Vertical gardens are made from upcycling plastic bottles into a garden. Coast 2 Coast joined Bodhi Surf School’s Ocean Guardian program to make vertical gardens for ten local families with an international team of volunteers and local Bahia Ballena kids. Any number of bottles can be strung together and hung against a wall, a fence or porch railing, creating a garden even in an area where ground space is scarce. Choose plastic bottles that are fairly thick and durable, such as 2-liter beverage bottles, rather than thin water bottles, which may tear under the weight of soil, plants and water. The plastic bottles need to be clean with their caps secured and their labels removed.
Photos of the process were captured by both local and international participants.
UPCYCLING
BAHIA, COSTA RICA
Together with Changing Tides Foundation and Give and Surf, we had the honor of working with some incredible girls from Bastimentos, an island off Panama's Bocas del Toro. Once a quite fishing village, Bastimentos now relies on tourism to fuel its local economy. A Marine National Park, Bastimentos is a gem in the Caribbean, it's lush tropical forests reflecting the reefs just offshore. However, plastics, contaminations, and developments threaten Bastilife. The girls took photos of their community and natural surroundings. Afterwards, participants wrote down what they cherish about their community and what they want to change about Bastimentos. We compiled the girls' reflections and photos into a downloadable PDF below.
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Additional Photos by Ashley Baker
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