From the Quench Summit to Alaska and....

In late August, SWoBs Founding Director Loren Luyendyk was a participant in the Quench Summit. The summit was organized by Safe Water International and the Eleos Foundation with the goals of meeting the “300 in 6” initiative to provide safe point of use (POU) water filters to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa in 6 years.

Clean drinking water is lacking for 1 billion people

The panel of international expert participants discussed water filtration and disinfection technologies that are currently available and that fit the criteria of being effective, easy to use, and affordable. Bio-Sand Filters and SODIS (solar disinfection) were considered the two best options based on the criteria. We also discussed the need for basic education about water-borne diseases. click to download the full Quench Summit report here

Alissa Sears of Christie Communications at the Quench Summit

From September 13^th to 20^th, SWoBs journeyed to Alaska with the Coastal CODE and Alaskan Brewing Co. for a week of beach clean-ups and adventure. Four people were chosen in an essay contest to participate in the trip: Loren Luyendyk of SWoBs, Jared Criscuolo of Below the Surface, Kathleen Egan of Stop the Plastic Wave, and Elizabeth Stergiou of Anchorage.

Make W.A.V.E.S.!

We helped the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation and the Yakutat Salmon Board to remove, categorize, and weigh literally tons of marine debris in three days. Over the last six years, they have removed over one million pounds from the remote coastlines of Alaska.

The Wrangel St. Elias Range north of Yakutat, Alaska

our national bird abounds in the last fronteir

that's close enough...

The beaches of Yakutat are long and isolated, with the majestic Wrangell-St. Elias range as a dramatic backdrop. Bald eagles soar overhead while seals chase the abundant salmon below.

Mount St. Elias stands foreboding in the sunset

This place is so remote that you would never expect to find trash, but unfortunately that is not the case. The Northern Pacific Gyre and the Alaska current push debris from commercial fishing and recreational boats onto the beaches there.

Small flakes of partially degraded plastic were evenly distributed in the shoreline sand, like imitation pieces of shell. Plastic bottles that previously contained motor oil, hydraulic fluid, and Gatorade gathered at the storm line. We spent several hours cutting up a tangle of nets and ropes that was the size of a small car that had beached itself on an uninhabited island.

Dave Gaudier of the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation stands aside the net monster

the monster up close- there must have been a thousand feet of rope and nets all tangled together

The locals in Yakutat were pretty darn friendly, and treated us like family. They even went as far as taking us out one morning, and we scored some pretty fun surf! A huge thank you to local rippers Sam, David, and Joey, plus the friendly staff at Icy Waves Surf Shop for hooking us up with boards and suits!

local grom David pausing off the bottom on a peeler

Kathleen lucks into a good one

lots of different waves in Alaska, you just have to show up

From Yakutat we flew to the capital city Juneau, where we spent International Coastal Clean-Up Day pulling out trash from the inner coastal waterway around the city with owners and employees of the Alaskan Brewing Company.

International Coastal Clean Up Day crew posing with the loot of trash

Alaskan Brewing Co. was voted one of America’s 15 best places to work, and hanging out with the owners showed us why this is so. They were so generous and genuine, feeding us fresh caught crab and listening intently to our ideas about ocean conservation.

that's a pot full of crabs caught and prepared by AK Brew founder Geoff Larson, almost ready to eat!

(l to r) AK Brew Co-Owner Marcy Larson, Jared Criscuolo, (squatting) Ak Brew master Steve Sano, Kathleen Egan, AK Brew Co-Owner Geoff Larson, Loren Luyendyk, Elizabeth Stergiou

We left early in the morning on the 20th, exhausted from a grueling schedule, but super stoked on Alaska and fired up to protect the beach! SWoBs was selected to join in this trip based on our work with waste-to-energy technology, specifically the gasification of plastic to produce electricity.

the Hubbard glacier near Juneau, rapidly receding

We are seeking funding for the development of the gasification idea, coupled with a marine debris study of the Gaviota Coast from Point Conception to Campus Point. The goal is to travel the coast by boat (powered by plastic) and collect shallow water and shore debris for categorization and weighing, with the goal of determining the sources of oceanic trash.

