our mission
Back to Earth guides young people into deeper relationship with nature, self, and community. Through wilderness programs, retreats, and mentorship, we teach practical skills and foster critical awareness that help youth experience belonging, build resilience, and discover a sense of purpose.
We are committed to expanding equity and access in outdoor education—ensuring that transformative experiences in nature are available to all young people, regardless of background.
our vision
We believe every young person deserves the chance to feel fully alive, connected, and capable. Our vision is to improve the lives of teens by bringing them into wild nature, offering steady adult mentorship, and sharing practices that support full-spectrum human thriving.
When young people reconnect with themselves and what matters most, they begin to show up with more care and clarity. That shift reaches their families, their schools, their communities, and the world around them.
our commitments
We are committed to expanding access and equity in wilderness education.
We are committed to being a welcoming point of entry to the outdoors for youth of all backgrounds and levels of experience.
We are committed to accountability and transparency in all of our relationships with participants, parents, donors and the communities we serve.
our story
Back to Earth started as a labor of love. Eli Marienthal and Jesse Sachs met at Berkeley High, where they became friends through a shared love of wild places, movement, music, and art. Years later, after graduate school and time spent learning from elders across different traditions, they both found themselves back in Berkeley, carrying the same question.
“What did we need when we were teenagers? What kinds of relationships with peers and mentors did we long for, and where would we have found them?”
For them, the answer had always included the mountains. Backpacking in the Sierra as teens had given them their first real sense of purpose and belonging. So they started taking other young men out into the same backcountry, not to escape the world, but to return to it more fully. That was the beginning of WILD: Wilderness Immersion and Leadership Development.
With the support of teachers, elders, and community, Back to Earth has grown into one of Northern California’s leading youth wilderness programs. What began as a few backpacking trips has become a place where young people come to know themselves, build lasting relationships, and remember their connection to the natural world.
“Our programs connect young people to themselves and the natural world.
Our philosophy is rooted in the wisdom of the old ways.
We build reciprocal relationships with nature,
honor traditional ways of learning and knowing,
and find purpose through direct experience.”
~ Eli Marienthal
Co-Founder & Director
Pillars oF our Practice
gratitude
Our original instructions as humans are to honor all elements of creation with gratitude. This remembrance helps us recognize that our lives are deeply tied to the earth and its gifts. Gratitude is often the first step toward reconnecting with ourselves and beginning the work of healing the world. Whether it's a shared thanksgiving circle, a moment of awe on the trail, or a quiet thank you whispered into the wind, we seek to build a culture where gratitude moves freely and inspires care for the planet.
joy
Joy is a vital expression of our humanity and one of the most generous offerings we can share with each other and the world. We teach that joy lives in challenge and movement, in moments of wildness, in seeing the familiar with new eyes, and in welcoming the unknown. Singing, dancing, swimming, and play are not distractions but central to how we reconnect with what matters. When we nurture joy, we strengthen our vitality and deepen our sense of belonging to each other and to the earth.
Honesty
Honesty is a cornerstone of our way of life. Being honest with ourselves cultivates accountability; being honest with others creates the conditions for real connection. When we speak truthfully, we not only honor our own integrity but also create space for others to do the same. In this way, honesty becomes a powerful tool for building trust, clearing confusion, and supporting communities rooted in care and resilience.
awareness
A meaningful life begins with the choice to pay attention—especially to what lives within us. Though often overlooked in the rush of modern life, a rich inner world is part of our birthright. We encourage practices that help individuals tune in to their emotions, reflect with purpose, and move through life with intention. As we grow in self-awareness, we become more capable of making choices that sustain both ourselves and the natural world we’re a part of.
Keep exPloring
field notes:
what we’re reading and writing
Our version of a blog - original thoughts and reposted content, on reconnecting to what is sacred and wild in ourselves and our world.
expanding equity & access in wilderness education
The WILD Scholars Program is a wraparound mentoring and scholarship program for Bay Area high school students from communities who have been historically underrepresented in wilderness education.
meet the back to earth guide and mentor community
We are mentors, climbers, builders, farmers, writers, poets, singers, dancers, medics, leaders, teachers, healers, learners, lovers of earth and sky …