The Sanctuary
Where the land always comes first.
OUR STORY · STEWARDSHIP · REGENERATION
Our Sustainability &
Conservation Story
Wilder Sanctuary began with a simple commitment:
to protect the land and learn from it.
Created by Lena Ropp and her husband Scott, Wilder is both a family home and a living rainforest sanctuary.
We first discovered this remarkable 30-acre property in November 2020. Rather than rushing into development, we spent the following year carefully observing and studying the land. We worked alongside architects, builders, and permaculture specialists, analyzing the soil, water systems, climate patterns, native ecosystems, and the natural flow of the landscape.
Only after understanding the land did we begin designing Wilder.
Our approach was guided by a simple principle: work with nature, not against it.
PRESERVING WHAT WAS HERE
We chose to protect the rainforest.
A small portion of the property had previously been used as pasture and was covered with grasses and ferns, while the vast majority of the land remained intact rainforest filled with hundreds-year-old trees, wildlife, and extraordinary biodiversity.
We chose to preserve and protect the rainforest while regenerating the disturbed areas into productive and ecologically diverse landscapes.
OUR SANCTUARY IN NUMBERS
The vast majority of our land remains rainforest habitat, while former pasture has become food forest and medicinal gardens.
THE GARDENS TAKE ROOT
From open pasture to a thriving landscape.
What was once pasture has become a flourishing tropical food forest and medicinal herb garden.
AN EVER-GROWING LIVING LANDSCAPE
Planted with intention.
Growing in abundance.
Over the first two years, we planted more than 300 fruit and native trees and over 70 medicinal and healing plants, and we keep planting more native trees on a regular basis. What was once pasture is now a thriving food forest filled with cacao, mangosteen, durian, breadfruit, jackfruit, rambutan, jaboticaba, mamey sapote and trees like Ceiba, Pau d’Arco, Nazareno, Guapinol, and many other native species.
Our medicinal gardens include holy basil, gotu kola, ashwagandha, lemongrass, vetiver, galangal, rosemary, thyme, aloe vera, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and dozens of other traditional healing plants.
Throughout the property, orchids, flowering plants, palms, bamboo, and pollinator-friendly species provide habitat and nourishment for wildlife.
THE FOOD FOREST, CLOSE UP
Every season brings something new.
Fruit to taste, seeds to plant, herbs to gather, flowers to pause for. A living landscape that continues to surprise us.
BOTANICAL DETAILS
Nature reveals itself in the smallest things.
Orchids, roses, tiny blossoms, medicinal herbs, and the pollinators they nourish—all part of our daily relationship with the land.
CONSCIOUS, OFF-GRID LIVING
In rhythm with the land.
Sustainability guided every aspect of the creation of our home and sanctuary. Our bamboo home was designed to work naturally with the tropical climate. Located 500 meters above sea level, it relies on natural airflow and passive cooling rather than air conditioning. The structure is powered entirely by solar energy and operates independently from the electrical grid.
Water is sourced exclusively from a natural spring on the property, providing fresh water throughout the sanctuary. Seasonal rainfall is carefully directed through the landscape to nourish the gardens, food forest, and surrounding ecosystems, allowing water to be used efficiently and in harmony with the land.
Our swimming pool uses a saltwater system, reducing the need for harsh chemicals. Organic matter from the gardens and kitchen is composted and returned to the soil, creating a regenerative cycle that nourishes the land and supports the continued growth of our food forest.
Whenever possible, we use materials sourced directly from the property. Much of the wood throughout the sanctuary and in our handcrafted furnishings comes from naturally fallen or responsibly managed trees on the land itself. Our wood-fired sauna offers another simple connection to traditional, low-impact living.
WATER, BAMBOO & OPEN-AIR SPACES
Designed around nature.
A HOME FOR LIFE, IN ALL ITS FORMS
A living rainforest habitat.
Today, the sanctuary structures, food forest, medicinal gardens, and spa and guest spaces occupy only a small portion of the land. The vast majority remains protected rainforest habitat, where monkeys move through the canopy, parrots and toucans fill the air with color and sound, and countless species continue to thrive.
Each day, we continue learning how to protect this remarkable habitat and make room for nature to flourish.
THE HEART OF WILDER
True wellness includes
the wellbeing of the Earth.
Wilder was never intended to be a retreat destination. It was created as a living example of what becomes possible when conservation, regeneration, and thoughtful design work together.
Every garden tour, stay, or retreat supports our ongoing commitment to stewarding and preserving this extraordinary ecosystem for future generations. We believe that true wellness includes the wellbeing of the Earth, and that by caring for the land, we create a place where both nature and people can flourish together.
This is the heart of Wilder Sanctuary: conservation, regeneration, and a deep respect for the land that sustains us all.
A glimpse of life at Wilder
THE PEOPLE BEHIND WILDER
Our family.
Our way of life.
So who is the “we” behind Wilder? We are Lena and Scott, a family who fell in love with this corner of Costa Rica and chose to make it home.
Together with our three children—Teya, Leo, and Elia—we live surrounded by the rainforest, growing food, learning from the land, and sharing its abundance. Wilder was first and foremost a place for our family to put down roots. Only gradually did it become a sanctuary we wanted to share with others.