Don't forget to register for the upcoming Carbon Economy Series at the Orella Ranch this fall. Courses include Soil Food Web with Elaine Ingram, Holistic Management and Permaculture Design with Darren Doherty and Kirk Gadzia, Zero Energy Research and Intiatives with Gunter Pauli, and Pathways to Relocalization with Joel Salatin. Only three weeks left until the first course! click here to register or learn more...

Or come to the

Climate Action, Stand for Sustainability Community Event!

When: October 24th, 6-9pm (Worldwide Climate action day!)

Where: Faulkner Gallery at the Santa Barbara Public Library

What: An open discussion forum to bring active local organizations together to share their ideas, projects and resources with the public about global warming, sustainable agriculture, permaculture, reduction of ocean pollution and other pressing issues related to sustainability. News will be shared about the upcoming Carbon Economy Series at the Orella Ranch. The goal is to raise awareness, build support and strengthen our community. How: There will be a projector available to show short informational videos about projects, as well as a microphone for speakers.

Cost: Free (donations to pay for the room gratefully accepted).

Thanks for reading- We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy writing it! Please comment on our blogs if you feel so inspired- all input is useful and important!

photo credits: Alaska photos courtesy of Jared Criscuolo

Sustainable Aid and the Carbon Economy

Natural Building in a natural setting - Quail Springs Learning Oasis

> The course on Sustainable Aid for the 2/3rds World was an incredible experience for us. Held at the high desert Learning Oasis and Permaculture Farm, Quail Springs, the course brought together some pretty amazing folks, a multi cultural group with lots of experience with international travel and tons of passion for service.

Sustainable Aid Crew, ready to take on the challenges of our times!

Robyn Francis led our class through the processes for creating long lasting, and therefore truly sustainable projects in communities of high need. Her experience in the harsh conditions of the Australian Outback working with Aboriginals and 25 years of international travel working within communities, makes her a wealth of extremely valuable knowledge. She is also the founder of Permaculture Education and Djangbung Gardens. She is a true legend!

Jeremiah, Cuahtemoc, Marisha, and Loren focused on the design

Cat, Vinay, and Grant, observing the garden

Timelessly shaped earthen ovens

It was a perfect opportunity to reflect on our trip, and share our challenges and successes, and recieve guidance from a proffesional aid worker like Roybn and support from the group. It was a challenging and humbling experience, but left us better equipped with tools to put to practice.

Closing circle- speaking from the heart always brings us closer

We are back on the Gaviota Coast on the Orella Ranch. The ranch is in full swing, preparing for an upcoming series of workshops that offer to be the cutting edge in sustainability. The Carbon Economy Series (click to link to site) brings together an all-star line-up of farmers and thinkers to offer solutions to the various crisis that are unfolding across the planet.

Low-carbon building

The creation of a carbon economy may provide financial incentive for farms and businesses to offset their own and more carbon emissions. Click here to learn more and register

Natural Plastering by Aubrey and others

It is no doubt that our lives are intricately linked to the production of carbon dioxide (CO2), a potentially harmful greenhouse gas. Basically, our entire modern consumer culture is predicated on the indiscriminate burning of fossil fuels, one of the leading sources of CO2. Our water and food supply chains, the construction of our homes, and the jobs that pay for it all rely on cheap fuel to keep them running- and these systems have been designed around a continuous supply at affordable prices.

Yikes!

As some have stated: “The Party’s Over”. We are in the age of “Peak Oil” and “Global Warming”. Sounds like the solution is right there in the problem. We have realized that our planes, trains and automobiles may have given rise to the temperatures climbing at the poles, and tiny islands being covered by the ocean. Oil is being burned faster than it can be pulled out of the ground, and the prices are rising with the seas, and not much is being done about it.

What a better time than now to re-design our lives! It is it not necessary to produce harmful gasses into the atmosphere to provide our basic needs. We can also offset some of the impacts of our past actions by planting trees! Most trees take up an average of 1 tonne of CO2 in their lifetime. Most people need to plant around 7 trees per year to offset their CO2 use.

We planted the first trees in a series of plantings around our little compound to begin the process of offsetting our carbon use from our trip. Our rough calculation of our use (for the two of us traveling 10,000 miles in the cab-over for a year) is around 17 tonnes of CO2, that is around 8.5 tonnes each, or 60% less than the national average for USA of 20.4 tonnes. Click here to calculate your own footprint.

