Ricky Haro

Managing Member
Hometown: Great Falls, Montana
Experience: 12 years as a full-time back-country professional. Ricky serves on the Board of Directors for the Wilderness Education Association, served as Past President, and chaired the Curriculum, Standards, and Accreditation Council.
Certifications:  Wilderness First Responder Instructor, Certifying Examiner-Wilderness Education Association. 
Hobbies: Orienteering, Mountaineering, Kayaking, Trekking, Adventure Racing, Long-distance running and eating Oreos.
Education: MaED-Curriculum & Instruction, University of Phoenix; BA-Workforce Education/Program Development, Southern Illinois University; AAS-Survival and Rescue

Josh Walker

Managing Member
Position: Managing Member
Hometown: Seneca, Oregon
Experience: 12 years experience as a full-time back-country professional. He serves on the curriculum committee for the Wilderness Education Association and is a certified high-low angle rope technician, Wilderness First Responder Instructor, and ATV Instructor.
Hobbies: Hunting, Mountaineering, Rock/Ice climbing, Sky- Diving, Mountain biking, Camping, Skiing, Horn- Hunting, Orienteering, Golf, and Wood-working.
Education: Currently seeking BA in Forestry, AAS-Survival and Rescue

Andy Buerger

Director
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Experience: Ski Instructor Aspen, CO; Founder Jodi's Climb for Hope
Education: BA University of Vermont; MBA University of Colorado; 9 Day Outward Bound Backcountry Ski course; 6 day Winter Mountaineering Seminar Mt Rainier. 
Fun Fact: I wrote a book about my climbing experiences -- "Carry a Flag From Pain to Passion"

Ryan Butler

Operations Manager
Hometown: Reading, PA
Experience: A passion for new places and the outdoors that has taken me all over the US. 
I'm an active skier, rock climber, volcano climber, cyclist, and baker. I've spent much of my professional experience sharing the outdoors and beautiful places through many different modes transportation, and love getting to share new and amazing experiences.
Education and Certifications: ​B.S. in Outdoor Adventure Leadership, finishing M.A. in Adventure Education, WEA Certified Outdoor Leader, Leave No Trace Master Educator, AIARE Rec Level 1
Talk To Me About: Space! I'm fascinated by this universe we've found ourselves in. 

Daven Berg

Guide
Hometown:  West Linn, Oregon 
Experience: Specifically a PNW wanderer of 10 years backcountry traveling with 1000's of solo miles ranging 100-700+ miles a trip. Hill patroller and avalanche instructor with Mt. Hood Ski Patrol and instructor for REI
Certifications: AIARE II, Wilderness First Responder and Outdoor Emergency Care Technician/Emergency Medical Responder
Hobbies: Trail running, camping, hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, snowboarding/skiing, ski mountaineering/splitboarding, mountain biking/road cycling, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking and fishing.
Little Did You Know: Three years ago, I hiked 700+ miles throughout Oregon in search of fish and myself. I have a BA in Graphic Design/Minor in Advertising, which I chucked proceeding my hike in search of a career in the outdoors. 
FYI: I'm not a fan of digital distractions, but a huge fan of a good joke. 

Henry Heyman

Guide
Hometown: Boulder, CO 
Experience: A lifetime full of outdoor adventure including; traveling the globe with a whitewater kayaking high school, skiing and mountaineering across Colorado and the PNW, backpacking through the jungles of Central America, and chasing the surf at whatever beach is closest. Professional experience includes 2 seasons of ski patrolling, 1 year as an REI Outdoor School guide, multiple years of raft guiding and kayak instruction, and a year spent developing and running my own adventure outfitting service in Panama. 
Certifications and Education: Wilderness First Responder, Outdoor Emergency Care Technician, AIARE PRO Level 1 Avalanche, ACA Level 4 Kayak Instructor, Swift Water Rescue Certification. BA in Entrepreneurship from the University of Washington.
Hobbies: Kayaking, skiing, climbing, surfing, rafting, mountain biking, mountaineering, backpacking, really finding any way to get outside and enjoy our public lands. I also enjoy playing with dogs, cooking a great meal, board games, and good healthy debate! 
Little Did you Know: I lived out of a hammock in the jungles of Panama for 6+ months while I was establishing new trails and developing trips for my own guiding service. Always game to chat about jungle living and survival techniques! 