Creativity, food, curiosity, and nature are part of our daily rhythm. Teya brings an artistic eye to life here, Leo loves preparing vibrant plant-based meals alongside Lena, and little Elia reminds us to delight in the smallest discoveries.
Guests often tell us they feel at home here. That sense of welcome is intentional: whether we are sharing herbal tea, a garden harvest, an afternoon by the waterfall, or a beautifully prepared meal, we hope every visit feels personal and unhurried.
MEET THE CREATOR
About Lena Ropp
Retreat curator · Living foods chef · Certified herbalist · Regenerative lifestyle educator
Wilder brings together everything I have loved and learned: creating meaningful experiences, sharing living cuisine, exploring the wisdom of plants, and living in harmony with nature.
Lena Ropp is the creator and visionary behind Wilder Sanctuary—a living regenerative sanctuary and an immersive, deeply personal retreat experience nestled within 30 acres of rainforest on Costa Rica’s South Pacific coast. A retreat curator, living foods chef, certified herbalist, and regenerative lifestyle educator, Lena brings more than a decade of experience in creating nourishing experiences rooted in nature, conscious living, herbal wisdom, and meaningful connection.
From beautiful celebrations to meaningful experiences
Before creating Wilder, Lena earned her bachelor’s degree in International Marketing and spent several years as a marketing specialist in the corporate world. She later founded and led a luxury wedding agency for over a decade, curating more than 100 elegant celebrations known for their creativity and heartfelt attention to every detail.
She also founded and ran a marketing agency connecting wellness and lifestyle brands with leading creators. Working alongside companies in juicing, sprouting, and healthy living, she shared recipes, wellness inspiration, daily rituals, and conscious lifestyle practices with her growing community. This experience in hospitality, design, and personalized events continues to shape the thoughtful way every retreat at Wilder is created.
A personal journey into plant-based living
After moving to the United States, Lena discovered the transformative possibilities of plant-based living and inspired her family to embrace this lifestyle in 2014. Her curiosity grew into a passion for living cuisine, regenerative living, the nourishment of the body, and our relationship with the natural world.
Lena completed Cornell University’s Plant-Based Nutrition Program, received certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and graduated from the Herbal Academy. Her work has been featured by One Green Planet and The Huffington Post, which included her @pureveganfood community in its selection of vegan Instagram accounts to follow.
As a living foods chef, Lena has created exclusive dining experiences and educational culinary events for private and corporate guests. She has also been invited internationally to teach living cuisine and plant-based culinary practices to hotel chefs in Bali, Mexico, and throughout the United States—sharing the joy, artistry, and vibrancy of plant-powered food.
Creating Wilder with Scott
Together with her husband Scott, Lena began turning a shared dream into Wilder Sanctuary after they discovered the property in November 2020. With years of observation, care, and purposeful work, they created a home that nurtures both people and the land: a living ecosystem of fruit trees, medicinal herbs, regenerative gardens, and protected rainforest.
Today, they are grateful to raise their family surrounded by this extraordinary nature and to share a part of their way of life with guests from around the world. The warmth of a family home, together with Lena’s background in personal hospitality, is at the heart of the Wilder experience.
Retreats created around each guest
For the past several years, Lena has devoted herself to curating intimate, personalized retreats that support restoration, reconnection, and wellbeing. Each experience is thoughtfully shaped around the needs and intentions of the person arriving—blending rainforest immersion, mindful movement, meaningful rituals, botanical wisdom, and vibrant garden-to-table cuisine.
Deeply passionate about medicinal plants and traditional herbal knowledge, Lena works closely with the abundant tropical herbs growing in Wilder’s gardens. The sanctuary itself is her inspiration, a place where learning from nature is woven into everyday life.
At the heart of Lena’s work is a simple philosophy: wellbeing should feel joyful and deeply nourishing. Through retreats, culinary experiences, herbal education, and life close to the land, she invites guests to feel more connected, radiant, and fully alive—in harmony with themselves, one another, and the Earth.
MEET THE CO-CREATOR
About Scott
At Wilder, family and nature have always been at the heart of the dream.
Scott and Lena discovered this rainforest property together in November 2020. What began as the dream of a family home became a shared commitment to protect its wild character and create a slower, more intentional way of living.
Scott brings a love of the ocean, surfing, and the outdoors to family life at Wilder. Away from everyday demands, his happiest moments often come from time in nature and with family—whether on the water, exploring the surrounding coastline, or simply enjoying the quiet of their home among the trees.
Alongside Lena, he helped turn their shared vision into a living sanctuary: one that offers the warmth of a personal home while welcoming guests to discover the extraordinary natural beauty of Costa Rica.
EXPERIENCE WILDER SANCTUARY
We invite you to be part of this story.
We invite you to walk beneath the rainforest canopy, connect with nature, and experience the peace of a place dedicated to regeneration and mindful living.
To begin your journey, please complete the Retreat Inquiry Form. We would love to learn more about you, what is calling you here and the kind of experience you feel most drawn toward as we begin envisioning your immersive wellness retreat together.
If we feel we are a beautiful fit for one another, we will connect within 48 hours to continue the conversation and begin crafting your retreat experience.
Until then, may this already be the beginning of your return to stillness, nourishment and deeper connection.
Retreat Inquiry Form