Mission Statement

TEND THE EARTH shares the vision that when we partner and learn from Nature, our relationship with earth and all her inhabitants is enhanced. Nature is our inspiration and our guide. TEND THE EARTH seeks to reawaken our deep connection, our Oneness with Nature, and facilitate a revolutionary shift toward co-creating a new way of being in the world: One in which our precious earth is honored as our Mother.

Our focus at TEND THE EARTH is to educate, empower and inspire people to make positive changes to the way they live their lives and how they view their world. People and ideas are encouraged and nurtured. In this increasingly uncertain world, TEND THE EARTH provides practical solutions and positive messages for dynamic, creative change. TEND THE EARTH presents curriculum that shares information and teaches skill sets designed to enhance a greater understanding of our relationship to tending the earth, in ways that create more real wealth, health and are truly sustainable.

TEND THE EARTH is located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Yosemite National Park, and enjoys pristine natural surroundings. The sheer beauty of our location is an enduring reminder of the importance of caring for the earth in a manner that will provide for all as well as for generations to come.

Instructors

Tend the Earth partners with local and experienced instructors who not only have the know-how but the ability to instruct and inspire others. We are pleased to be associated with the fine people below.

Marianna Burrett

Marianna Burrett, M.A. is a permaculture designer, educator and founder of TEND THE EARTH in Oakhurst, Ca. She facilitates workshops on ecological design, sustainability and permaculture. Trained and certified in Permaculture Design with the REGENERATIVE DESIGN INSTITUTE, she also holds an MA in Clinical Psychology from California State University Northridge. She is devoted to re-localization and cultivating community resilience, believing it to be a key strategy towards developing regenerative culture.

She also co-founded the Gardening Angels program in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District where she taught.  What began as a simple plot of weeds has been transformed into numerous “outdoor classrooms” for students K through 5th grades. Marianna also taught organic gardening classes to adults from her garden, certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Marianna was a vendor at the weekly Ventura Farmer’s Market, where she sold her certified organic produce.

She has written a minibook CHOICE POINT: Our Freedom to Choose a New Story and can be contacted via email at tendstheearth@gmail.com

Mike Burrett

Mike Burrett brings a wealth of knowledge and know-how to Tend the Earth. Trained and certified in Permaculture Design with the REGENERATIVE DESIGN INSTITUTE, he has over 35 years of experience working the land.  His interest in agriculture and animals began in high school when he became the first president of his local chapter of Future Farmers of America.  As a young adult he purchased and homesteaded seven acres of raw land in Malibu that developed into Tara Organic Farm (certified CCOF) from which organic gardening classes were taught and market vegetables were grown for farmers markets.  Formally educated with a BS in business, he has been an entrepreneur his entire life, having created successful businesses that continue to thrive.  He offers deep understanding of stewardship of the land and inspires others to take positive action.

Judy DeRosa

Rev. Dr. Judy DeRosa , Echota Cherokee, holds a doctoral degree in Spiritual studies with a specialty in Native American wisdom. She is the founder of Judy DeRosa’s Creativity Circle located in Oakhurst, California, a center that offers art processing classes, private healing and hypnotherapy sessions, and a Women’s Sacred Circle. Judy’s studies span a lifetime with many Native American teachers and healers.  She has over 40 years of experience bringing an understanding of creativity to the mind, body and spirit, helping many people to understand that art and beauty are an important part of their path to wholeness.

Wendy Fisher

Wendy Fisher, Senior Biologist/Plant Ecologist/Certified Arborist, has extensive experience providing land-use guidance to land trusts, ranchers, developers, city, and county governments for issues related to wildlife, botanical and wetland resources for the preparation of documents for CEQA and NEPA compliance. Wendy has worked on development of several conservation banks and on natural land preserves during her 13+ years of biological consulting in Central California. Ms. Fisher earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Ecology with minors in Botany and Forestry from Humboldt State University in 1996. Ms. Fisher has expertise in the native and rare flora of California, with a particular interest in edibility and medicinal use of native plants. Wendy loves to backpack, cycle and explore remote areas of Central California.  She resides in the Southern Yosemite area where she raises her identical twin daughters.