Educational Events

• Join me for the next scheduled Accessible Nature Hike on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at the Swan Creek Park Community Gardens & Canyon Rim Trail in Tacoma WA

Outdoor Events – Spring & Fall

Meet Outside! Join Matt for monthly Accessible Northwest Natural History Hikes sponsored by the Conservation College which has asked Matt to help lead its Conservation Luminaries program in support of a mission to “inspire a global conservation ethic by connecting people to nature through outdoor education.”

RSVP on the Northwest Nature Hikes Meetup Page and contribute between $5-$25 per person to the Conservation Luminaries program and our outdoor accessibility consulting work when you arrive for the hike. All ages and abilities welcome!

Upcoming Accessible Hikes

• May 20, 2023 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Swan Creek Park Community Gardens & Canyon Rim Trail in Tacoma WA
• Apr 20, 2024 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Earth Day Birding at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge between Tacoma & Olympia WA (Saturday 12 Noon)
• June 15, 2024 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Native Plants of Bradley Lake & Pierce College in Puyallup WA (Saturday 12 Noon)

Past Accessible Hikes

• April 22, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Earth Day at Wildwood Park, Puyallup WA (Friday 6 PM)
• May 14, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Foothills Trail Plants & Birds, South Prairie WA (Saturday 3 PM)
• July 2, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Point Defiance Flower Gardens, Duck Pond, Fishing Pier & Beach (Saturday 3 PM)
• June 4, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Tacoma Waterfront & Les Davis Pier Fishing, Tacoma WA (Saturday 3 PM with pre-registration required at a cost of $15 per person due to overhead expenses at the fishing pier)
• Oct 1, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Clark’s Creek Salmon, Heron Rookery & Riparian Plants, Puyallup WA (Saturday 12 Noon)
• Nov 12, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Veterans Park & Puyallup Riverwalk Trail (Saturday 12 Noon)

Wintertime Online Gatherings

Any Question? Meet Matt for online gatherings during the winter on the last Wednesday of the month starting at 7 pm Pacific / 10 pm Eastern about topics in his videos, and to ask him any question you have about his life or yours. The discussions are recommended for adults as well as older teens. The first half hour focuses on a monthly topic, and the second half on almost anything you want to talk about. Pre-registration is not required, and a donation link will be provided for those wanting to support the development of Matt’s speaking and consulting services, as well as documentary and book projects. Click dates to join for free via Zoom!

Winter 2021-22

• January 27, 2022 for people with disabilities, their friends and family – Introduce yourself, meet Matt and his dog Max, and swap ideas on self care and staying healthy this winter. Click here to read how this event went!
• February 24, 2022 for people in recovery and those still struggling during the pandemic – Let’s talk about addictions and staying sane during the pandemic.
• March 31, 2022 for people in my hometown and surrounding areas – I’d like to talk about our community and understand the issues we see posted on Nextdoor.com, neighborhood Facebook groups, local Reddit threads and other places.

Winter 2022-23

• November 23, 2022 for singles and people without a lot of family – Let’s get together, talk about what we plan to eat and drink tomorrow, give thanks for what we have, acknowledge what we don’t, and share what it means to be happy and have a good time.
• December 28, 2022 for people who love or dread the holidays and new year – Okay let’s go there: talk about your religion, spirituality, fears and hopes for the new year.
• January 25, 2023 for jr high, high school and college students and staff – Learning disabilities, being different and dealing with bullying and peer pressure as a teenager and young adult.
• February 22, 2023 for animal lovers and their pets – Introduce us to your pets. Let’s hear about your favorite places to take them for walks outdoors.

Winter 2023-24

• November 29, 2023 for parents and kids of all ages – How to support and interact with adopted children and people who look and live differently from us.
• December 27, 2023 for jokers, travelers, storytellers, gamers, movie and music lovers. It’s the middle of winter – not my favorite time of year – but let’s hang out, share your favorite tunes, video games, tv shows, celebrities and the heroes who keep us going.
• January 31, 2024 for storytellers, artists, crafters, inventors and entrepreneurs collectors, woodworkers, hobbyists, and other creative people – It’s the middle of winter but you know what I’m talking about: our hobbies that keep us going. Share your craft, tell a story, sing a song, dreams and ideas for the future, believing in ourselves, how I got started and seeing if we can support one another to succeed.
• February 28, 2024 for – Share your for political people searching for a way to bring people together – I’m not political, at least I didn’t used to be, but we really have to find mutual understanding on race, guns, policing, sexism, vaccines and partisan politics.