Sustainable activities to do in quarantine

I know for most of us quarantine can be boring.. but lets make it fun like a challenge.

Challenge # 1 - cut back on your trash -  what you will need : a jar with a lid, a piece of paper, and a pencil. How it works - collect all the trash you use from 3 days in the jar and every time you add a piece of trash write it down on the paper. This is a fun way to minumize the amount of trash you use. And it also helps you recognize how much you are consuming. 

Challenge # 2 - create your own necessities - How it works -  If you run out of tooth paste, deodorant, or lotion for an example. Lets cut back on buying and try to make our own products. A fun simple quarantine activity. Here is one example of how you can make your own toothpaste. 

https://thewholedaily.com.au/health/natural-home-made-toothpaste/

What is surf wax?

 Surf wax, a surfers best friend… have you ever wondered what exactly is surf wax made of of and is it even good for our eco system? Well surf wax happens to be a very important arsenal in a surfers toolbox.

Unfortunately there is a toxic side to wax. Paraffin is one of the main ingredients in wax which is a byproduct of Petroleum. With that being said you have to process the Petroleum first to make paraffin. When petroleum is processed it gives off a large amount of particulate pollution.

The substance which starts out as a grayish- black sludge then must go into the bleaching process that emits dioxins. Dioxin are enviromental pollutants that are dangerous and highly toxic. After these chemicals are added that solidify the wax into solid paraffin. Not only will this affect the surfer’s health it will also pollute the ocean since eventually it will rub of into the marine ecosystem.

 As surfers, we need to not have such a negative impact on the places we surf and visit… We wear wetsuits made of neoprene, a petrochemical by-product, we ride waves on a petroleum derived polyurathane board, and on top of that we then coat the boards with petroleum extract. And when we are done with all of our gear we throw it away, which not only will endanger others but also the marine environment which is already swamped with a massive plastic pollution problem. 

You might be wondering now, “ What can I do to help and make a difference?” Well, you can start by buying an eco-friendly, organic wax. These companies are endorsed by eco-organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). You can also make your own wax and substitute the paraffin for beeswax, and tree resin and add coconut oil for a tropical smell.

http://www.mothersurf.com/surf-organic/

https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/how-to-make-your-own-surf-wax

After nearly 12 months time gathering micro-plastics and creating this unique piece of art, this beautiful whale tail has finally found it’s home at the main entrance of playa Guiones in Nosara, Costa Rica. Contact me today to learn how you too can create a sculpture like this in your hometown, to remind everyone about the importance of cleaning up our beaches and saving our marine life!!

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Arribada

The incredible sight of an Arribada, happens every month at Playa Ostional in Costa Rica. Thousands of mama Olive Ridley turtles navigate their way back to the same beach where they were born. After 45 days, their babies hatch out of the eggs buried in the sand. The Olive Ridley turtle can lay anywhere from 80-120 eggs at a time which can weigh up to 15 lbs in total. But there is a sad part. Once they hatch, only a small percent of them live, because a lot of the time they are unfortunately eaten by birds or fish once they hatch and attempt to enter the water. Unlike humans, the mom leaves her babies to hatch and grow up on their own. When the turtles are all grown up, they will eventually return to Playa Ostional about 15 years later, to lay their own eggs, and then the process repeats itself again.

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