VerdEnergia

Situated in the mountains of Lanas de Puriscal, Costa Rica, VerdEnergia Pacifica is an International Permaculture community and reforestation project. Since this center was established in 2006, it has been working to improve damaged cattle land into a food forest in one of the most desertification affected areas of the country. This center is making experiment with the concepts and practical actions to serve the communities and surroundings by developing sustainable awareness, rituals and behaviors. Its aim is to educate, unite and co-construct a more aware and bountiful way of life by transforming present convergence of global crises to the opportunities.

Vision:

This center has a vision to develop diverse, empowered and conscious communities which will share the a green and sustainable planet.

Goals:

VerdEnergia has the following goals:

To transform the damaged land to a food and energy forest and establish a sustainable, eco friendly habitat for humans, plants and animals.
To make a duplicable model for responsible land and watershed management for maintaining diverse human cultures.
To develop a free school to improve the sustainable awareness and spread the idea around the world.
It also want to give the opportunities to the like-minded individuals and groups to divest from unconscious, destructive systems and reinvest in conscious systems that will help in empowering communities, value and protecting the eco systems.
To protect the surroundings and watershed from foreign and short-sighted interests.
With the local partners, local micro-enterprises and cooperative land ownership will also be given the opportunities.
To participate and co-create the growing network of sustainable communities in the country as well as around the world.

Workshops:

VerdEnergia offers courses and workshops based on Permaculture, culinary arts, holistic health and jungle medicine. You will learn all these practices practically in the field from experts.

Permaculture Design Course:

This course is ideally designed for the beginners who are looking for an in-depth, science-centered introduction to the principles of Permaculture as well as for the advanced students who want to sharpen their design skills and depth of knowledge with a practical design project. This course covers the many facets of Permaculture including solutions in agriculture, social sciences, politics, economics, building and design. Course topics include land restoration, reforestation, plant propagation, swale digging, hands-on practical design skills like map-making, land assessment and consultation as well as activism community mobilization, alternative economies and many more. You will learn about Permaculture theoretically and also practically. It will allow to find out the right livelihood through practicing Permaculture.

Projects:

Natural Building:

VerdEnergia is committed to find eco-friendly, sustainable, environmentally-conscious alternatives to the harmful and wasteful practices usually followed in the civilized society for the modern constructions. This center employs a variety of natural building techniques. Some of the few tricks and techniques are Timber Frame, Bamboo Construction, Waddle and Daub, Cob, Cordwood, Earthen Floors, Earthships and Shipping Container Reconstruction are used for building homes and structes at VerdEnergia. In its construction projects, this community uses non-toxic, natural and local materials and substances. It follows the process of reusing waste or seemingly useless materials and converts those materials to useful eco-friendly and high quality products.

Gardens and Reforestation:

The property area of VerdEnergia was once a beautiul rainforest where but it was damaged hugely for pasture in the 1950’s. Established in 2006, this community started a mega soil reconstruction initiative. In association with the Co-Op in Puriscal, VerdEnergia got a grant from the government of the country to develop thirty five small farms with Jatropha trees. These trees has continued to amazed by rejuvenating the soil. It also work for supporting biodiversity, fighting erosion, and providing valuable habitat for wildlife. Its goal is to make an ever-growing, ever-evolving food forest that will be able to reach stability through companion planting.

You can more information about other Permaculture centers of Costa Rica here: Permaculture Costa Rica