Meet NWALT Board Member Matt Dickhut

Our board members are critical to the success of the Land Trust and we are thankful for their expertise and leadership! This series is all about introducing these difference -makers who are helping ensure NWA will always be defined by clean water, fresh air, native habit, a growing supply of locally grown fruits and vegetables, and access to outdoor recreation, all while expanding economic opportunities.

Get to know Matt...

Matt has lived in Northwest Arkansas for over 38 years and is happy to call Rogers and Fayetteville Arkansas his hometowns! He works for Collier and Associates in community based real estate. Before joining Collier, he worked in customer service as a Sales Consultant and General Sales Manager at Adventure Subaru in Fayetteville.

BOARD Q&A

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How did you get involved with NWALT? Jenny Burbridge and I know each other from college and recognized my passion for conservation as well as the value add I could provide the board with my expertise in real estate in NWA.

Who are your environmental heroes? Yvonne Choinard and Neil Compton are among many more.

How do you want to impact Northwest Arkansas Land Trust? I would like to be an asset to NWALT to lean on when it comes to addressing questions regarding real estate acquisition, easements as well as helping educate other real estate professionals as well as our clients on the 101 of conservation easements for buyers or sellers.

Wilson Springs Preserve

What may younger generations not understand about your generation’s concerns about the environment? Growing up in NWA and living here for the past 37 years I have seen rapid change to our landscape. This area is slated to continue to grow at a rapid pace and it needs to be at the forefront of everyone's mind young and old to focus on more thoughtful growth, eternal protection of greenspace and protecting our watersheds. NWA is a wonderful place to live for many reasons. However, I think most will agree that our connection to the natural surroundings in NWA is one of the most valuable assets we have in this area. We can not lose the focus to preserve our regional greenspace and protect it for generations to come.

What generational perspectives are missing in today’s conservation movement? There seems to be a lack of connectivity when it comes to our natural world and natural areas in our modern world. It is amazing how many people do not have a chance to get outside and connect with nature in some form or fashion on a regular basis. When I worked at the Ozark Natural Science Center in 2008 I had a 5th grade student say on a short one mile hike in the woods "The only time I have ever walked this far was in Wal-Mart shopping with my mom." At that moment I initially chuckled and then immediately went to thinking just how unfortunate that so many kids do not have a chance to get outside and see our surrounding environment. This issue is one on a global scale. Humans no longer have to connect with their natural surroundings to survive. It is an option. However, we have to realize that for some the option of getting outside to experience nature does not come nearly as easy as it should.