Summer involvement with CAS – Catalina

10/8/2019 SERVICE Today I decided to be a part of a beach cleanup that took place in Tamarindo Beach. It was a cleanup with the new organization Costa Rica Makes Me Happy. Terraza decided to join this beach cleanup since we want to contribute to keeping Tamarindo clean! The beach cleanup was at 8:30 am and the team from Terraza and the other organization showed up. It was a really fun time while picking up trash and plastic from the beach that I live in. While cleaning up I was able to understand the effects of pollution on the beaches and how it can affect everyone. It made me become a more conscious person about where my trash goes to and where it will end and how picking up plastic can take such little time yet do a huge impact in the world. It was challenging because it was super hot and the trash was in really hard places to pick from so it took a lot of time and effort. The organization that we worked with has as an objective to recollect the plastic and convert it to create EcoBlocks, this is made of an environmentally friendly structural concrete element. It is produced with regenerated plastic particles that are mixed with sand and cement forming an element of high strength and durability. In this experience cleaning up, I was able to engage with issues of global importance, this issue was contamination and poverty. Cleaning up the beach provided a solution to the problem of contamination and climate change and it provided a solution to plastics that are damaged and cannot be reused as bottles. However, by sending the plastic that we found to the company that has the technology, we were able to be a part of the work behind raw material for constructions. This will, later on, help those families that don't have a home. I am proud of myself for attending to this cleanup because I never participate in this type of events that are for my community, since I don't attend to this event, later on in the future, I want to grow as a person by giving back to my community in ways I never did before. In general, it felt good to work with others for a good cause and a good impact in the world we live in! Identify strengths and areas for growth, challenges were undertaken showing that new skills are learned, show perseverance and commitment to your project, work collaboratively with others, engage with issues of global importance, consider the ethical implications of your actions, plan and initiate an activity.