A group of Canadian and French youth are cycling from Guelph, Ontario to Dúrika, Costa Rica.

This group of young adults has chosen to cycle from Canada to Costa Rica to find exceptional examples - households, communities, and organizations - of sustainable living. They plan to stay at each model for approximately one week to learn how each one lives sustainably. The cyclists focus on getting hands-on experience with each model’s most successful, most effective, and most interesting methods for sustainable living. They plan on taking everything they've learned and turn it into "tools": how-to guides, videos, articles, and interviews for people interested in sustainable living. The tools will be straightforward and practical, to make it easier for those unfamiliar sustainable living to understand and implement in their lives. These tools will form what the cyclists call their "sustainability TOOLKIT!"

In 2010, the cyclists began the first half of their 16, 000 km journey, cycling from Guelph, Ontario, where they departed in July, to San Francisco, where they arrived in January 2011. The cyclists passed through areas like HELP in Regina, where they learned about community equipment re-use programs and solar toilets that sanitize toiler contents to use as fertilizer and Prairies Edge Eco-Village in Winnipeg, where they learned about a homemade solar oven and a vegetable garden that supplies over 50% of the food for 7 households.

The California to Costa Rica journey begins on October 16th. The cyclists will make stops at communities, households, and organizations in Monterrey, Mexico; the Monkey Bay Wildlife Reserve, Belize; and Chimaltenango, Guatemala. During their journey, the cyclists will be updating their online journal with stories of each sustainable living model. You can keep up with their trip at the JOURNAL.

When the cyclists return from their trip, they will be implementing the toolkit back in Ontario and plan on showcasing the things they have learned. More details on their implementation will be released in Summer 2012.

For more information on P.E.D.A.L. or to donate to their cause, please visit pedalacrosstheamericas.com