We Showed Up for Guacalillo And It Showed Up for Us
A note from the Synergy CAM team
Last Saturday, September 19th, we got our hands dirty and it was exactly what we needed.
We joined forces with Green Wolf Costa Rica for a volunteer day at Playa Guacalillo, in the canton of Garabito, Puntarenas, a coastal area that has long been one of the hardest hit by waste flowing in from the Central Valley. The morning started at 9:00 AM and didn't stop until noon, and what happened in those three hours was the kind of work that reminds you why all of this matters.
Who is Green Wolf Costa Rica?
For those who haven't crossed paths with them yet: Green Wolf Costa Rica is an integral, inclusive, and sustainable movement founded in 2018 by Ellian Villalobos, born out of a genuine concern for the growing contamination of Costa Rica's ecosystems. Their work focuses on the socio-ecosystem recovery of the country through direct action and cross-sector alliances. They've built a remarkable track record of bringing together communities, companies, universities, and government institutions around one shared goal, restoring what's been lost. We are proud to have worked alongside them, and grateful for the space they gave us to be part of this.
What we did
Two things happened that morning at Guacalillo.
The first was a massive trash collection. Volunteers spread out across the beach and surrounding area, pulling waste from the sand, the water's edge, and the vegetation. The volume of what gets deposited in this stretch of coastline is staggering, and seeing it up close, in your hands, makes the abstract urgency of conservation work feel very, very real.
The second was a tree planting. After the cleanup, we put roots in the ground, literally. Reforestation alongside cleanup isn't just symbolic. It's the difference between removing a problem and beginning to rebuild something. Both matter. Both happened.
What this means for us
We talk a lot about what Synergy CAM is building toward, the platform, the gala, the funding mechanisms, the long-term vision. Days like September 19th are the reason all of that exists. Not the other way around.
The beach, the trees, the people showing up on a Saturday morning with gloves and a willingness to get tired, that's the mission in its most honest form. And we intend to keep showing up for it.
This is one of many initiatives we will be carrying out. More is coming and we can't wait to share it.
Thank you, Green Wolf Costa Rica. This one meant a lot.
— The Synergy CAM Team
