• Flashlight or headlamp with RECHARGEABLE batteries
• Reusable Water Bottle
• Biodegradable/Organic Soaps/Sunscreen (Please do not bring anything containing DEET here. Keep in mind that everything that goes on our bodies washes into our streams and ponds)
• Alarm Clock
• Surge Protector for charging your computer or device
• Travel insurance/an emergency fund in cash (~$300)
• Personal first-aid kit with bandages, gauze, tea tree oil, iodine, etc.
• Personal towel/sarong to dry off with (See below)
• Pillow (See below)

Women: We recommend the DIVA/Moon cup or reusable sanitary products to make your monthly cycle more comfortable. We don’t have a way to dispose of sanitary products, so please do not bring them. Please understand that if you bring these things, you will be taking them with you when you leave.

Our needs are always changing so please ask before you come! At the moment we are in need of:

• Canning jars, lids, and bottling equipment
• TOMS (or other organic brand) flouride-free toothpaste
• Dr. Bronners Soap
• Nutritional yeast
• Assorted organic cooking spices
• Tea Tree Oil

Feel free to ask before you come if you have extra room in your suitcase!

• Anything containing DEET
• Non-biodegradable sanitary products
• Packaged food and snacks (keep to a minimum and take all trash with you when you leave)

We have shared, open-air dorms as well as private rooms. It is important to understand that our infrastructure is integrated with the surrounding natural environment; you will be safe and dry, but all rooms are open-air.

Students who would rather camp can do so. Please understand that we cannot provide tents or bedding to campers. Campers should also understand that we have very limited hammock space, so don’t count on being able to sleep in one!

For those with a menstrual cycle, we recommend the DIVA/Moon cup or reusable pads. We don’t have a way to dispose of paper/plastic sanitary products like tampons or pads, so please do not bring them. If you do bring tampons or pads, be aware that you will be taking them with you when you leave.

Our policy is that if you bring it here, you have to take it with you when you leave. There is no trash service at the farm. We provide participants with a bag for personal trash and expect everyone to take their personal trash with them when they leave, no exceptions.

As a general rule, we try to reuse our waste as much as possible, but we simply cannot use a huge volume of trash. Try not to bring any plastic or other garbage to the farm. Bring food in cardboard boxes if you don’t have a cloth bag for it. Use rechargeable batteries! This is a precious and sensitive ecosystem; we don’t want toxic waste here.

Everyone is expected to contribute to maintaining a clean and comfortable communal environment. Please don’t leave personal items in common areas. Take care of everything you use and put items back where you found them. If you make a mess, clean it up. We have regular “cleaning parties” where everyone picks a chore and deep cleans the common areas. We emphasize personal as well as collective accountability and ask that everyone pitch in.

You are also responsible for keeping your private living space clean and tidy. Be especially mindful of leaving food out; we don’t want to attract insects or rodents.

We try our best to create a safe atmosphere at VerdEnergia but students should be mindful that we are living alongside venomous wildlife and plants. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own well-being. Act with common sense, listen to your body, and be respectful of wildlife and you should be fine.

Remember to always carry drinking water, wear sun-protective clothing and lotion, and be aware of your body. You should wear lightweight long pants and rubber boots while in the fields.

Please let us know if you have any health concerns, allergies, dietary needs or use medication that we should know about. It’s a good idea to bring a small First Aid kit. We have medicinal plants and a medicine cabinet here, but you should always be prepared and maintain responsibility for your own health. Please be conscious that you will be in a humid climate and that cuts heal slowly so there is a greater risk of infection. It takes about 1.5-2 hours to get to a pharmacy or hospital from here, so take that in to consideration, especially if you have a severe medical condition.

There are deadly venomous snakes and stinging insects in the jungle; a good flashlight/headlamp with rechargeable batteries is essential at night. Please stick to the main roads and do not walk through the forest after dark. When leaving the main house area, always wear boots and take a full water bottle. Check and shake your boots for scorpions and spiders before putting them on. Be extra careful in the long grass. If you see a snake, DO NOT try to kill it. Slowly back away and notify a staff member. As a general rule, don’t work alone in long grass or go walking in the jungle without telling someone where you are.