A bearded man wearing sunglasses, a cap, and a backpack stands on a rocky desert trail in Yellowstone National Park with mountains in the background under a clear sky, ready for an expedition.

Matt Thomas Scholarship

20 Year Tribute

Donate to the Fund

Help Us Reach Our $20,000 Goal

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Dear Friends of WRFI,

Welcome to the Matt Thomas Scholarship page. This page is dedicated to celebrating the lasting WRFI legacy left by Matt who co-founded WRFI in a Missoula garage in 1993 along with Dave Havlick and Tim Bechtold. Back then, the idea that you could trek through the woods of the Rockies and earn college credit seemed crazy. Through years of advocacy, planning, and course development, WRFI kicked off its first field season in 1995 and has never looked back. In the ensuing decades, over a thousand college students from all over the country have experienced life-changing experiences and one-of-a-kind educational opportunities through WRFI courses.

In May of 2002, Matt returned from instructing WRFI’s Spring Colorado Plateau course in high spirits; tragically, he died unexpectedly days later. Grieving WRFI stalwarts established a scholarship in his name, to ensure that students might continue to reap the benefits of an outdoor education like no other. The Matt Thomas Scholarship was born of those efforts to aid deserving students in participating in Montana Afoot and Afloat, WRFI’s semester-long course that explores human and land relationships from the Bob Marshall Wilderness to Yellowstone National Park to the Tongue River Basin. Matt developed and instructed Montana Afoot and Afloat, and it has remained, to this day, WRFI’s flagship program.

2022 marked the 20th year since Matt left us; in celebration of his legacy, the WRFI community raised an additional $20,000 to put towards the Matt Thomas Fund, bolstering the fund’s principal to over sixty thousand dollars. If you can join us in growing the Matt Thomas Scholarship Fund, we would welcome your gift, in any amount.

Additionally, on this page, we continue working to reconnect with Matt’s friends, co-instructors, students, and other WRFI fans from those early years. If you have photos, stories, or memories to share, please submit them below on this page.

Thank you in advance for sharing your memories and for your generous support of the Matt Thomas Scholarship Fund. We couldn’t be prouder of the legacy Matt has left us and of the large and growing WRFI community.

Gail Gustche
Development Consultant

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    A group of ten people stand closely together outdoors on grass, smiling at the camera. Trees and a house are visible in the background. The group, part of a Study Away Program in Environmental Science, is dressed in casual, warm clothing.

    Though it has been a long time since Matt died, the impacts of his philosophy, his influence and his impact continue to widely ripple out, touching so many, and in turn helping to protect the lands he so fervently helped his, and 20 more years of students come to better understand.

