Thursday March 4, 2010

Kevin was not out of the room more than five minutes before I gave up on going back to sleep and decided to go share a cup of coffee with him.
Walking out of my cabina and stepping out into the jungle, I had to give myself a couple minutes to see if I could find the culprit for my horrific night sleep. With a quick glance to the left and a quick glance to the right I could only find the sights of a meandering cow. I knew this could not be my foe. I only had one more direction left and that was up.

Lifting my head to the jungle canopy I was elated to match the faces with the nightly shrieks. My eyes were fixed on a family of fifteen Howler monkeys (Congos in Spanish). I was in awe. I have seen monkeys in Costa Rica before but never at such point blank range. Jumping from limb to limb and occasionally howling like they were doing not that long ago when I was trying to sleep, I was viewing nature at its best. Not in a zoo, television or in a research lab, I was watching a tribe of Congos act in their natural habitat. I instantly knew that the upcoming night sleep would be much easier to manage and actually embraced. Falling asleep to a natural soundtrack of monkeys as opposed to nightmarish ambiguity is a much better option.
After snapping out of my amazement, I decided to trudge forth with my original intention of getting out of bed. Coffee.  

Arriving to the wooden hut that houses the entertainment focus of the property, which includes the kitchen, bar, lounge area, and conference table, I ran into Kevin drinking some “oro negro,” or black gold and David cooking the industrial sized breakfast for the Eco Preservation Society team. We seemed to be crawling out of our jungle bungalows at our own pace and individual times but all on schedule for the 8:00 a.m. commencement of Thursday’s meetings.

With the conference table filled with the EPS team, lap tops, pens, pads, and a plethora of steaming coffee mugs, we kicked-off the first conversation about our opportunities in Manuel Antonio. Oren gave the jump start to our meeting by describing the property that he was able to secure for EPS’s volunteer and conservation research involvement. As an antiquated building that was used as housing for the construction workers who were building Los Altos Resort, the team was battling back and forth on the appropriate way for utilizing the properties potential. From clean-up to plausible future ownership, we covered from A – Z on how to accurately and efficiently get the volunteer and research facility of Manuel Antonio up and running as quickly as possible as Spring is quickly segueing into summer.

It was not long after we had the majority of our conversation and brainstorming on the property completed when David screamed “Breakfast is ready guys. Come and get it.” With our stomachs running on fumes from the intense pasta dinner from the night before, our brains drained of useful thoughts after focusing on our first discussion and our nerves jittery from the strong coffee in our systems without anything to absorb it, the fanciful display of juices, eggs, French toast, and fresh fruit seemed like a miracle.

Sitting at a hand-crafted wooden table, my feet in the sand, a morning’s view of the sun, a coffee cup in my left hand and a fork in my right hand that was stabbing a fresh piece of papaya, I began to think, “Well, can life get better?” The answer to that question is, “yes, but not much.” There is nothing better than connecting with nature, great food, and intense coffee that is followed by a team discussion on how to integrate the mass in domestic and global environmental efforts from a realistic and tangible perspective.
Reverting back to Oren after the delicious breakfast break, he began to describe his primate and conservation research programs. He stated that he was going to be doing some up-coming field work in order to get the rhythm of how to accurately and precisely make the program both educational for the student and beneficial for the research. After going through a list of the initial necessities that are for the program’s development, it was a brainstorming effort on how to acquire the instruments in order to bring the project to fruition. With the hot topics of primate research study, especially in the Manuel Antonio area, the Eco Preservation Society agreed that this program will flourish from the excitement of eager biologists and interested participants who want to preserve primate habitats.

It was the late morning entertainment that fell between the first meeting, breakfast and the next meeting. Wild horses that roam the property were amicably trotting around and playing on the beach. I, myself, personally have never witnessed horses with absolute freedom. It was rather amazing to see horses act in their natural state. Literally playing, jumping, biting and chasing one another, it was like watching a species of animal that I have never seen before. So, with the entire EPS team taking the mental break of watching the wild horse show for several minutes, it was an aspect of the retreat that put into perspective how this is quite the contrary to a normal staff retreat. It is not often that one hears about improving the infrastructure of an organization on a beach-front property that is encased in a totally natural experience.

Up next, Rayna’s discussion of program development in the Osa Peninsula. Being deemed, “The real jungle,” Rayna discussed her plans of implementing programs that involve sea turtle research, beach and jungle clean-up projects, and jungle trail development. Osa is one of the premier research areas for sea turtles. Expressing the intensity of the research that would be encompassed in working with sea turtles, which would be interacting with them through the late night and very early morning hours seemed to be directed for the passionate and not the faint of heart. With the numerous ideas that Rayna was bringing to the table it became apparent the Eco Preservation Society’s branches were growing longer by the minute as they stretch further into various environmental conservation and protection programs.