Anastasia Bendebury

Guide
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Experience: My thirst for the great outdoors is powered by the calm scent of Douglas firs, the crunch of welded tuff, and sunsweet blackberry brambles. I've climbed in places like the Owens River Gorge, Rumney, Yosemite, and the Shawnagunk Preserve in Upstate New York. I've summited mountains in three states, biked hundreds of miles in search of great adventure, and backpacked through the High Sierras. Oregon is just the next chapter. 
Education: BS in Biochemistry/Cell Biology, PhD in Microbiology
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, First Aid
Fun Fact: On my off time I run Demystifying Science - a puppet show about two aliens, Micky and Quinn, who are on a mission to save humans from the chaos of misunderstanding. 

Rebecca Roehm

Guide
Hometown: Urbana, Ohio
Experience: In 2012, I moved to Oregon with my husband and started grad school. Through a series of events, I found myself as an intern for Rare Earth Adventures despite having zero experience in the outdoors. Almost ten years later, I have expanded my knowledge of outdoor adventures, wilderness safety, and developed a deep appreciation for the wilderness and outdoor resources that surround me. I help lead the moonlight snowshoe tours, shuttle hikers to and from the PCT, and can jump into other adventures when needed. In my spare time I spend a lot of time on trails hiking and running and co-leading the Trail Sisters Portland trail running group. 
Education: Otterbein University, B.A. Sociology and Psychology, University of California, Irvine, Certificate, Human Resources Management, Oregon State University, M.Ed. Adult Education
Talk to me about: Travel, dogs, and snack foods

Emily Meshumar

Guide
Hometown: Princeton, NJ
Experience: Growing up in Suburban NJ, epic hiking, backpacking and skiing were scarce activities. It wasn’t until I moved to Ithaca, NY and then to Seattle and now Portland that I have discovered my absolute love and passion for nature and the outdoors. I love hiking with my dog Buddy and skiing the west coast mountains in my free time. I am absolutely thrilled to join the team here at Rare Earth with people who share my same passions. 
Education: B.A. in Culture and Communications with minor in Anthropology from Ithaca College
Talk to me about: I just moved to the Portland area from Seattle. Tell me about your favorite hikes, ski mountains and restaurants in the area. 

Serena McKenzie

Guide
Hometown: Portland, Maine
Outdoor Background: I studied Adventure Education when I transferred into Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont, in the spring of 2019. I've been frolicking outdoors ever since! This field of study has taken me to some incredible places-from the Adirondack Mountains, to the high Arizona desert, to the glaciated mountains in Ecuador, and I've learned a lot of skills along the way. 
Education: Wilderness First Responder, B.A. in Sustainable Community Development with a minor in Interdisciplinary Studies (ranging from International Relations to Adventure Education and Spanish)
Talk to me about: Music, poetry, theatre, spirituality, anything. I'll probably love it.

Josh Bamberger

Guide
Hometown: Beaverton, OR
Outdoor Background: The outdoors have grown into one of the biggest parts of my life in the last five or six years. I love mountaineering, sport climbing, trail running, and backpacking. I've summited many of the biggest cascade peaks and backpacked hundreds of miles around the pacific northwest. I am especially fond of any adventure crossing paths with alpine lakes of which we have many!
Education: Wilderness First Responder(WFR),  AIARE Rec. Level 1,  HBS in Mechanical Engineering
Talk to me about: Woodworking, Adaptive Technology, Glaciers, and Peanut Butter!

Jennifer Cox

Guide
Hometown: Big Rapids, Michigan
Outdoor Background: Grew up on the lakes and tromping around the piney, snowy woods of northern Michigan. There I enjoyed skiing, ice-skating, kayaking, fishing and other water sports. Somehow ended up in Chicago for 8 years….in my office, I dreamed of mountains and the outdoors. Moved to Portland about
a decade ago to be an art librarian. Finally made my dreams a reality, librarian by week and outdoor adventurer/professional by weekend. For the past 6 years, I have worked volunteering as a recreational climbing educator, outdoor exposure for at-risk youth as an instructor and guide; as well as supporting local public/academic libraries. For the past 4 years, I’ve professionally guided hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, mountaineering and (most recently) skiing.
Education: Dual BA in International Relations and French, Master’s in Library and Information Science, (working on) Post Bachelor Certificate in Addiction Counseling and (soon) Ph.D
Certifications: AIARE Avalanche Level I, AIARE Avalanche Rescue, and AIARE Avalanche Level 2, Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Trainer, Certified Yoga Instructor-200 Hour. Single Pitch Instructor Trained.
Talk to me about: What you are reading! Art, yoga, forest foraging and international travel. All the outdoor activities-I’m always looking for something new to learn or get into next!