure season), and if it has reached its mature age
and size for reproduction.
4. Be Kind To The Beach
Always clean up after yourself when spending time at the beach, and clean up any garbage you see
on a regular basis. You can also make a point to do beach cleanups with friends, family, and
community groups.
5. Dont Purchase Or Consume Products That Exploit Marine Life
There are many items that exploit marine life and marine habitat. Avoid purchasing items such as
coral jewelry, tortoise shell ornaments and hair accessories (made from hawksbill turtles), and shark
products.
6. Engage in Responsible Ocean Tourism
Take advantage of the ocean for recreational purposes; it is vast, beautiful, and always remarkable.
Practice sustainable ocean tourism as much as possible. For example, consider zero impact
activities such as kayaking or stand-up paddle-boarding. If you choose to do a cruise, research to
find the most eco-friendly options available. If you enjoy sport fishing, always practice catch and
release and avoid the hero photograph.
7. Do Not Disturb The Coastal Environment
Respect coastal integrity by not taking animals, shells, corals, or other pretty beach objects home
with you. While you may think such an act is small, with so many visiting the beaches it can be very
impactful when everyone engages in it.
8. Invest Time Or Money In Marine ProtectionOrganizations
There are a wide variety of organizations that exist to help protect the ocean and all of its inhabitants.
Organizations such as The Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, Blue Ocean Institute, and Surfrider, all
endeavor to keep our oceans and beaches clean, healthy, and fruitful. Locally, we work hand-in-hand
with the MarViva and Keto Foundations to strengthen community-based programs for the
development of Best Practices for Sustainable Marine Tourism in Costa Rica. The initiatives aim to
safeguard the habitat and ecosystem health while improving the quality of life of the responsible
users of the ocean resources.
9. Become An Ocean Spokesperson
We are all connected to the ocean and our well-being depends on its well being. With that in mind,
we should all educate ourselves on the importance of the ocean, the perils that face it, and how we
can help. We work closely with Geoporter whose mission is to teach the community and visitors alike
how to use high tech decision-making tools to learn about its interdependence with the ocean. These
sustainable initiatives can be duplicated in any community around the globe and with this knowledge
we can spread the word and begin to bring about change for the better.
10. Affect Change In Your Circle & Community
If you live near the ocean, there should be plenty of opportunities to get involved, and encourage
friends and family to do the same. Participate in beach cleanups, give your business to those
companies that are sustainable, have ocean documentary nights, and encourage others to do the
same.

BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

I slept and dreamt that life was

joy. I awoke and saw that life
was service. I acted and behold,
service was joy
Rabindranath Tagore

Yoga 4 Community
Pilar Salazar's community yoga program has allowed several community members to take
advantage of yoga in exchange for community service hours or voluntary donations. Steven
Moreno aka Nana, a Bodhi Surf team member, has taken advantage of the yoga for service
program and has contributed his time and energy to the GEOPORTERs Clean Streets, Clean
Waters project. The overall mission of the program is to provide an opportunity for everyone that
wants to learn yoga!

BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

Developing Best Practices For Surf

Schools
Throughout 2013 Bodhi Surf School
has worked with the KETO Foundation
on the development of Best Practices
for Surf Schools. With over 300+ surf
schools in Costa Rica and little
regulation or standards being set forth,
both organizations thought it would be
beneficial to establish a criteria that
would help improve on quality of
service, safety, and instruction
processes while also helping to
maintain or increase biodiversity in the
terrestrial-marine ecosystems that surf
schools use for their programs.

With over 300+ surf schools in

Costa Rica and little regulation
or standards being set forth,
both organizations thought it
would be beneficial to establish
a best practices criteria
The best practices for surf schools are
part of a larger program called Sea
Star System that has developed best
practices for sustainable marine
tourism including whale watching,
diving, and sport fishing.

In development of the best practices

the following were completed:
A comprehensive literature
review of information available
globally on best practices
applicable to surfing and surf
schools.
An investigation of national surf
school regulation.
Participant observation of surf
lessons.
Preparation of a first draft that
was prepared jointly, and then
reviewed and revised by both
parties.

BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

Maps That Make A Difference

In 2013, Bodhi Surf School
supported and assisted
The GEOPORTER program, a
non-profit organization that is
helping Costa Ballena residents
master GPS technology to use
for a variety of projects around
t h e a re a . W i t h a s p e c i a l
emphasis on three projects,
GEOPORTER has allowed

The GEOPORTER
program has converted
our youth into tech
savvy change agents

community leaders from the local

community government, local water
o f fi c e , b o a t t o u r o p e r a t o r s
association, local nature guide
association, and community youth
from both public and private
schools to take advantage of
cutting edge technology and
transform powerful information into
action.

Clean Streets, Clean Waters: Throughout one (1) year, community leaders participated in
communal trash cleanups using GPS units to map the collected solid waste. Using the GPS points,
community members, facilitated by GEOPORTER, were able to plot the points on a satellite image of
the area. By doing so, the community was able to identify trash hot spots areas of dense trash
accumulation and strategically place bins for community members and visitors to properly dispose of
trash.
Participatory Whale Mapping in the Marino Ballena National Park: Boat tour operators and
guides take visitors out on a daily basis to enjoy the sightings of whales, dolphins, sea turtles, coral
reefs and more. The tour operators are the lifeguards of the marine life. With the capacity to map
sightings of marine life and other marine resources, community members, visitors, park officials, marine
biologists, and non-profits can use the data to develop pro-active policies to better conserve the parks
natural resources. Also important, is the use of this information for local business operators in planning
safe boating routes that dont disrupt the natural migration habits of whales, dolphins and sea turtles.
Equipping Youth with Empowering Technology: In the small coastal village of Bahia Ballena you
can observe tech savvy youth using cell phones to text message, play games, and make phone calls.
With the help of GEOPORTER our communitys youth have been given the opportunity to use
geospatial tools to map their community, learn geography, practice geometry and even calculate how
fast they can run. By combining fun activities with learning opportunities, the GEOPORTER program
has converted our youth into tech savvy change agents. The synergy of creative youth growing up
with geospatial tools will provide our community with an armed force of leaders that will have the
ability to make informed decisions and more importantly, take actions, that will help secure the future
they want to inherit.

BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

In summary, the GEOPORTER program has helped put into place a methodology for
community leaders to use geospatial tools for their needs and interests in making change
happen. The community is more knowledgeable about geospatial tools and more
capable to use the tools while managing the information provided by them. And most
importantly, community leaders have the capacity to teach others, thus giving the project
long-term sustainability within the community and greater region. A key element of the
GEOPORTER success has been the programs director, Amy Work. With her creativity,
dedication, and ability to integrate with community leaders she has gifted the community
her passion for geospatial education.

BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

Honoring and Respecting Mother Ocean

Celebrating the Humpback Whales

Honoring and respecting Mother Ocean is

This year Bodhi Surf School celebrated the
of great importance for Bodhi Surf and our
5th Annual Whales and Dolphins Festival
community at large, so we along with a
along with our community. The festival, a
handful of community leaders organized
celebration of the migration of the giant
the first ever Bahia Ballena Oceans
humpback whales to our small coastal
Festival, which was held symbolically on
village, was held in the presence of the
World Oceans Day, June 8, 2013. The
president of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla,
objective of the festival is to
who declared the event one of
educate community members
national interest.The mission of
The
on the importance of Mother
this event is to educate visitors
mission of the
Ocean and how we can
to Bahia Ballena about the
festival
is
to
educate
reduce our impact on our
importance of marine
visitors
to
Bahia
Ballena
natural resources and,
conservation and
about
the
importance
of
marine
subsequently, the ocean.
responsible tourism, which
conservation, and responsible
The festival took place in
are two components of
tourism, which are two
the community recreation
sustainable development.
components
of
sustainable
center with activities
development
ranging from documentary
During the festival the
film screenings, construction of
community organized
recycled plastic bottle trash cans,
educational workshops, concerts,
painting signs with positive messages,
contests, and other activities.Bodhi Surf
recycle-art workshops, surf lessons, and a
contributed to the event by donating the
community appreciation walk to the
website and organizing a trashcan painting
famous whale tail inside the Marino Ballena
and design workshop. Additionally, Bodhi
National Park. The festival attracted the
Surf schools yoga instructor, Pilar Salazar,
attention of local community-based
managed the reservation system and
organizations, non-profits such as KETO
ticket booth with a team of community
and MarViva, and the municipality of Osa.
members. The coastal village of Bahia
Ballena recognizes the importance of
conserving their marine environment and
will continue to host the annual festival.

