• Agroforestry
• Basic Carpentry
• Building with Cob and Bamboo
• Soapmaking
• Designing and Construction of Composting Toilets
• Cooking and Cleaning
• English Instruction (to locals)
• Foundation Work and Basic Masonry
• Gardening
• General Labor
• Greywater System Design and Installation
• Micro-Hydro System Design and Installation
• Permaculture
• Trail Construction and Maintenance
• Tropical Farming
• Yoga Instruction

General volunteer traits the ranch staff always appreciate are independence and creavitiy.  Hence, the ranch is very open to self-initiated projects. If there is something that you are interested in doing or learning, please let us know or talk to the local supervisor so that you can be set you up accordingly.

• Volunteer House in shared bedrooms
• Three meals per day and snacks

The Ranch is an environmental learning and sustainable living center, retreat and lodge located in the last virgin rainforest of Costa Rica’s beautiful Puriscal County. The project site provides you with a bed in one of the several houses that are located at the Ranch’s territory. All houses are very cosy, quiet and set amongst fruit trees and the forest. During the busiest times at the year you might be ask to be flexible with your accommodation and you may be accommodated either with a local family or the camping ground (tent will be provided by the volunteer). Though this is increasingly less common as the infrastructure is improved every year, volunteers staying in homestays or tents have full access to the houses and their associated amenities.

The main house is set on our 235 acre private wildlife refuge and features a hand full of trails, abundant wildlife, waterfalls, rivers, swimming holes and beautiful forests. The house is less than a one minute walk to town and contains three bedrooms with both double and single bedrooms. Rooms are airy, light and comfortable, with custom built cedar shutters that fold to the outside. The middle bedroom containing a double bed comes equipped with a ceiling fan.

There are 6 Mayan hammocks on the porches in which you might want to read a book or nap. Guests at the main house share an indoor bathroom. The house also has a composting toilet and an indoor shower and is home to the Ranch's wonderful library. The main house is generally the most active place at the Ranch, and where all meals are served, so please keep this in mind if you're interested in staying here. It also contains the kitchen's gardens, an earthen oven, an official home-made ping-pong table, the Ranch kitchen and plenty of space to read, write and relax.

The houses are constructed with local materials such as clay, straw, sand, earth, bamboo and wood. The volunteer house itself is home to three double and two single beds with a maximum capacity of 8 people. The house has running water, electricity and a spacious addition that can be used for reading, playing the guitar, doing yoga or just hanging out. It's the only two-story structure at the Ranch and definitely one of the most innovative and beautiful houses on the property. Volunteers and local staff have also recently finished constructing an awesome composting toilet.

All houses have nearby bathrooms, showers, electricity, and running water and each house has great access to the forest and nearby swimming holes and waterfalls. Local women are available to do laundry or you can do your own in the outdoor sinks/basins or in our hand cranked washing machine. There is a public telephone in the town close-by. There is also a small Internet cafe in town with 4 computers and a phone that you can use to make reasonably priced international calls.

As a volunteer you receive three meals a day—typically amazing vegetarian fare. In between meals, you are welcome to snack on bananas, homemade goodies and whatever other fruits happen to be in season. Breakfast usually consists of homemade bread, yogurt, kefir and granola, local eggs and coffee, tea and fruit. Lunches and dinners are large, healthy, wholesome, scrumptious and satisfying. We love to bake bread, bagels and pizzas in our self-made earthen oven. All meals are communal.

This ranch is an environmental learning and sustainable living center. They advocate organic gardening and farming, the study of medicinal herbs, homeopathy, vernacular building techniques, alternative energy systems and educational activities to help facilitate a more sustainable global community in the rainforest. The staff practices and promotes living responsibly in the tropics while educating the visitors about the significance and majesty of the world’s disappearing tropical forests. They serve to educate about the rainforest and create a beautiful, harmonious, and exciting community where one can come to share and learn.

One of the primary goals is to expose the guests and volunteers to the wonders of the rainforest and the beauty of other cultures, while teaching what it means to live sustainably. They employ hands-on, experiential learning techniques using the rainforest and help from the local community. They work tirelessly to help lead local efforts in conservation, education and community growth. The site encompasses 550+ acres of picture-perfect waterfalls, crystal-clear rivers, impressive trees, and pristine habitat in the transition zone between humid and pre-montane rainforest in one of Costa Rica’s most undiscovered regions. The property shares a significant border with the splendid La Cangreja National Park, a protected area providing habitat for a number of endangered animals and flora, and containing some 2,000 plant species and varied fauna such as 2-toed sloths, trogons, scarlet macaws, boa constrictors, toucans, poison-dart frogs, blue morpho butterflies, motmots, white-faced capuchin monkeys, coyotes, and anteaters. The ranch maintains 10 miles of rainforest trails.

The hospitable and attractive agricultural community provides the visitor with a glimpse of "tico" campesino life. The locals invariably spawn the fondest memories for those taking the time to interact with them and are what truly make this corner of Central America a special and exceptional destination for conscientious visitors.

On site and in the community, the Ranch constructs natural buildings, including the use of bamboo and cob, and support the use of renewable energy systems. As an effort for the ongoing commitment to education and instruction, the Ranch organizes and sponsors a wide array of workshops ranging from alternative design and construction to Wilderness First Response Certification, and work with schools in both the United States and Costa Rica in offering customized educational programs on rainforest ecology, Latin culture, and Spanish and English as a second language.

One time registration fee 75 USD.

• Accommodation
• 3 meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
• Orientation kit
• Local support
• 24h-Emergency Number

• Flight
• Airport Pick-up
• Medical Insurance
• Visa (if necesary)
• Personal expenses