Billy-goat Holmes eyeing the trees Loren is going to plant


Giving little tree its first drink in solid ground

We estimate that we are already indirectly offsetting some of our CO2 emission through the programs we started on our trip. The Water bottle refill program alone could remove an estimated 100 bottles per week out of the waste stream. Over the 20-week tourist season, that is around 2000 bottles per year at each of the three stores who started the program, for a total of 6000 bottles per year. Each bottle generates 0.5 kg of CO2 in its production, for a total offset of 3000 kg, or 1.5 tonnes per year.

Loren ready to plant his trees at Orella Ranch. Olives, Cherimoyas, Mulberries...

We will plant at least 10 trees each over the next couple of months to offset our CO2 use for the trip. We are also planting our vegetable garden, which can also significantly offset a persons’ CO2 use. All of this helps reduce global climate change and support the Carbon Economy. Plus we will have the added benefit of eating the fresh fruit and veggies!

Orella Ranch Nursery

Green is good

We are currently developing a survey to ask you, our faithful readers, what you think is the most pressing need of the oceans and the people right now in history. We hope you will all participate, as this will help us to better understand peoples’ concerns, and therefore the projects that will most likely succeed with your help!

P.S. there's more!

We also highly recommend seeing the new movie "The Cove". It is currently playing at the Plaza de Oro (371 S. Hitchcock Ave)

Movie Trailer: http://www.thecovemovie.com
Save Japan Dolphins: http://www.savejapandolphins.org
Earth Island Instititue: http://www.earthisland.org
Great interview on NPR about the film: http://tinyurl.com/CoveonNPR

Also if you are in Oceanside tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 1st at 7pm

there is a Benefit Screening for the California Surf Museum of "The Women and the Waves"

at The Grace Theater (102 N. Freeman St.)

* On going Community Events in Carpinteria- Local Earth People is presenting Social projects, art, music, and surf movies at the Women's Club every Friday night in September.

contact: Jason Lesh at BiggieBarge@aol.com for more info

Closing the Loop

One of the few things that moves fast while traveling through Mexico is time. Our time here has flown by us, like the majority of cars who fly pass our big white turtle shell on the road.

We felt we had accomplished, to the best of our present abilities, what we had come down to do, while learning much more than we could have imagined.

Keeping it local- corn harvest. photo by Ty Diffin

Our goal for this trip was less about what we could “do”, but what could we “be” in the presence of a new culture and a new land. How we could relate, create and integrate.


The first step has been to form positive relations with the people – all people. Young, old, Rich, poor, educated, uneducated, local or foreign. All equally valuable, all have something to teach.


The key to creating positive growth and change may be through the integration of merging the old ways and the new. Keeping traditions that have sustained life and have not sold out essential resources, like land, water and food. At the same time leaving room for new ideas and technologies that may support and enrich one’s life.

Cocos sustain life

Technological gadgets have been a great resource to us and gave us an opportunity to share with the locals something they had never seen before. We put together video clips of “La Banda”, the local surfer boys and others who had spent time in the town, and made them a short movie. Check it out here

La Banda premiere movie night

The Water Bottle Refill Program and the Slow Sand Water Filter proved to be a good example of simple technologies that may simplify life. Businesses that have been around long enough to see the build up of trash from selling disposable bottles were ready for a new alternative. The Water Bottle Refill has been a simple but effective start to decreasing the amount of single use bottles used everyday. Check out how the impact plastic water bottles alone are having on the planet (click to download 2 MB PowerPoint Water Disaster).

LETS BAN THE BOTTLE!

We were happy to help out at another popular surf destination hostel in Puerto Escondido called “Frutas y Verduras”. The owner Tomo had used the Water Filter at Pepe’s and asked us if we could help him build his own.

The view from Frutas y Verduras

Tomo said he goes through at least 8 plastic “garafons” (5 gal jugs) of water a week (=160 liters). Even though garafons are a better solution than selling 1 liter plastic bottles of water (=160 bottles per week), the garafons are still known to leach unhealthy chemicals from the plastic bottle into the water. As an added bonus, he will be saving his business money.

Tomol crushing the charcoal

Loren putting the rocks in the Slow Sand Filter

Our next stop was to revisit another one of our projects’ sites; Chicho’s Campground and Cabanas in Rio Nexpa. There sat our composting toilet that we built for him last year.
He was happy to have an alternative to his two flush toilets, yet was struggling with juggling all the responsibilities of running his businesses and was more preoccupied with the increasing mounds of trash that continues to grow everyday from his customers at the beach.

