Conservation Groups
Organizations provide knowledge, coordination and environmental guidance.
BÖËNA ARTICLE
Small Spheres, Living Rivers
How Guests and Communities Are Helping Restore Costa Rica’s Waterways
A simple mixture of clay, molasses and beneficial microorganisms is helping communities take action for Costa Rica’s rivers. Through the EM Spheres Project, environmental restoration becomes something people can make, understand and participate in directly.
01 — A Collaborative Solution
Good News for Rivers and Watersheds
In August 2023, Böëna joined the Spheres Project, an initiative created through collaboration among conservation groups, water observatories, students and communities.
The project brings together the National Alliance of Rivers and Watersheds of Costa Rica, OCA — Observatorios Ciudadanos del Agua — and participants who want to improve water quality through a natural and accessible method.
Students
Young participants learn how watershed protection can become practical action.
Communities
Local involvement helps connect restoration efforts to each waterway.
Tourism
Lodges and guests expand the project through education and hands-on participation.
02 — How the Spheres Are Made
A Natural Process Activated Over Time
The project uses a Japanese-developed technique based on EMs — effective microorganisms that are natural, safe and beneficial.
These microorganisms include fungi, yeasts and bacteria that are mixed with simple organic materials before the spheres are allowed to ferment.
Prepare the Mixture
Clay soil, rice semolina and molasses are combined with effective microorganisms.
Shape the Spheres
The mixture is formed into compact balls approximately the size of a fist.
Ferment for 22 Days
The spheres are left to biologically activate before they are ready for use.
Release Into the Water
Once introduced, microorganisms reproduce and help break down organic contaminants.
What Happens in the Water
The activated microorganisms begin interacting with organic material in the water, supporting natural decomposition processes and contributing to improved water quality.
03 — Waterways Are Life
Taking Action Where It Matters
“The time has come to take action to save these bodies of water that are life.”
— Roberto de la Ossa, National Alliance of Rivers and Watersheds of Costa Rica
The initiative has gained attention as a community-centered response to one of Costa Rica’s most urgent environmental challenges: contamination in rivers and watersheds.
Its strength lies not only in the technique itself, but in the way it helps people understand that restoring waterways is a shared responsibility.
04 — Across Böëna
From the Pacuare River to Tortuguero’s Canals
Böëna has supported the project across its lodges, adapting participation to the waterways surrounding each destination.
Pacuare River
Sustainability Coordinator Blanca Aguilar Mondragón and lodge guides received intensive training. Guests now help make and release spheres into the river.
Quebrada Sucia Watershed
Guests and community members participate in applying the project to a local watershed in the cloud forest region.
Tortuguero Canal
The initiative extends to Tortuguero’s waterways, connecting visitors with the environmental health of the canal system.
05 — Guests as Participants
Sustainability You Can Take Part In
Guests at Böëna lodges are invited to participate in the project during their stay, depending on the schedule and availability at each destination.
The activity turns conservation into a tangible experience: participants learn the process, make the spheres and understand the waterway they are helping to protect.
Ask the Lodge Concierge
Participation schedules vary by lodge. Guests can check with the concierge for available EM sphere preparation or release activities during their stay.
Small Actions, Living Water
The EM Spheres Project demonstrates how environmental restoration can be educational, collaborative and hopeful.
Each sphere represents a simple idea with wider meaning: healthy rivers depend on people who are willing to understand them, care for them and take action together.