Since then the Molina's have been looking for ways to utilize their property, known as Finca La Suerte ("Lucky Farm" in Spanish), in a way that would be ecologically responsible and preserve Costa Rica's rich natural heritage. The result is La Suerte Biological Field Station which is being developed exclusively for research, education, and conservation.
We have defined the following long-term goals for La Suerte Biological Field Station: 1. To offer field-oriented courses that are available to both undergraduate and graduate students. 2. Provide instruction on various field techniques in primatology and ecology, to think critically, and how to ask appropriate, testable questions about the environment. 3. Educate students from all parts of the globe about the need to protect and conserve tropical rainforests and the natural heritage of our planet. 4. Develop a plan for the protection and conservation of the fauna and flora of La Suerte Biological Field Station. 5. Inventory the plant, amphibian, reptilian, avian, and mammalian species present at the site. 6. Initiate long-term ecological projects on the flora and fauna.

The Field School offers broad undergraduate and graduate training in Neotropical field ecology. Classes are limited to around 22 students. With one senior faculty and three graduate teaching assistants per course, the small class size insures an optimal student:faculty ratio of 1 to 6.

Courses include Primate Ecology and Behavior, Biology of the Rain Forest, Ornithology, Herpetology, Rainforest Art, Medicinal Plants, Tropical Plant Ecology and various art classes. Designed to be "classrooms in nature", these hands-on courses get students into the field, designing and conducting individualized research projects. In previous years, students at La Suerte have chosen to study a wide range of topics such as positional and feeding behavior of capuchin monkeys, plant diversity between artificial and natural forest gaps, inter- and intrasexual territoriality in northern jacanas, effects of ultraviolet radiation on leaf-breeding frog eggs, activity patterns and diet in giant bala ants, and attitudes in the local community toward conservation. Additionally, several long-term research projects are ongoing at La Suerte, including primate behavior, poison-dart frog territoriality, ant distribution and abundance, and bird-mediated plant succession in pastures.

Each day, professors and teaching assistants give lectures and provide background information to help students develop a conceptual framework for understanding the remarkable diversity of the neotropical rainforest community. Lectures, group projects and exposure to real examples of plant-animal interactions are designed to help students develop their own original research projects. Our goals at the Field School are twofold: We want to challenge students intellectually and provide them with the problem-solving skills and academic background needed to address key issues in tropical ecology, environmental studies, and conservation. At the same time, we hope to foster in students a love of inquiry, exploration, and learning about their natural world. This is accomplished by having the students actively participant in science.

Since it was established in 1993, La Suerte has attracted over 350 students from across the United States, Canada, Latin America, India and Japan to study tropical rainforest ecology and conservation.