His was the same story that plagued many communities from Mexico all the way through Central America- spotty or no public trash collection! He has no easy way to deal with the surging amounts of waste, though he is very responsible in taking care of it and keeps his beach very clean.

The river is the dump in many places. Monsoonal rains wash trash "away", righ into the ocean.

Chicho instantly understood the benefits of the Water-Bottle Refill Program, so we made a sign for his restaurant on the beach so he could start reaping in more cash while the surfers pay half the price for water while using a lot less plastic, up to 150 bottles per week less, which saves almost 2 tons of carbon per season from entering the atmosphere.


Land wars in coastal Michoacan diverted the turtle to the road through the mountains, and into the high desert on our way north. We passed through Tequila, not stopping to sample, and winded through the green peaks on our way back to the coast near Mazatlan.

In Hermosillo we had the opportunity to meet René Córdova, the Managing Director of ALCOSTA, the North West Mexican Coast Sustainability Alliance. ALCOSTA represents a network of organizations dedicated to protecting the existing environment and promoting sustainable development along the coast of Baja and the mainland of the Sea of Cortes.

He educated us on the impacts of typical tourist developments, noting that the main impact of tourism was due to pollution, from sewage and trash, and that the main source of this pollution is from the workers who come to service the industry, who live in substandard conditions in the surrounding areas, with no sewage or trash disposal.

let's not destroy
the paradise we enjoy

This meeting with René served as a real summary of our trip, and so well timed with our crossing the border in the Sonoran Desert. He showed by example the kind of passion and care it takes to protect something natural in the modern world.

We crossed the border with the good ol’ US of A with no real fanfare, besides a secondary search. Moving right along, we almost had a tailwind through the desert, and limped home on the lower 3 speeds of the transmission. We made it safe and sound.


Once home we will be taking a course on Sustainable Aid with Austrailan Permaculture teacher Robyn Francis at Quail Springs. Robyn has been working internationally for over 25 years, teaching and implementing projects in the “2/3rds” world. We are excited about this opportunity to reflect on our trip and learn more.

Stay posted to our blog, as we will really be "Closing the Loop", by calculating our carbon footprint for the entire trip, and offsetting what we burnt! And we will show you how you can do the same...

Thanks for joining us again, through many borders and beyond!

Soakin' it Up

Returning to our favorite little gem on the Mexican coast was a welcoming relief from our journey south. The unique young town of Barra de La Cruz has become like our second home. Upon our arrival it took us over an hour (that was going as fast as we could) just to drive through the less than a mile stretch to Pepes Cabañas because there were so many familiar faces to catch up with.


The hardest part about traveling so far and visiting so many places is the lack of significant time you are able to spend at most of them. It is true that it really does take time to get to know a place, let alone form lasting bonds with the people who live there.

Making friends is easy, just paint them a picture!

Actually forming a close bond with the locals has been the easiest part for us and seems so for other travelers who take a genuine interest and have respect for their culture and way of life. "Mi casa es su casa” is the motto, and the peoples' incredible hospitality and generosity proves abundance does not come from material wealth.

We felt lucky to share some fun experiences with our muilti talented, energetic friends Anastasia Van Wingerden and Cyrus Sutton who came to meet up with us for a week.

Anastasia, Cyrus, and Loren trek'n

Anastasia 'Stas' is a great muscian, carrying her guitar and song writing skills from her recent residence in San Fransico, all the way to south of the border (check her out on her FaceBook page). Cyrus is an accomplished film maker and recently released an epic new surf documentary called ''Under the Sun''.

Cy on the belly ride, pro hand planing style

Both Cy and ‘Stas are into riding waves in organic fashion! They brought a quiver of ¨Aquatic Oddities¨, including the paulownia hand-planes custom shaped by Cy himself.

'Stas charging it on an Aquatic Oddity

Their interest to connect with the local people and to eat the fresh fruit of the land manifested beautifully on numerous occasions.

