Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems

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My Life's Work

Co-Founder of Back to Earth, an organic catering company and outdoor adventure program. Please check us out at www.backtoearth.com.

Background

Here is a little story about how I got into the work I am doing:

Life truly takes us on a journey, and I am embracing this adventure with every ounce of my spirit.

I never would have thought that my field research deep in the jungle and high in the Rockies, my teaching position at the Edible Schoolyard, or better yet my job guiding mountain trips and running the backpacking program at UCSF would give me the skills and passion to found Back to Earth – but that is exactly what they did, and I cannot be more thankful.

I still remember my first Environment Science course at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, when I learned about the true devastation that our species is causing all over the planet at this moment. I will never forget when my world was shattered open with each story of another rainforest burned, of another language lost forever, of another body of water contaminated with toxic waste, of another species extinct…forever. These realizations broke something open inside me and sent me on a path to find my greatest contribution back to the earth and all its inhabitants.

After long work on this path, I ultimately was drawn to the remote desert of the Owlshead Mountains in Southern California. I went on this journey to be in solitude. To empty my body and clear my mind, so that I could gain clarity on exactly what I was called on this Earth to do. I believe that we each have a purpose in this lifetime and I went on this quest to ground into mine. It was on this excursion in the desert that the vision of Back to Earth was born.

The concept is pretty simple. Until recent times, the people who walked this Earth for thousands of generations lived in close harmony with nature. As our population has soared, our manipulation and impact on nature has multiplied exponentially. The majority of our population has lost their spiritual and mental connections to the Earth, and therefore we have made decisions that harm it. We are causing serious damage to ourselves, our communities and our ecosystems. It is imperative that we shift our awareness Back to Earth and end this path of destruction.

At the present moment, this concept presents a gigantic challenge for those who care about the web of life. We are constantly charging uphill against corporations and individuals who have not become aware of the consequences of their actions.

My goal is to see us educating one another, providing and modeling real solutions that are sustainable, and shifting everyone's awareness to a new paradigm of natural living. We need to believe in this shift and become active in every moment. From choosing to buy local, organic food to using public transport or bio-fuel for our vehicles, we need to embrace these changes even when it is most challenging.

What is so exciting is that we are part of a global network of individuals and organizations working day and night to make these changes come to life – and the seeds are sprouting everywhere! Right now, there are literally millions of groups engaged in sustainability and social justice work throughout the world.

As Gandhi is so often quoted, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." This is my goal with Back to Earth and I feel honored to be part of such an amazing vision during such interesting times!!

My network:
melinda
paul
betsy
peggy
adam
erica
kaukatsang