Back To Earth
connecting young people to what is wild and sacred,
in themselves and in the world
We offer workshops, overnight retreats, and wilderness programs that train young people’s attention and awareness.
We teach practical skills and critical thinking that support young people to experience safety and belonging in the natural world.
We create opportunities for young people to connect with their sense of purpose and source of meaning.
We are a community of adult mentors and guides dedicated to uplifting and supporting young people to navigate adolescence with greater confidence, resilience and gratitude.
Thanks for being here - on Earth.
It takes all of us.
"My son is learning the source of truest strength - the courage to be open and to connect."
dIve deePer
registration for WILD opens in december!
A wilderness-based adventure learning and rites of passage program for teenage boys
“Not only did he gain backpacking experience, he went through an incredible spiritual and emotional transformation as well”
aPpreciaTion From ParenTs
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Back to Earth saved us!
I was desperately looking for something for my teenage son to do during the lockdown of summer of 2020. I happened upon WILD on a parents site and immediately signed him up for the 10-day backpacking trip. He had a blast; I had a break; but, even more importantly, he developed new skills and a renewed sense of being capable and connected. To keep that goodness going,I signed him up for Mentoring Circles, which provides him with healthy, positive activities and an ongoing connection to excellent, supportive mentors and the outdoors. Highly recommended!Kate, WILD parent
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It's impossible to overstate...
how valuable and wonderful Back to Earth has been for our 16 year old - both for him and for us as his parents. He returns from these trips and gatherings in a state of calm, happy groundedness that is wonderful to see and to be around. You know how great it feels as a parent when your kid is having an enlivening, enriching, challenging, fun-filled experience? That's how it feels to have your kid involved with Back to Earth, times 100.- Elizabeth, WILD parent
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Exactly what I hoped for.
Far more daunting than navigating my own transition from adolescence to adulthood has been parenting a son doing the same. Since joining the first trip to Yosemite, Jesse and Eli have been profound role models for my son. Through their example, my son is learning the source of truest strength - the courage to be open and to connect. WILD has been exactly what I hoped for but didn’t imagine existed.- Jennifer, WILD Parent
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WILD is so much more than a summer camp.
My son has benefited immensely from every trip he’s gone on. It’s a great change of pace from his usual urban lifestyle. He has come back each time with new levels of confidence, and stories of camaraderie and overcoming challenges. So grateful for Eli, Jesse and the whole team.- Andreas, WILD Parent
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More than I imagined!
I cannot say enough about this program and the guys who run it. My son went on his first backpacking trip with them last summer and it was transformative in so many ways. Not only did he gain experience backpacking, he went through an incredible spiritual and emotional transformation as well. He came away with life long connections to amazing people and a belief in himself that he hadn't felt before.- Sevgi, WILD Parent
a wOrd From ouR foUndErs
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 …