Olgilver doing what he does best

One adventure in particular took us on a scenic, though a little circuitous, hike along the coast and over into the next valley where our friends Olgilver and his father Faustino have a farm. They grow payayas, bananas, caña (sugar cane), and cocos. YUM! Our treck turned into a mega fruit fest as they insisted we try lots of their delicious sweet caña and later piled on the cocos.

Coco loco

'Stas loving it!

We were the first “gringos” to have ever been over to their farm, and they were very excited that we had taken an interest to come see what they do. “Trust us, it was our pleasure!”

after the mission

Then it was time to go back to school. The kids were preparing for their summer's break so we were just able to catch them for a few days. It was perfect timing though as our aim was to educate about the dangers of plastic in the ocean.

We have learned that children's attention is sustained for longer periods if you can make education fun. So we played lots of games, which was a great way to implement new ideas and get them to think about the environment and do something about it.

Loren practicing his referee skills for the game "rover rojo" (red rover)

Aubrey read the book "All the Way to the Ocean" (in Spanish) by Joel Harper to the kids. This was a good introduction to the kids about trash in the ocean, specifically plastic. They got it immediately, and we devised a game to solve the problem.

Aubrey reading "Al Camino del Oceano" to the niños

We came up with a game in which the children picked what they wanted to be, either dolphin, shark, or turtle. The dolphins and the sharks had to save the turtles from the poisonous jellyfish, or plastic bags. Then we ran around the village picking up the trash, or "agua malas" (jellyfish).

the cleanup crew

It is true that children are like sponges. So what a better way to clean up the mess we have all been making! They are ready to absorb, they just need something to soak up!


The wave has been good to us, with plenty to go around. Check out a short video here on YouTube from the GoPro SurfHero water camera!

Finding Permanent Culture

Aubrey beating the heat

El Salvador must be the hottest place in Central America. The water, at 82 degrees F, doesn’t refresh that much. The waves are great and the people as friendly as it gets, but it was just too hot for a couple of super-hueros like us. The Familia Rotherham has adjusted well, and graciously hosted us again at their oceanside oasis. Muchisima gracias Don Roberto y Jimmy!

Lago Atitlan

Heading north from El Salvador we sought out some sweater weather and cooler climate scenery of the highlands of Guatemala. In the heart of the country the mountains rise steadily and hide some amazing cultural and natural gems, including el Lago de Atitlan.

A magical place!

Lake Atitlan has supported life for thousands of years. The highland mountains trap moist air as it passes to the north and coerce the clouds to free their weight of water unto the land. Frequent streams find their way to the valley floor, which is the lake, and fill it with the fertile soils from the mountain-sides. Fish thrive in the clear water, and trees line the shore.

Watching the beans grow

Along with the trees and animals came the people. They too built their settlements along the shore. As their number grew, so did their range, eventually occupying the entire lake-shore. Each settlement developed its own language and style of dress. Still today you can tell if a person is from San Lucas Toliman or from Panajachel by the type of embroidery on their hand-woven clothing, or by what dialect they speak.

Aubrey blending in

This diversity of culture mirrored the diversity of the forest. Many crops now replace much of the native vegetation; coffee can be seen planted on the most precipitous slopes all the way to the road side, and avocados fill in the alluvial flats surrounding the lake. A wide variety of vegetables are grown in the region as well, the cool climate and fertile soils support cabbage and beets, alongside bananas and beans.

Some fresh organic beets!

We found our way along the lakes edge to our potential destination, Instituto Meso-Americana de Permacultura, or IMAP (http://www.imapermacultura.es.tl/). The Institute’s buildings are tucked into the hill just above the lake, nestled amongst huge Ficus trees. Many footpaths meander through the terraces, dragon fruit brushing your thighs as you walk. We met up with Sustainable Production Manager Ajcot Gregorio and Volunteer Co-ordinator Sarah for a little tour of the property.


The property is a little sliver of the lake shore, filled with a virtual forest of food. Everywhere you step you need to look, so as not to crush a little carrot plant or some young bean plants growing under the mulberry bushes. As we walked, Gregorio explained the various design elements and the mission of IMAP.

seed garden

Founded in 2002, IMAP serves as a nexus for central American Permaculture. They host workshops and colloquiums for locals and international students every year. Many sustainable alternatives for living are on display and in use, including rainwater harvesting, edible landscaping, composting toilets, natural building with cob and bamboo, solar and wind power, and more efficient types of cook stoves.

