Envision Festival Begins with a Beach Clean-Up
Every festival is built by community. It is not a one-person production but a collective effort—boots on the ground, hands in the sand, and shared intention. In true alignment with this year’s theme, “Back to Our Roots,” the spirit of the Envision Festival began not on a stage, but on the beach.
The now-traditional beach clean-up serves as an unofficial kickoff to the festival season. It is a tangible expression of Envision’s long-standing pillars: sustainability, community, and environmental stewardship. Before the music rises and the workshops begin, participants reconnect with the land that hosts them.
A Community in Action
In collaboration with Asociación AmbiciOsa and La Semilla ONG, Somos el Cambio, the nonprofit initiative born out of Envision’s environmental mission, held their first activation. The initial beach clean up took place at 3 p.m. on February 14 at Playa Dominical. More than 300 volunteers gathered to collect waste not only from the beach, but from surrounding areas throughout the community. A second clean-up, followed one week later at Playa Hermosa, was held just north of the festival grounds.
Andrés Vargas, who coordinated this year’s efforts, noted the unprecedented turnout:
“In all our years, we haven’t had this many people show up to support the beach clean-ups. It’s truly great to see.”
The Dominical activation alone collected approximately 1,200 kilos of waste—including tires, electronics, plastics, and debris gathered from across town. Materials were weighed, sorted, and prepared for municipal collection. In total, a whopping 980 kilos of trash has been collected by the events this year.
The scale of participation reflects more than environmental concern—it signals collective readiness. After a hiatus last year, many locals and returning festival-goers described a palpable sense of anticipation. One longtime attendee, known locally as Johnny “Trip,” shared that the pause only intensified the excitement:
“It feels like all that joy has been bottled up and is finally ready to burst.”
For many, the clean-up was less about obligation and more about intention—lifting the collective mood and grounding the celebration in responsibility. Everyone showed up to take part and lend a helping hand! Families, grandparents, longtime locals.
Honoring Legacy
The theme “Back to Our Roots” resonates deeply this year. Over time, the Envision and Somos el Cambio communities have experienced both growth and loss. Members reflected on the early eco-responsibility pioneers of the movement, including Rubén and Frederick “Fede” Gutiérrez, whose dedication helped embed sustainability into the festival’s DNA.
As one crew member shared,
“It’s their legacy we’re participating in with every tree we plant. We do this for them—and for future generations.”
To date, Envision and its partners have planted or coordinated the planting of over 100,000 trees across rural Costa Rica, contributing to reforestation, watershed protection, and wildlife corridors. Since its formal establishment in 2020, Somos el Cambio has also:
- Built wildlife “monkey bridges” to reconnect fragmented habitats
- Partnered with local ASADAs to protect water sources through reforestation
- Collected more than 30 tons of waste in its first year of operation
Recycling and material sorting efforts during the clean-ups were supported by community partners, including Asociación AmbiciOsa (linked to The Clean Wave initiative in Bahía-Uvita), who helped organize and weigh collected materials. The organization La Semilla ONG collaborates with year round community support and programs.
Participation Beyond the Beach
A special acknowledgment goes to the 300+ local volunteers and to organizers such as Deyler from AmbiciOsa, and Envision production side, Andrés Vargas (logistics coordination), Tito (DJ and MC), and Sofía (operations management), whose efforts ensured the operations of the events.
The final pre-festival clean-up is scheduled for March 4 at 3 p.m. at the festival site.
During the festival itself, attendees can continue participating in environmental initiatives by visiting the Eco-Hub and attending the annual tree-planting ceremony—often one of the most grounding and reflective moments of the week. And you never know who you may run into (could just be the headliner!)
CloZee and Andres Vargas planting trees on site
Year round Asociación AmbiciOsa and La Semilla ONG host beach clean ups. The next event is a MEGA clean up in Corcovado on May 1st through the 3rd.
Learn More
- To take part in this year’s Envision Festival happening February 23 through to March 1st, visit their website: www.envisionfestival.com
- To find out more information about Somos el Cambio: www.somoselcambio.org
- Asociación AmbiciOsa (The Clean Wave – Bahía/Uvita chapter): www.thecleanwave.org/featured_item/ambiciosas/
