VerdEnergia Pacifica
Lanas, Puriscal, San Jose, Costa Rica
https://www.facebook.com/verdenergia.pacifica
Languages Spoken at this Impact Center:
English, Spanish, Dutch
General Info
MISSION
VerdEnergia Pacifica is an intentional permaculture community and reforestation project in the mountains of Lanas de Puriscal, Costa Rica. We are a Cooperative dedicated to ecosystem regeneration and sustainable lifestyle creation, experimenting with practices that serve our land base and withdraw legitimacy from the unsustainable structures and habits of our cultures. We aim to transform today’s convergence of global crises into opportunities to unite, educate, and co-create a more conscious, just, and abundant way of life for ourselves and generations to come.
HISTORY
VerdEnergia was founded in 2006 by a small group of initial investors. We bought the land with the intention of building a cooperative farm in order to secure a healthy future for ourselves and our children, independent of destructive corporate systems and governments. We soon after received a grant from the government of Costa Rica in association with the Co-Op in Puriscal to plant 35 small farms with Jatropha trees for the production of biodiesel and soap. We have received a number of grants so far and have since planted over 150,000 trees in our local area. We now have over 50 investors in our cooperative and hundreds of friends and allies around the world. In early 2015 we secured our watershed by purchasing the land above VerdEnergia and have continued our massive food-(re)forestation project up the mountainside and into what is now called Shangri-Lanas.
VISION
Our vision is the end of destructive corporate dominance. We envision diverse, empowered, conscious communities sharing the abundance of a healthy and balanced planet in our lifetime.
GOALS
VerdEnergia is doing its part to make this vision a reality by working towards these goals:
– To reforest damaged land into a food and energy forest, thus establishing a suitable, healthy, and biodiverse habitat for humans, animals and plants.
– To protect the land and watershed from foreign and/or short-sighted interests.
– To create a duplicable model for responsible land and watershed management and thriving, diverse, and sustainable human cultures centered around permaculture principles.
– To build and protect a biodiverse and healthy landbase in order to secure an abundant future for ourselves and our posterity.
– To establish and sustain a free school to foster environmental awareness and revolution around the world.
– To create an opportunity for like-minded individuals and groups to divest from unconscious, destructive systems and reinvest in conscious systems that empower communities, value and protect ecosystems, and create a shared abundance on our planet.
– To provide opportunities for local micro-enterprises and cooperative land ownership with local partners.
– To co-create and participate in the growing net of sustainable communities in Costa Rica and around the world.
Thanks so much!
CHECK OUT OUR UPCOMING EVENT: Permaculture Design Certification Course
Volunteer / Internship Opportunities
We are always looking for long term interns (3 months plus). We are constantly building either our homes, gardens and forest so each months offers us a different opportunity to learn and refine our skills. www.verdenergia.org
VerdEnergia currently has five full-scholarship positions available for hardworking, passionate, dependable and self-motivated individuals who can commit to at least 3 months. SCHOLARSHIPS
OTHER PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES
We welcome those interested in internships and student practical studies for a variety of projects we have going on. If you are interested in learning about Permaculture, sustainable living and agriculture, this is the place for you! These programs are great for experience and resume building.
- Food Processing, Preservation, and Fermentation (Year round, begins June 2014)
- Natural Building (July 2014 – January 2015)
- Amphitheater Stage Project (December 2014 – February 2015)
Event Hosting Opportunities
VerdEnergia is excited to host the right kind of events. We can host from just a few people up to 200 depending on the events needs. Contact us with details if you are interested.
Educational Opportunities
As a growing community, education and impact center, VerdEnergia frequently hosts a variety of workshops and courses. We host Permaculture courses a couple of times a year. Check back here every once in a while for updates.
Open to Accepting New Members
It is certainly possible. Shares are sold to those who fit cohesively into our diverse community. Come visit for a while and let’s get to know one another! We are open to having another 12 or so members here at the farm. We would love to have some more people that are committed to living here full time. Many of our member stay for a few months each year. We are striving for unity, not uniformity so please get in touch with us if you have been pondering the move into intentional community living.
ALSO: Become a ShareHolder of Shangri-Lanas!
There are a few shares left for this rainforest restoration and sustainable design project adjacent to VerdEnergia Pacifica in Costa Rica.