2013 Initiatives

2013 ................................................................ 3Inspire Ocean Guardians .................................. 4The Ten ............................................................ 5Yoga 4 Community ........................................... 6Developing Best Practices for Surf Schools ...... 7Maps That Make a Difference ........................... 8Honoring and Respecting Mother Ocean ........ 10Celebrating the Humpback Whales ................. 10Commemorate our Protected Lands ............... 11The Changemaker FEST ................................. 11Forjando Alas ................................................. 12Cleaning the Shores ....................................... 12III Annual Global Wave Conference ................. 13My Ocean Guardian Journey Contest ............. 14Protectors of the Pacific ................................. 14Positive Messages by Positive People ............ 15

CONTENTSPG 6

Yoga 4 Community

Cleaning the Shores

PG 12

Maps That Make A Difference

PG 8

Commemorate our Protected Lands

PG 11

3

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.

2013

4

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 protect the oceans, promote the 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 t eam ing-up w i th o the r 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!

Inspire Ocean GuardiansBO

DHI S

URF

SCHO

OL

INITI

ATIVE

S 20

13

5

1. Use Less, Reuse What You Do HaveMake 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 PlasticSo 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 SeafoodThe 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 BeachAlways 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 LifeThere 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 TourismTake 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 EnvironmentRespect 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 ProtectionOrganizationsThere 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 SpokespersonWe 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 & CommunityIf 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.

The TenBO

DHI S

URF

SCHO

OL

INITI

ATIVE

S 20

13

6

Yoga 4 CommunityPilar 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!

BODH

I SUR

F SC

HOO

L IN

ITIAT

IVES

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

7

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 serv ice, safety, and instruct ion processes while also helping to maintain or increase biodiversity in the terrestrial-marine ecosystems that surf schools use for their programs.

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.

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.

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

Developing Best Practices For Surf Schools

BODH

I SUR

F SC

HOO

L IN

ITIAT

IVES

2013

8

In 2013, Bodhi Surf School s u p p o r t e d a n d a s s i s t e d The GEOPORTER program, a non-profit organization that is helping Costa Ballena residents master GPS technology to use for a variety of projects around the area. W i th a spec ia l emphasis on three projects, GEOPORTER has al lowed

community leaders from the local community government, local water o f fice , boa t t ou r ope ra to r s association, local nature guide association, and community youth from both public and private schools to take advantage of cutt ing edge technology and transform powerful information into action.

Maps That Make A Difference

Clean Streets, Clean Waters: Throughout one (1) year, community leaders participated in communal trash cleanups using GPSunits 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, theGEOPORTER 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.

BODH

I SUR

F SC

HOO

L IN

ITIAT

IVES

2013

The GEOPORTER program has converted

our youth into tech savvy change agents

9

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.

BODH

I SUR

F SC

HOO

L IN

ITIAT

IVES

2013

10

Honoring and Respecting Mother Ocean

Honoring and respecting Mother Ocean is of great importance for Bodhi Surf and our community at large, so we along with a handful of community leaders organized the first ever Bahia Ballena Oceans Festival, which was held symbolically on World Oceans Day, June 8, 2013. The objective of the festival is to educate community members on the importance of Mother Ocean and how we can reduce our impact on our natural resources and, subsequently, the ocean. The festival took place in the community recreation center with activities ranging from documentary film screenings, construction of recycled plastic bottle trash cans, painting signs with positive messages, recycle-art workshops, surf lessons, and a community appreciation walk to the famous whale tail inside the Marino Ballena National Park. The festival attracted the attention of local community-based organizations, non-profits such as KETO and MarViva, and the municipality of Osa.

This year Bodhi Surf School celebrated the 5th Annual Whales and Dolphins Festival along with our community. The festival, a celebration of the migration of the giant humpback whales to our small coastal village, was held in the presence of the president of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla,

who declared the event one of national interest.The mission of

this event is to educate visitors to Bahia Ballena about the importance of marine conservation and responsible tourism, which are two components of sustainable development.

During the festival the community organized

educational workshops, concerts, contests, and other activities.Bodhi Surf

contributed to the event by donating the website and organizing a trashcan painting and design workshop. Additionally, Bodhi Surf schools yoga instructor, Pilar Salazar, managed the reservation system and ticket booth with a team of community members. The coastal village of Bahia Ballena recognizes the importance of conserving their marine environment and will continue to host the annual festival.

Celebrating the Humpback Whales

The mission of the

festival is to educate visitors to Bahia Ballena

about the importance of marine conservation, and responsible

tourism, which are two components of sustainable

development

BODH

I SUR

F SC

HOO

L IN

ITIAT

IVES

2013

11

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.

Commemorate our Protected Lands

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.

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

The Changemaker FEST

BODH

I SUR

F SC

HOO

L IN

ITIAT

IVES

2013

12

Forjando AlasSupporting a Local Youth Program

In July of 2013 Bodhi Surf hosted a custom 3-day Ocean Gua rd ian p rog ram fo r 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 through exposure to the people and 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.

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 common-use 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.

Cleaning the ShoresOf our Marine National Park

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

BODH

I SUR

F SC

HOO

L IN

ITIAT

IVES

2013

13

III Annual Global Wave ConferenceIn early 2013 team member Travis Bays headed to San Diego and then crossed the border to Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico to a t tend the I I I Annua l G loba l Waves 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:

Threats to the waves Wave protection

programs Surfonomics and the

economic value of the waves

Wave protection for everybody and by everybody

Politics, institutions & wave protection

Role of surfers/ocean recreation in wave and environmental protection

Wave protection: cases studies and success stories

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

We attended the conference to learn more about surfonomics and wave conservation, with

the ultimate goal of bringing the knowledge and skills to develop a

surfonomics study back to Costa R i ca . Ou r p resen ta t i on a t t he

conference focused on sharing information about the importance of surfing, surf tourism,

and the protection of waves in Costa Rica. We also highlighted the lack of available surf tourism data in Costa Rica and how important 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 world surf reserves.

Surfonomics?

BODH

I SUR

F SC

HOO

L IN

ITIAT

IVES

2013

14

My Ocean Guardian Journey ContestIn 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 space4. 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 PacificThis 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

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 transformation.

These young leaders will change the status quo and

we are honored to be a part of their

transformation

BODH

I SUR

F SC

HOO

L IN

ITIAT

IVES

2013

15

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.

Positive Messages by Positive People

BODH

I SUR

F SC

HOO

L IN

ITIAT

IVES

2013

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