Event producers don’t always know the challenges they’ll face starting a destination festival. Knowing who will show up, what they’ll need to execute successfully and how it will impact the lives of locals isn’t always clear in the beginning. For Envision, it started out with a dream and a mission to reset the bar with an actually sustainable event … one that could regenerate the area and foster an intermingling between cultures with a positive ecological footprint. Its founders also had the hope of teaching a love of plant medicine and permaculture to anyone who participated in the event, whether they be Ticos or tourists.

Fast-forward to the present day. Envision is at the precipice of its eighth year in Costa Rica and despite there being a big focus on blending cultures, the event still pays homage musically to many fine aspects of Costa Rica. Local legends Patterns and Santos & Zurdo will be featured as part of a Latin American Showcase, also featuring Chilean funk sensation Matanza, an authentic afrobeat group from Colombia, La BOA, and top-shelf South African house producer Chancha Vía Circuito.

Supporting local communities

Environmentally, the event is putting belief into action to organize in support of the local community. In a recent water shortage the Uvita Water Board asked for donations to cover the completion of a brand-new water line accessing four springs. It was a huge endeavor with a lot at risk. The cost of the work that the Asada de Uvita needed tallied to over $13,000, but without it Uvita would have no water in the coming season. With the hope of making a far-reaching local impact, Envision stepped up to cover the cost. It wasn’t the first time, either. Envision donated $4,600 previously to complete a new mother tank.

The efforts haven’t been limited to water, either. As part of an ongoing reforesting initiative, the festival organized and funded the planting of more than 54 species of native Costa Rican trees, over 10,000 in number, from Playa Hermosa to Playa Guiones. In a recent beach cleanup effort, the festival began a new goal of cleaning up about 10 kilometers of beach from Playa Colonia to Playa Dominical. After the first meet and covering about 5 kilometers, the group emerged with more than 1,300 kilos of rubbish that is now no longer littered across the coastline. More beach cleanups are planned to continue this effort.

Improving the Envision site

All this is outstanding for the area, but the charm of Envision isn’t the work it puts into the community. It’s the example it shows to those who travel from afar to attend the event. With permaculture classes every day, no single-use plastics permitted at the venue, and a staff that is fed completely on the food produced at local farms, the festival instills a sense of duty about the Earth.

Even the structures built at the event are constructed by Costa Ricans with bamboo harvested about 10 kilometers down the road. The reforesting efforts mentioned above also extend to the site of the event. Over the last eight years, more than 2,000 trees have been planted at the site. With efforts to improve Envision’s venue happening each year, returning Envision-goers get a chance to witness the end of an ecological metamorphosis, where an area that was a barren cattle pasture has become another beautiful reason to experience Costa Rica.

For tourists, it’s a reminder that Costa Rica has more to love about it with each passing year, but it’s also a stark reminder that events often have a negative impact on the Earth and through the dedication of our community we can offer a better model to travelers who need to take those ideas to other parts of the world.

The efforts haven’t been limited to water, either. As part of an ongoing reforesting initiative, the festival organized and funded the planting of more than 54 species of native Costa Rican trees, over 10,000 in number, from Playa Hermosa to Playa Guiones. In a recent beach cleanup effort, the festival began a new goal of cleaning up about 10 kilometers of beach from Playa Colonia to Playa Dominical. After the first meet and covering about 5 kilometers, the group emerged with more than 1,300 kilos of rubbish that is now no longer littered across the coastline. More beach cleanups are planned to continue this effort.