Bamboo trusses

Outdoor Kitchen

Rocket Stove

One main focus of IMAP is a seed bank. They have been collecting, growing out, and distributing various vegetable and fruit strains that are suitable to intensive and sustainable farming. They work with local growers just as a normal bank would; they loan local farmers one pound of seeds in exchange for two pounds after the harvest. In this way, they can distribute useful seeds far and wide rather quickly.

El Banco Semilla

Seed-swap

Walking around IMAP, we were so grateful for what they were doing. Simply to find a place to get fresh organic produce was a novelty in much of central America. We grazed on lettuce and carrots, and picked beets and chard. What a great thing to cook vegetables that grew in the ground you were walking on that day!



Leaving IMAP, we meandered north around the lake through some very narrow streets (designed for horse carts not semi trucks) in the many towns you must find your way through on your way to Quetzaltenango and further north to the border with Mexico. We learned the hard way that you should not try to navigate the hills of Guatemala during a fog and rain storm at night.

Stay tuned for more GoPro SurfCam action!

Alas, we have found it safely back to Mexico, and have met up with some great friends. Thank you all for reading and please stay tuned soon for the next installment!

Planting Seeds

We decided to venture away from the coast for once to check out a one of the wonders of the world, Omatepe Island in Lake Nicaragua.

Volcan Concepcîon

Omatepe Island is unique in many ways. It is the largest freshwater island in the world with two massive volcanoes, one of which is still active. The lake has sharks, and is connected to the Carribbean via the San Juan River.

The lake shore

There are many farms on the island, the rich volcanic soil supports crops year-round. One such farm is unique to the island as well, demonstrating Permaculture Design and giving back to the locals. Finca Bona Fide is located on the northeastern slope of Volcan Maderas, with a superb view of Volcan Concepcion.

Bona Fide Nursery

veggie garden at Bona Fide

They are researching different varieties of food crops to create more dependable and longer lasting harvests for the locals. Chris Shanks has been introducing many new food crops to the island, and sharing the seeds with the locals. He has planted many varieties of avocado and mango, hoping to dine on them year-round.

Cob Bathrooms

outdoor sink and tree platform

Project Bona Fide also has several programs that benefit the locals. “Café Infantil” feeds 60 children breakfast six days a week, and teaches them about basic dental care and hygiene. They are also building a Community Center, to serve as a library and school for English.

fresh roasted coffee and cane sugar ready to mix with cacao

We toured around the farm, sampling delicious bananas and fresh roasted cacao with coffee bits. We took in the sunset with the sound of the wind generator humming with the persistent breeze.

howler monkeys a'bound

cacao flowers, on the trunk!

evidence of the ancients

We took the opportunity to climb Volcan Maderas, through coffee and cacao forests to the crater lake at the top. Trekking through the moss covered trees with our intrepid guide Marvin, who definitley resembled a mountain gnome, we reached the top and took a dip in the mud pit of a lake. Not as refreshing as you would have hoped after climbing 4000 verticle feet... but unique once again.

Aubrey and Marvin try not to get lost in the enchanted forest

After returning to the mainland, we met up with some mutual friends that Loren had actually met 4 years earlier. Roy and Linda are constructing an "Earth Ship" (click to visit their site), a house built into the hill and made mostly from old tires and cob. They live on a precipitous slope overlooking the many wave options, perfect for sussing out that next session.

the front of the Earth Ship

The house is complete with an outdoor shower covered in passionfruit vines, and the greywater feeds their garden located just outside the kitchen window. The local builders were pretty psyched on the idea of building with trash, which as we know, there seems to be shortage of...

tires form the walls

detail of walls showing cans used to fill in space

Moving north though the country, we came to another unique place, Los Cardones Eco-lodge. They have created a low impact and beautiful resort right on the beach in front of some great waves.

natural construction means low-impact

Compost toilets convert last night’s dinner into valuable fertilizer, and solar panels provide enough light to dine. We discussed the possibility of having a Permaculture Design Course there in the future. The seed has been planted.

baño ecologico

More seeds were planted with the help of Holly Beck and her partner Ryan, on their new little homestead in Northern Nicaragua (click to read her blog surf life nicaragua). They are building a few casitas to rest in while waiting for the next session, and we helped them plant a garden that will hopefully feed them and their caretaker, Osmar, and their many amigos.

