Foster the Earth

Foster the Earth (FTE) is dedicated to helping vulnerable children and young adults in the Foster Care system reconnect with their curiosity and wonders through exposure to the great outdoors. FTE provides wilderness immersion for foster youth to build their skills and self-confidence, impart a sense of wonder and awe, and inspire these underserved youth to become advocates to protect the future of the world's wild places. We provide foster youth and young adults who are aging out of the foster system a rare opportunity to connect with nature and experience wilderness through hiking, wilderness skill-building, and backpacking. Many foster children and youth lack opportunities to experience the natural world and especially wilderness. FTE seeks to fill this in communities around the country. The wilderness immersion we offer helps develop self-worth and critical life skills for a successful future, in these vulnerable and underserved youth. FTE fosters a greater appreciation for nature, the environment, and the lands we live on and explore in this diverse population underrepresented in the environmental movement to date.