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BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

Commemorate our Protected Lands

Team Bodhi Surf celebrated Costan Rica National Park Day assisting in a beautification project at the
main entrance to the Marino Ballena National Park.Some of the team members stayed busy picking
up trash and debris while others cleaned up trees and brush that had been removed nearby the
ranger station at sector Punta Uvita.Taking care of the Marino Ballena National Park is daily business
for us!
There are currently 28 National Parks in Costa Rica, as well as a total of 126 protected areas of
various forms (national parks, protected areas, refuges, monuments, and reserves). With 25% of its
land falling under some kind of protection, Costa Rica has a larger proportion of protected land than
any other country in the world. Most of these protected areas are easily accessed by the public,
which makes them a huge draw for tourism both on a national and international level.

The Changemaker FEST

The Changemaker
FEST is a weeklong event
hosted at the University of
San Diego during October.
The FEST is dedicated to
exploring, defining and
putting social change into
action

During 2013, Bodhi Surf School connected with the USD Surf Team to
brainstorm ideas about how they could make a difference on campus
and contribute to The Changemaker FEST, a weeklong event in
October dedicated to exploring, defining and putting social change
into action. The University of San Diego (USD) received the
Changemaker Campus designation from Ashoka in September 2011.
The designation is credit to the significant work on social change that
USD students, faculty, and staff have been accomplishing throughout
the years.

During the Changemaker FEST the USD community comes together to learn about change maker
actions and ideas. This years celebration marked USDs third-year being designated as an Ashoka U
Changemaker Campus. Bodhi Surf, working together with USD Surf Team Captain Forrest Dean,
decided to promote the Ocean Guardian Pledge to inspire marine conservation and environmental
awareness.The pledge outlines 10 concrete actions that you can take on a regular basis to help protect
the oceans, promote their importance, and encourage others to do the same. In the time span of 90
minutes, the USD Surf Team was able to achieve 30+ signed Ocean Guardian Pledges.

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BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

Forjando Alas

Cleaning the Shores

In July of 2013 Bodhi Surf hosted a custom 3day Ocean Guardian program for a
Jacksonville, Florida-based youth conservation
group. The groups trip to Bahia Ballena
Uvita, Costa Rica was in alliance with a local
after-school program for at-risk youth called
Forjando Alas (Forging Wings), a program
founded by Courtney Fletcher. During their time
in the community, the girls participated
in several Bodhi Surf activities. One of the
highlights for the group was giving surf lessons
for the local kids of Forjando Alas. The 3-Day
program was designed to facilitate learning
t h ro u g h e x p o s u re t o t h e p e o p l e a n d
environment of the place we call home and
inspire group members to become Ocean
Guardians.

One of the ongoing service projects that Bodhi

Surf has organized throughout the year are
weekly beach cleanups. Bodhi Surf, along with
community members, local surfers, friends,
family, and our guests have invested energy in
cleaning up and improving the aesthetics of
Playa Colonia and its respective area within
theBallena Marine National Park.

Supporting a Local Youth Program

That is when you know that you are doing

something that is correct, and more importantly [we
believe] a sign that we can change for the better

Of our Marine National Park

We realize trash cleanups are not the most

attractive service projects, but for us, are still
worth doing. For one thing, picking up trash
from the beach shoreline is a worthwhile reason
at least so all of that garbage doesnt
automatically make it into the ocean. More
importantly, we feel the real value in organizing
beach cleanups (or cleanups in any commonuse space) is to influence others. When you
have a size-able group volunteering for a cause
others will take notice. This is by far one of the
most satisfactory feelings a person can have
because without having to say a single word,
others take notice and follow suit. That is when
you know that you are doing something that is
correct, and more importantly [we believe] a
sign that we can change for the better.