Sharing the seeds

the garden crew gettin' dirty

They have planted a small food forest, including almendras, mangos, avocados, limes, and gunabanas. We helped pull out some crabgrass in preparation for planting nitrogen fixing groundcover under the little trees.

la Casita de Ryan y Holly, con sus arbolitos

Aubrey diggin' it

It was nice to catch up with friends, share some good laughs, make good meals, sample the 12yr. Flor de Cana, dig in the dirt, and wash ourselves off in some fun waves.


Our time in Nica was just about up so we ventured on, just barely making it through the border at Honduras. This was our most difficult crossing yet, and still we finally made it through with a little help from good 'ol trusty green dollar!

We are now in El Salvador. Looking out over the waves, feeling very grateful for the opportunity to experience this trip. Thank you all for your support and for taking the time to read our blog! Stay tuned, there will be more to come!

Waves Of Optimism

The average storm drain in Rivas Nicaragua

It is hard not to get cynical while traveling through Central America. It seems as if nobody cares about pollution or socio-economic issues, especially the locals. Trash covers many towns and beaches, while people lie in hammocks watching the offshore winds blow it into the sea.

Offshores are great for surf, not so for trash into the sea

The reality is the majority of people in Central America and many other poor countries in the world are more concerned with survival than pollution. The economic situation is pretty dire in Nicaragua: the average daily wage is US$5. Gringos show up with their flashy sunglasses (like us) and blow that in a minute ordering a few cervezas.

The people may be lying in hammocks during the heat of the day, but that is because there is little work. It could be argued that they could be more proactive and seek work, but the capitalist reality is not their reality. Furthermore, many people do not have transportation to get them to the bigger towns where there may be employment.

There are some heavy waves down here...

A light amidst this darkness has emerged in Gigante, Nicaragua. A small fishing town with a population of about 400, they had no public transportation to get the kids to school or for the local businesses to get their sacks of rice from the city. Then a couple gringos with a mission showed up.

Adam Monaghan and Nick Mucha were Peace Corps Volunteers in Honduras directly after college. They wanted to continue humanitarian work, and live closer to the beach. They found this calling in Gigante. They created a project they dubbed Waves Of Optimism, or Project WOO (http://www.projectwoo.org/), to address the needs of the town.

Adam Monaghan of Project WOO

They first performed a rigorous census of the community and consulted with its leaders. Then helped the locals get what they wanted and what they felt they needed most to become more successful in the capitalist world that is rapidly overtaking neighboring villages: a bad-ass bus.

Adam and Marlon take pride in their bus

Enjoying the ride

The WOO-Mobile is an old coffee delivery truck, which WOO had converted to people hauler. They put in folding benches so that the bus could double as a materials transport while not delivering students to their teachers- whom he also helped. WOO raised the money for the salaries of three full time teachers, much of it coming from the rich gringo homeowners in the neighboring bays of the south coast of Nicaragua.

WOO also started an after-school program to help the kids with their homework and to teach them English and organic gardening. We joined in the fun with Club WOO, and Aubrey brought out the paints for the kids to experiment with. We demonstrated how they could use local materials to paint- palm fronds make great brushes and ground up bricks make nice pigment.

Palm fronds for brushes and ground-up rocks for paint

Aubrey demonstrating color blending

The results

Face Painting is fun too

WOO employs two other locals full time. Marlon drives the bus and heaves the sacks of rice into the rig for the passengers, and Norma runs the after school program and takes care of the books. Norma is also training to take over the project full time in the near future, and well deserved, as she embodies a huge wave of optimism that can be felt by anyone in her presence. Both Norma and Marlon are super stoked to be working for such a different project, and to be contributing to the education of local kids.

Norma (in the bright green shirt) joining in the painting

WOO is an example of what two motivated people can do when they put their minds to it. It is also an example of grass roots organizing at its best: they worked with the locals every step of the way. Adam stresses the importance of community buy-in for the success of any project- if the locals are not into it, and more so have a vested interest, a project will not be successful.

They have created a great model that could be applied to any community in need, and used by any humanitarian organization hoping to help. Take the time to look at their website and support the work they are doing! (http://www.projectwoo.org/)


Thanks for reading- stay tuned for more adventures as we return north, making our way back up, across many borders, for the long journey home!