La Suerte
Biological Field
Station provides rustic but comfortable accommodations.
Facilities
include nine buildings (main house, restaurant quality cooking
facilities,
three residential cabins,
two staff
houses, a library/laboratory, and an additional residential
cabin and
lecture hall), potable running water
and electricity (standard voltage and outlets).
Living accommodations combine the atmosphere of a college dorm with the sounds, sights, and smells of the tropical rainforest. Several of the cabins are located along the edge of the forest, overlooking the La Suerte River and offer a spectacular view of the rainforest and its inhabitants. Each cabin contains screened-in rooms, showers (no hot water), and flush toilets. Students sleep on bunk beds (4-6 to a room) fitted with sheets, pillows, and foam mattresses.
The library and laboratory are housed together. A partial list of laboratory/field equipment include stereo microscopes, dissecting kit, dial calipers, electronic and Pesola scales and measuring tapes, mapping equipment (Brunton compasses, tripods, etc.), refrigerator, insect collection and storage equipment, dry box, minnow seine, aquatic dipnets, mist nets, black (ultraviolet) light, aquaria, terreria, thermometers, humidity gauge, spherical densiometer, altimeter, light table, magnifier lights, hand lenses, plant press, plant collecting equipment, graphics materials, TASCAM DAT1 portable digital recorder, 200' live-wire M50, AKG stereo head phones, AKG C747 directional condenser microphone and cable (DIGITAL AUDIO TAPES ARE NOT PROVIDED BY THE STATION). The classrooms are in the main house and in a large conference room located within the cabins (Casa Molina, and the conference room equipment include chalkboards, overhead and slide projectors, and video recorder, player and monitor).
The kitchen staff prepares group meals at Casa Molina three times daily by Doña Lillian Molina and the kitchen staff. Meals are served buffet style in a screened dining hall, and include a combination of traditional Central American cuisine and more typical North American dishes. Meals include fresh fruit and vegetables, yucca, heart of palm -- and other foods local to the region. Efforts are made to accommodate those with medically-related dietary needs. There is always ample food at each meal.
La Suerte is also within walking distance of the small village of Primavera, where students can purchase items such as cokes, ice-cream, snacks, toiletries, etc.