As the sun was getting higher in the sky and the sand was cooking, the conference table that was under shelter was becoming more of a refuge than a meeting area. The ocean that was more like bath water was looking more and more appetizing. But, time was passing and lunch time was approaching.

The team went off on a tangent when the conversation on business cards  evolved into one of the hotter topics of discussion. Having five people come to an agreement on a personal and subjective aesthetic decision is not easy. Taking variables, such as colors, logos, catch phrases and text placement took us around in circles. In deciding about whether it would be more beneficial to have individual cards to satisfying the different sector’s needs or have a uniform business card left us at the end of that discussion. We still are conversing but the next time you see an EPS team member in the streets, mountains, beaches or jungles get ready to receive our contact information!

Lunch time, which was left to Oren and Rayna, was nothing shy of delicious and an energy revival for the team in the draining hot sun.  Accompanied with the frijoles molido (refried black beans) that I made, Oren and Rayna made a colorful dish of quesadillas and fresh salsa. This left all of us with full stomachs and some requested time for relaxing our body and minds before the next wave of critical discussion.
After regrouping and focusing on the next topic, it was my turn to explain the ideas and thoughts of the social media platform of the Eco Preservation Society.

First on the list was the progress of the environmental social media internship that EPS launched in the beginning of 2010. I explained to the team the progress that we have made, the number of students and people that have expressed interest on a global scale and the severity of the Eco Preservation Society’s network of over 500,000 like-minded individuals that represent our international broadcasting power. Since the initial marketing of the internship, EPS has seen interest from four out of seven continents. We also have partnered with Barry University of Miami Shores, Florida in offering their students, who are required to fulfill an international internship upon their graduation, an opportunity in Costa Rica. This has given a strong initial breath into the internship and light into its success of educating students and interested individuals on how to effectively use a powerful social media platform for environmental campaigning efforts.

Secondly, I explained to the team that the Eco Preservation Society has a sponsor for the 2010 Replanting the Rainforest campaign. Capello Salons & Day Spa is a high-end fashion and beauty provider in the Western New York and Southern Ontario area. They have agreed to improve on their efforts of becoming “greener” as they progress on researching more eco-friendly products for both use and retail. Throughout the sponsorship of the campaign Capello Salons & Day Spa has also agreed to aid in donating to the global reforestation projects that the Eco Preservation Society is working on. From Bali to South Africa and in between, and let’s not forget Costa Rica, donations will be going to help bring awareness and execution on making a difference in the rainforests.

Lastly, Kevin and I indulged the rest of the team on the 2010 Replanting the Rainforests campaign. Calling it “the backbone” of the organization, we painted the picture on how the success and execution of this campaign that will spill outside of its time constraints and into a year around effort represents the environmental mask of the Eco Preservation Society. All of our projects, sponsorships and partnerships depend on the fruition of the EPS mission, which is reforestation, conservation and education.

This final piece of the organizational information was the last meeting as a group on Thursday. After I finished I was antsy to explore some of the intense and natural landscape around me. I convinced Oren to go kayaking with me to one of the islands that was about one and half kilometers from the beach-front shore.

Putting on our bathing suits and taking off our brainstorming caps, Oren and I grabbed two kayaks and launched off into the Nicoya Gulf. Having not kayaked in quite some time I thought it was a little ambitious to tackle the Pacific Ocean waters but it was time to break-free and do something wild and adventuresome on our staff retreat.

As we initially were paddling against the current on our way to the island the winds started to pick up about two-thirds of the way to our destination. Starting to get nervous because of the encroaching winds and the sun starting to set I had to ask for Oren’s opinion on whether or not we truly wanted to make it to the island or if we should turn back before we live to regret it. Oren looked at me and said, “Well, we’ve gone this far…and if we go all the way there and back and we live to tell about it…well, at least we have a story.” That was all I needed for my second wind of confidence. Long story short, we made it to the island and literally put our foot on the sand to say that we were there and immediately turned back as we were struggling to deal with a one and a half kilometer return as the sun was disappearing faster than we could paddle. An even longer story short, I lived to write this blog.

There is something about being totally vulnerable to a seemingly infinite body of water that is both nerve racking and mentally tranquil. It gives one a feeling of a double edged sword. Nobody can hurt you and nobody can help you…it is all up to the emotion of the ocean.

After arriving on shore, I got cleaned up in my cabina and walked over to Rayna’s cabina with Oren to hang out and recap our entire experience so far as we were graced with the howls of the Congos in the darkness of the outside jungle. It was not long into our little pow-wow that we told that dinner was ready. Julio and Sarah Joy were the chefs of the evening and a curry dish was on the menu.

