Picture people from around the globe coming together in the spirit of love. A transformational gathering in the jungle where lively conversations around sustainability, health, and spirituality take root. A place where safe space is held for those who need it and where people are encouraged to connect with themselves on a deeper level through art, music, education, and community. This is a small slice of what Envision Festival is all about. As a Leave No Trace event, Envision Festival centers around the idea of leaving the land in as good, if not better condition than how it started.
With policies stemming from this mindset, Envision Festival has implemented maximum efficiency waste separation as well as massive on-site recycling efforts and the use of composting toilets, all designed to minimize trash going into landfills. In addition to trash and recycling reduction, Envision encourages guests to stay on-site and also organizes shuttles to and from the festival so as to reduce every single traveler’s impact on emissions from vehicles. Beyond waste initiatives, Envision strives to reforest the area by planting trees to build up the land instead of taking away from it. Over the past decade, Envision has planted over 45,000 native trees on the Pacific Coast. “It’s all about restoring the local ecosystem,” says Federico Gutiérrez, a board member and the founder of Costa Verdes, the organization responsible for the tree planting initiatives. “The goal is to bring the animals back to their natural habitats since all the monkeys, turtles and macaws have returned to the beach lines.” As noted by Stephen Brooks, Envision co-founder and owner of a permaculture farm on the Caribbean coast, Punta Mona, “True permaculture is all about mimicking nature. Whoever did it, did a great job.” Really, we only need to look towards nature to find a blueprint.
Envision Festival, Costa Rica – Photo by Melissa Robin
Currently, seven beaches are under reforestation, and over 6,000 volunteers and 25 local schools are involved to help bring awareness and motivate others to take action. In 2017, Envision Festival implemented a program where people can donate their time cleaning up the beach in exchange for a ticket to the festival. Andres Vargas, a Uvita local who heads the Beach Clean-Up program noted, “At first there were only 18 people who came to help, but last year there were 100.” The movement is gaining momentum. Last year, three and a half tons of garbage between six cleanups were amassed reaching from Isla Garza (Boca Coronado) to Dominical (Río Baru). This year, the goal is to expand the operation all over Costa Rica and collect 10 tones of waste!
“Come with an open heart, come with no expectation, come loaded with love and wanting to grow and share.”
Federico Gutiérrez, Envision Festival Board Member
Reflecting on Envision Sustainability
If we look at all that has been done, from reforesting coastlines with native trees, to cleaning up the beaches, it’s clear that the next step is to share knowledge. Skilled laborers from around the world come to Envision Festival every year to share all of their wisdom and knowledge around sustainability and permaculture. When you see the same faces and break bread with those you work with, learning goes deeper and becomes a fun family affair. Trading tips and picking up new skills is commonplace for the people who work at the festival.
Envision Festival hosts an informal apprenticeship where skilled workers are paired with locals and knowledge sharing becomes a natural course of action. Additionally, Envision provides the perfect grounds for locals to interact and cross-pollinate with culturally-different thought leaders in permaculture and sustainable building practices. Locally, the festival generates around 300 jobs for the community, which has a hugely positive impact on the community. For those who have yet to come and experience Envision Festival for themselves, this is the year to visit. This year’s 10-Year Anniversary is a celebration of how much the festival and Costa Rica community has grown. It’s time to come together and celebrate!
If you want to learn about environmental symbiosis, biodiversity, low impact living, organic
food, and other healthy lifestyle choices, Envision Festival is a world-class place to start.
Here’s to the 10 years! See you there!
