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In Sanur, Bali, the seemingly forgotten mangroves lining the coast are so very important to this heavily populated, but beautiful island – they protect the shoreline, filter pollutants, and provide the vital habitat necessary for a thriving marine life.

Understanding the importance of these ecosystems, the Boundless Life team in Bali has partnered up with Rip Curl School of Surf in Sanur.  This collaboration aims to offer families a mangrove planting experience that blends environmental awareness with cultural appreciation.

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Mangrove Planting with Boundless Life

The lovely Tiara Salsabilla, Experience Curator for Boundless Life in Sanur, explains how this unique activity unfolds as two separate groups. Firstly, the children participate as part of the scheduled Boundless Life excursion, and later mid-cohort parents join separately through the Boundless Life Give Back activity efforts.

However the activity happens in the same manner for each group. Both load into boats not too far from the Education Center, paddle boards, baskets and all. Then following a short gentle boat ride within the reef area, everyone unloads and the mangrove planting activity begins.

Using stand-up paddle boards provided by Rip Curl, both groups journey through the calm waters to reach the planting sites. Here, families learn about Bali’s environmental challenges, gain insights into local sustainability practices, and actively contribute to the preservation of this vital natural resource.

This experience offers a meaningful opportunity for families to connect with the island’s ecological and cultural landscape, leaving them with a deeper understanding of their role in safeguarding Bali’s future.

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Why Mangroves Matter in Bali

Mangroves may not be as famous as Bali’s beaches or rice terraces, but they are critical to the island’s health.

Many are unaware of the ecological importance mangroves carry. These resilient coastal forests act as natural guardians of the shore, forming a living barrier between land and sea. Their roots trap sediment and filter pollutants and runoff before they can wash into the ocean, protecting nearby coral reefs and seagrass beds.

In fact, a healthy mangrove ecosystem supports a whole web of life – from juvenile fish, to crustaceans, to birds.  They even play a vital role in absorbing and storing carbon from the air.

Sadly, Bali’s mangroves have also become unwitting “catchers” of plastic as Indonesia is the world’s second-largest plastic polluter.  Despite the many efforts taken by the likes of organizations such as Sungai Watch, tons of trash unfortunately continues to make its way into waterways and mangroves. Naturally this means, plastic bags, crisp packets and single use plastics, get caught among the roots, threatening wildlife and marring these once-pristine forests. Ultimately it also jeopardizes fishing and tourism industries.

Standing among the mangroves, the families can literally see the problem. Tiara explains how parents notice expiry dates on bottles and snack packaging, some dating back a decade or even more. Of course, these faded numbers illustrate how long this waste has remained trapped in the mangroves, highlighting not only the severity of the plastic pollution issue but also the urgent need for ongoing action.

This is why mangrove planting in Bali is about so much more than simply planting new trees. It’s about clearing trash and learning first-hand how pollution affects Bali’s coasts.

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Giving Back: Culture, Conservation & Community

One special aspect of this mangrove outing is how it merges Balinese culture with conservation. In Bali’s local philosophy, harmony with nature is a pillar of daily life – a concept known as Tri Hita Karana, which teaches balance between people, the divine, and the environment.

This principle is woven into everything from temple offerings to farming practices, and it inspires Balinese communities to conserve nature and maintain environmental balance. By joining a mangrove planting, Boundless families are participating in this cultural value of living in harmony with the island’s land and sea.

This initiative is part of Boundless Life’s broader commitment to incorporating meaningful Giving Back experiences within every family cohort. Beyond mangrove planting, the Boundless Life Sanur cohort also organizes coral nursery cleanups, another impactful way families directly engage with Bali's environmental challenges.

Guided by Tiara Salsabilla, our Experience Curator, these activities ensure Boundless Life families have ongoing opportunities to positively contribute to their adopted communities, cultivating lasting connections to local environments and cultures.

Our collaboration with the Rip Curl School of Surf Sanur enhances these efforts, making them an ideal local partner in Bali. The Rip Curl Mangrove Mob clean-ups are organized regularly, as well as workshops targeted at local communities who live nearby.  By educating villagers and showing the real value these forests have, they aim to find a scenario where locals mutually benefit from the program.  

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Planting Seeds for the Future

By the end of the excursion, dozens of new mangrove saplings are given a new home, each carefully placed and planted with love by our Boundless Life families. Around them, several bags of collected trash sit ready for proper disposal – a tangible reminder of the underlying problem on waste. These families know they’ve contributed a small but meaningful chapter to Bali’s conservation story.

For Boundless Life children especially, this muddy, hands-on adventure offers lessons they could never get from a textbook. They leave with sandy shoes, as well as a deeper understanding of their responsibility to the planet.

There’s a feeling of connection – to the island and to the people. This is “culture” in the truest sense of the word, through shared values and collective action.

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