Arriving to the beach where the food was prepared and served, the EPS team was hungry, especially myself after kayaking three kilometers. Conversing, laughing and discussing about all that has transpired over the course of our series of meetings, we were all anxious to get back to the real world to make our discussions become reality. But first, we decided to relax, enjoy our food and company and play Trivial Pursuit until we could not keep our eyes open and were forced to retire to our cabinas for the jungle-fresh air and the continuous howl of the Congos. It was a much better night sleep for me than the night previous now that I knew what was outside of my window.

• Part 4

Friday March 5, 2010

As interested and excited to see what was outside of my cabina from the morning before, I hoped that after having to deal with their noises all night long the Congos would at least be there for my viewing pleasure again.  I did not waste time looking from side to side. My head went straight up to the canopy of the trees to see if I could see the monkeys in their same spot from yesterday’s morning. Disappointedly I started to twirl in circles and look at every available tree top that was possible. Nothing. Not the flickering of branches or one last howl as daylight visibility was growing with the rising of the sun. I gave up and decided to go join Kevin again for some coffee.

But, for some reason before I decided to walk towards the beach I wanted to tour the rest of the property and see the other cabinas that were tucked further into the jungle than mine. As I was walking towards one of the cabinas, there was a dense canopy and grouping of trees between my cabina and the one that I was approaching. The trail went right through this thick forestation. As I was in the heart of it, there was a split second that things just seemed a little too quite. Then my dream came true. Initially petrifying because it was like being in total silence and then someone turning on the speakers full-blast right in your ear, I had walked into an entire family of Congos that simultaneously started howling at the top of their lungs. In a perfect circle of trees that surrounded me, they were in every limb it seemed. It was one of the most fascinating experiences of my life. Not only was I surrounded by them, but I was really close to them. No more than five to ten meters. With my camera in my hands and the Congos howling and jumping as if they were putting on a show for me, my finger was like a trigger. Picture after picture with the hopes that I would at least get one good one. I was in my own “Monkey World.” I followed them for a half hour and just watched their movements and facial expressions as they stared at me with equal amazement. I had to snap out of it. It was too exciting and too much fun to be a part of a Congo family for at least the start of my morning. It was now time for coffee.

Arriving to the beach to see Kevin already on his second cup of steaming mountain goodness, I was desperate for my first dose of my precious black and bold coffee. Checking our e-mails, facebook and twitter accounts to keep us up to date on the world outside the secluded jungle and beach-front property that we called home for a couple nights, I realized that I had woken up early and had some time to spare before breakfast and my last morning of meetings.

I decided that since I had such a great time the previous night kayaking on the open ocean, why not do it again? So, I did.

Dragging the kayak down to the water, I had the fresh morning rays beat down on me as I was facing do-east. Launching and paddling away into the ocean waters that were like glass I let out a huge sigh of content. Paddling and drifting and paddling and drifting, I was exploring the hidden coves, the open waters and far away shorelines. Having the morning jolt of caffeine and the ability to use it to venture out on to unseen ocean territories it was a nice morning to have before breakfast and meetings, and let’s not forget about the monkeys.

In my last cove that I explored before I decided that it was best to get cleaned up and not be late, I began to paddle into darker waters that were shadowed by the large rock formations that formulated the cove. Putting my paddle down to take pictures of the unique trees that grew out of the rocks and the family of Pelicans that were perched in the tree tops, I noticed that the water had changed color. It went from near black to a light shade of brown with pockadots. I stared intently at the water not knowing what it was, and realized that the brown water was not brown water. I was floating on top of a family of stingrays that were surrounding my kayak. I thought to myself, “Monkeys, Costa Rican Coffee on a jungle beach, morning kayaking on the ocean and a family of graceful stingrays swimming around unbothered by my presence…honestly, can it get any better?”  I leave you with that question…

After getting cleaned up and on my second cup of coffee it was time to sit down with the team and have breakfast. Eating my French toast, fresh fruit and unlimited coffee I was gathering ideas for our meeting that was minutes away. The morning topic of discussion…finance. It was a little exciting for me because finance was my major in college but I could tell that the rest of the team wanted it worked out, comprehensive and finished as soon as possible. I did too, of course, but numbers are fun for me so I did not mind. Plus, it was not just a financial meeting. It was a financial meeting on a Costa Rican beach.

I do not want to bore you with the details of how to properly account for the finances of an organization, but just know that it is an important part of making anything in business flow smoothly.

With the 12:30 p.m. ferry out of Naranjo approaching, it was time for me to say good bye to the rest of the team that was staying for one more night.

A car ride to the ferry, the ferry to another car ride that took me to the Puntarenas bus, the Puntarenas bus that took me to the airport bus stop where I got my transfer for San Juaquin and a last transfer from San Juaquin to my pueblo de Santa Barabara, I was home before I knew it. Only seven hours! When I opened my door to my apartment, I do not think I was home longer than one minute before I collapsed onto my bed and called it a night. This time without the howling from the Congos.

• Part 5