FOUNDERS
Tamara Roske - Founder 1992 to Current
Tamara Founded Earth Guardians in 1992 and was the visionary behind the organization for the past 29 years. She is the mother of six beautiful children who were all actively involved in and co-lead the different generations of Earth Guardians.
In 1992, she co-founded and directed the Earth Guardian Community Resource Center, an accredited experiential learning high school in Maui, Hawaii, where she successfully directed her vision to bring environmental awareness, cultural involvement and an impactful platform for youth to be effective leaders in their communities.
Due to public recognition through their expansive work, Earth Guardians received the Children’s Torch of Hope through Global Family from the Dalai Lama in 1995. Tamara and her family with 25 high school students from the Earth Guardian Community Resource Center School took the Torch on its historic journey to high profile events in 29 states across the US, traveling 6 months. They gathered documents from youth who were fighting for a better future and they presented those to the General Assembly with the Children’s Torch of Hope in honor of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.
She has taught environmental education and organized youth outreach and cross-cultural programs focused on climate justice and earth restoration for the past 29 years. Through her work, she supported and empowered youth to fight for moratoriums and bans on Fracking, getting pesticides out of city parks, fees on plastic bags, reforestation projects, ocean, river and land cleanups, lawsuits suits to fight climate change and more.
Through her leadership, love for the Earth and the children that will inherit it, she guided Earth Guardians into a positive, impactful force on the planet of thousands of youth working to protect their communities in over 70 countries.
Jasmine Roske Jones - 1st Generation Co-Founder 1992 - 2000
Jasmine is a first-generation Earth Guardian and attended the Earth Guardian Community Resource School in Maui Hawaii. In 1995, she participated in the Children’s Torch of Hope, 6 month tour, as lead singer and representative of Earth Guardians. She used her talent performing at many high-profile events in 29 states, including the United Nations where the Torch of Hope was delivered with documents from youth across the country working for a better future.
Jasmine an Earth Guardian at heart is also a single parent to three teenagers and is very concerned about the state of the planet they are inheriting, thus is very committed to social, environmental and climate justice work.
Jasmines children became actively involved in Earth Guardians, speaking at City Council and County Commissioner meetings on issues that were directly impacting their community. They helped organize rallies and actions to shut down the coal plant in their community and helped to get pesticides out of city parks.
Currently she has dedicated her time to caring for senior citizens while going to nursing school. She aspires to spread awareness and support to mothers by helping birth their babies as a nurse midwife. She is excited to have the opportunity to work with youth and be a nurturing presence for the collective Earth Guardian community.
Isa Roske - 2nd Generation Co-Founder 2000 - 2008
Isa Roske led the 2nd generation of Earth Guardians in Boulder Colorado from 2000-2005. She has been working in the fields of activism and leadership for over two decades. She has been an Earth Guardian since the age of six and has spoken and performed at many high profile events and conferences across the country with 1st generation Earth Guardians, which gave her the roots to lead the 2nd generation.
Isa also co- founded Youth Leaders in Action, a project of Earth Guardians that gave young people the opportunity to feel empowered and learn tools to create positive change in the world, by first educating themselves about issues directly affecting their community and then taking informed and peaceful actions to make a difference. She has received the Echievement Award from E-Town Radio and the PeaceMaker of the Year Award from the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center.
Music and dance has always been one of Isa’s passions and her work as an activist is now being creatively expressed through the arts. She writes and sings songs to share a message of love, connection, and celebration. Isa and JoeAlan, the Indie Soul band she co-founded with JoeAlan Meador, released a debut record called Lifelines in 2014. She joined her brother Xiuhtezcatl Martinez in the creation of their album “Break Free” and toured extensively spreading their message of hope and love. Her original music has been featured at music festivals, events, and rallies across the United States, Mexico and Australia.
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez - 3rd Generation Co-Founder 2009 - current
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is an advocate, leader, activist and hiphop artist. He launched the 3rd generation of Earth Guardians at the young age of nine years old. Recently named TIMES Next 100, Xiuhtezcatl has felt called to change the narrative on what it means to be an activist since an early age. Still a teenager, X has spoken multiple times a the UN, addressing the General Assembly and spoken on panels with the likes of Bernie Sanders, Van Jones, Shailene Woodley, Bill Mckibbens and Pharrell Williams.
Xiuhtezcatl has been guest on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah & Real Time with Bill Maher. He has also been featured multiple times in Rolling Stones on PBS, Showtime, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Upworthy, The Guardian, Vogue, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, CNN, MSNBC, HBO, VICE, as well as photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
Xiuhtezcatl has a unique talent for connecting people through popular culture and sharing the message of his indigenous roots to better serve the planet and reimagine the future for his generation.
Jeremy Roske - 1st Generation Co-Founder 1992 - 2000
For Jeremy Roske, music is more than a melody — it's a cure. Raised by a pair of social pioneers, Roske spent his childhood watching what systematic change could do for the world. But it was his time spent in Hawaii as an Earth Guardian that exposed him to music's healing power.
Raised on everything from 90's hip hop to funk and reggae, he wrote his first song at only 12-years old. Later in life, influences like Peter Gabriel, Sting, and Bobby Mcferrin altered the way he looked at songwriting. Inspired by the rhythmic intricacies and socially conscious messages of other artists, his style began to shift. He soon became one of Earth Guardians' founding members, where he wrote message-driven melodic music designed to uplift the masses and influence the planet. He toured 29 states and performed at over 40 events in 1995 — just before his world turned upside down.
After being struck by lightning, Roske's near-death experience inspired him to branch out on his own, creating music that spoke to survival and our ability to transform, if only we could allow ourselves the peace and energy to do so.
With each new release, Jeremy Roske personifies music's healing power into each personal, influential track, creating music that inspires hope and transcends tragedy.
Makasha and Katharine Roske Co-FounderS Earth Guardian Community Resource Center 1992-1995
Earth Guardians came into being through the love and creativity of a family dedicated to empowering young people to be conscious stewards of Gaia.
Since their destined meeting in the early 70’s Katharine and Makasha have been committed to cultivating a soul-centric culture which honors the sacredness of all life. They have been instrumental in the founding of a number of progressive schools, facilitators of international youth leadership trainings, and co-creators of global link ups for peace. They brought their decades of experience as educators, environmentalists and event producers to join Tamara in the birthing of the first generation of Earth Guardians in Hawaii.
In 1996 after touring for 6 months carrying the Children’s Torch of Hope the family migrated to the mainland settling in Colorado and New Mexico. As Tamara continued to bring her vision into manifestation growing Earth Guardians into a global movement, Katharine and Makasha dedicated their energy to the founding and stewardship of Hummingbird Community in northern New Mexico. For the past 2 decades Hummingbird has offered nature based experiences that tend to the soul life and offer a pathway for a regenerative way of living. Programs which focused on youth included Earth Guardian Leadership Trainings, Permaculture Certification Courses, Pachamama Alliance Trainings for Youth, Vision Quest, Dance, NVC Training and more
Katharine and Makasha continue to be committed to inter-generational collaboration where young people experience their deep rooted connection with nature and are empowered to express their unique gifts in the cultivation of a sacred way of life.