Envision Festival out of Uvita is an annual event that strives to leave the site better each year.

The Costa Rican gathering has been featured on such prominent media as The Huffington Post and theElephant Journal, setting itself apart as a pro-humanity, environmentalist movement.

This is not your average musical festival.

In Envision’s own words, the festival is a “celebration dedicated to awakening our human potential.” Between world-renowned bands, yogis, visual and performance artists, the event draws in thousands of nationals and foreigners who inevitably all leave raving about their life-changing experiences.

Envision Festival is co-founded by Stephen Brooks, a philanthropic entrepreneur who has lived in Costa Rica since 1995. His other ventures include the Punta Mona Center for Sustainable Living & Education, Kopali Organics, La Ecovilla and Tacotal Eco Village.

Leave No Trace

As previously described in TCRN’s “Envision Festival Prepares for 2016 Return to Uvita” article, the gatheringis a “Leave No Trace” event, meaning festival-goers will leave the land in as good or better condition than when they arrived. How is this done?

Attendees are asked to bring their own reusable water bottle to refill at one of Envision’s three filtered water Hydration Stations. Workshops will demonstrate how to create bowls, plates and utensils from natural materials such as palm leaves, banana leaves and bamboo. Organic waste will be composted, processed on site, then distributed throughout the property and nearby farms for use as fertilizer.

A Holistic Eco Initiative

Envision’s Eco Initiative goes further, however, than waste management. The energy used by Envision will be green, utilizing biodiesel generators for all stages as well as a variety of energy efficiency techniques. Moreover, by partnering with eco-education groups, the festival will include various seminars to equip festival-goers with the skills to make difference when they leave too.

Jennifer Smith is the founder and president of one of these partners, Community Carbon Trees Costa Rica. She explains:

“If we are truly to create lasting solutions to the environmental problems facing the planet, we have to do MORE than plant trees for global warming.”

Smith continues: “Ideally, we also have to find ways to preserve local communities and cultures, while immediately rebuilding deforested soils, wildlife corridors and protecting watersheds and old growth forests. This work is especially important in countries like Costa Rica where there still exist intact stretches of primary jungle along the coast which, in turn, influence the oceans and marine life, together so vital to the overall stability of our global climate.”

Community Carbon Trees will also provide pollution offsetting tools for Envision by planting and maintaining tropical trees native to the area. Last year, the festival sponsored 154 trees so as to offset the estimated 154 tons of carbon produced by air travel to and from the event.

Community Involvement



Costa Rican non-profits have also participated in Envision’s Eco-Community efforts. Last year that list included the Buenaventura Costa Rica, Natural Leaders and the Lisa Wendel Memorial Life Foundation.Connected with Envision’s Eco Initiative, the festival employs local community members to participate in recycling efforts during throughout the event. Last year 41 bags of aluminum cans, 8 bags of metal food cans, 50 sacks of glass bottles, 8 bags of cardboard, 5 bags of paper and 50 bags of plastic bottles were gathered and later turned into recycling centers in Perez Zeledon for additional income for the locals.