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BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

III Annual Global Wave Conference

In early 2013 team member Travis Bays
headed to San Diego and then crossed the
border to Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico to
a t t e n d t h e I I I A n n u a l G l o b a l Wa v e s
Conference, a 3-day event coordinated by
Wildcoast, Surfrider Foundation Europe, and
Surfrider Foundation. Its main purpose was to
discuss and develop strategies to take a
networked approach to working together
on issues such as:

Presenters from 10 different countries taught

us about:
Baja California and US-Mexico border
case studies
Surfonomics: the economics of surfing
Proactive strategies and innovative
programs to protect waves
New tools for surf protection
Cases of world-wide on the ground
action for wave protection

Threats to the waves

We attended the conference to
Wave protection
learn more about surfonomics
programs
Surfonomics?
and wave conservation, with
Surfonomics and the
the ultimate goal of bringing the
economic value of the
knowledge
and skills to develop a
waves
surfonomics study back to Costa
Wave protection for everybody
and by everybody
Rica. Our presentation at the
Politics, institutions & wave
conference focused on sharing information
protection
about the importance of surfing, surf tourism,
Role of surfers/ocean recreation in
and the protection of waves in Costa Rica. We
wave and environmental protection
also highlighted the lack of available surf
Wave protection: cases studies and
tourism data in Costa Rica and how important
success stories
data collection and analysis will be for the
Costa Rican ministries of tourism and the
environment so they can better understand
surf tourism, wave protection, and wave
conservation strategies such as national and
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world surf reserves.

BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

My Ocean Guardian Journey Contest

In late 2013, Bodhi Surf School created and publicized the friendly contest, My Ocean Guardian
Journey, to helppromote marine conservation and environmental awareness and allow people to
share their journey on becoming an Ocean Guardian. The contest ran from November 1st and is
valid through the end of the year, with the winners receiving Bodhi Surf School prizes, including the
grand prize of a free vacation package. The ultimate goals of promoting this contest are to:
1. recognize the small or large actions or ideas that people are thinking up and undertaking for
our planet
2. encourage innovation and thinking outside the box when it comes to finding environmental
solutions
3. identify actions that are simple to duplicate over time and space
4. get more people involved in the conservation movement!

Keep in mind that you dont have to be living near the coast to be an Ocean Guardian

Protectors of the Pacific

This summer Bodhi Surf had the opportunity to work alongsideGlobal Leadership Adventures
(GLA). The organization, a division of Terra Education, has the mission to inspire the next
generation to realize their potential to transform the world and their role in it. GLA works with
high school students who are enthusiastic, inspired to serve others, excited to develop as
global leaders, passionate about global issues, and interested to live abroad and learn about
another culture.
In 2013, this 14-day program ran 4 times over the course of the summer. In addition to the
fun, yet serious, adventures, students help community members build solutions to challenging
issues. Students helped with one of the persistent issues facing the community of Bahia
Ballena -- grey water runoff -- by building bio-gardens, a way to receive wastewater from
wash-hand basins, kitchen sinks, showers, etc. and help to filter out and cleanse it so it can
be reused. During the summer months students participating in the Protecting the Pacific
program helped remodel one bio-garden and build two additional gardens. But that isnt the
only community service they did. The students were also active in:

creating community signs with positive messages

sweeping trash clean ups in the community and at the
beach
geospatial trash mapping
contributed to the completion of an elevated school
greenhouse garden

These young
leaders will change
the status quo and
we are honored to be
a part of their
transformation

Almost by default, students participating in this summer program

are Ocean Guardians. Their actions and hard work this summer speak louder than any words
or pledge, but we are proud to know that many of them took an extra step and signed
the Ocean Guardian Pledge and made personal commitments to execute specific actions.
These young leaders will change the status quo and we are honored to be a part of their
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transformation.

BODHI SURF SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2013

Positive Messages by Positive People

To celebrate
Earth Day 2013,
we decided to
get as many
people as we
could together to
create some
colorful signs that
we could put
around our
community
ofBahia Ballena,
Costa Rica. We
invited the
regulars who
help us,
neighbors, some
of the towns
surfers, and some
visitors, to come
and get creative with us! We gathered some
leftover wood from the construction site of our
bungalow and yoga center to use as our
canvases. It was a very fun afternoon, and we
had a good turnout with 6 people in addition to
the 4 Bodhi Team members ready and excited
to help paint signs.

The group had a

fun and
entertaining
discussion about
what exactly we
wanted to paint
prior to things
actually getting
messy. Everyone
participated in our
ideas session
and had fantastic
suggestions. We
decided we
wanted our
messages to be
more positive than
negative, (for
example saying
things like keep
the beaches clean vs. dont trash the
beaches). We also wanted to give people
helpful suggestions of how to be environmental
stewards. In the end, we settled on a series of
messages promoting environmentalism.

I [heart] the planet, thats why I take care of it

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