    #napinacup

    #mattism

    Three men stand arm-in-arm on a sandy beach, smiling at the camera. Dressed in casual summer clothes, they enjoy the clear sky and ocean backdrop during their Environmental Science Study Away Program. Nine people stand side by side, smiling by a rocky riverside with trees and a bridge in the background at Glacier National Park. Most wear casual summer clothes and sunglasses, enjoying a sunny day during their Environmental Science field course. A bearded person with medium-length curly hair, wearing a green long-sleeve shirt, backpack straps, and sunglasses on their head, stands outdoors near tall grass and a rocky shoreline under a blue sky during an expedition. A hiker wearing a backpack and hat stands in a desert landscape with shrubs and distant mountains under a clear blue sky, reminiscent of terrain explored during a Study Away Program. A person wearing a yellow jacket and red helmet kayaks through whitewater rapids in Glacier National Park, gripping a paddle as water splashes around them. Rocks are visible in the foreground, highlighting an adventurous field course experience.
    Three people stand on a sandy beach near kayaks, smiling at the camera during their expedition. One kneels holding food, another holds a bag and spreads her arms, and the third stands with drinks. Bushes and a rocky hill are in the background.
    Make a Gift
    A person paddles a kayak on calm water in Glacier National Park, moving away from the camera toward a distant, tree-covered shoreline under a hazy sky.
    Six people stand smiling in front of “McLuLu’s,” a rustic food stand with a sign reading Mucho Tacos Sold Aqui. The group, casually dressed, includes a woman in an apron. Their visit follows an adventure in Glacier National Park.
    Six people dressed in winter outdoor clothing stand close together with ski poles, posing for a photo in a snowy forested area of Yellowstone National Park. Trees and snow are visible in the background.
    Handwritten letter on white paper expressing appreciation for a WFRI program and its positive impact, mentioning memorable experiences like an expedition to Glacier National Park and teaching Environmental Science in Massachusetts. Signed, Talia Epstein.
    A group of five people stands close together, smiling in a snowy forest during an expedition. Next to the photo is a torn paper with a heartfelt tribute to Matt, recalling shared memories and expressing condolences. A group of six people wearing hats and backpacks walk through tall green grass in a sunny, wooded area at Glacier National Park. Some look ahead while others observe their surroundings. Branches with yellow leaves frame the scene. A person in outdoor gear sits on the grass next to a teal tent in a mountainous Yellowstone National Park landscape with patches of snow on rocky slopes. Another person is near a tent in the background under a blue sky.
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    I was just visiting the wrfi website when I saw -in remembrance of Matt Thomas--I am truly sorry for the loss of such a wonderful man. I only knew Matt for about a week+, but in that time he left a huge impression in my thinking and the way I look at Mother Earth. I remember thinking that he was a walking library--he knew so much. I also remember the first day I ever met him and as we went through our packs he told us what we would need and what could be left behind--half of my bag was unnecessary. But what I remember most is how calm and peaceful he was and how I instantly felt at ease with his presence. Matt was a wonderful teacher--not giving you the answer right away--actually having a conversation with you letting you come upon the answer yourself. I now have a 15 month old son and live in the pocono mts of PA--I can only hope and strive to teach my son to live with the environment and to appreciate the beauty of nature as Matt did--and to instill within him such a love that he will always strive to learn more about his ecosystems and to question question question! I hope to be half the teacher Matt was!!

    I wish my best to everyone at wrfi and I am deeply sorry for your loss.
    colette canyonlands '99

    Dear WRFI

    I was on the first Montana Afoot and Afloat and it changed my life and inspired me in many ways. When I went to your website today to get your email address, I was extremely sad to see that Matt has passed away. He was a great leader and teacher and he allowed us to make our own discoveries throughout the course. I was looking forward to seeing him when I come to Missoula this fall... I am really sad that he won't be there.

    I am going to be there playing music at some of the venues up there during a solo acoustic tour of the NW and Rockies. A few of the songs were written and inspired by my experiences on MT Afoot. I wanted to share them with Matt because I haven't been in touch since then. I wish I was better at that...

    Do you have any info on any other coursemates, especially a guy named Ian who is not on the list on the website, but who went on the course and lived in Missoula? Anyway I am very happy to see that WRFI is so successful and I can't wait to be back in MT.

    Christopher

    I am very sad to hear about Matt's death. As a student on Montana Afoot and Afloat in 1997, I spent 2 months with Matt. I sincerely can say that Matt changed my life forever. Matt influenced, challenged, and encouraged me more than anyone ever has honestly. My life has not been the same since taking Montana Afoot and Afloat. In every big decision I make, I reflect on my experience on Montana Afoot and Afloat and about MT (he quickly received the nickname MT from our group). I remember Matt's passion for the Montana land; his querencia. He taught me so much about living responsibly and passionately for the land. I remember Matt's humor (I still tell stories about Matt all the time). His encouragement. Listening to James Brown and MT's head slightly bobbing back and forth. His home-sewn fleece pants and shirt. His love of garlic and Tabasco. I remember his hug when he dropped me off at the end of the course. My words are so inadequate to describe my feelings for Matt. He was beautiful.

    Sincerely,

    Travis

    Hello to all at WRFI,

    I am writing to say my thoughts are with you right now. I heard the news about Matt. Although it has been four years since I took the canyonlands course, I often think of all that I learned from Doug, Dave, Meg, Woody, and Matt. I met two of my best friends on the course, Jesslyn and Casey, who recently got married (they also met on a wrfi course). When Jesslyn called me recently I thought it would be regarding post wedding news, or my plans to move out with them in a month. I could 't believe when she told me Matt had passed away.

    I teach environmental education now, and I often think of Matt when I myself am teaching - the way he would contemplate what he said before speaking, the knowledge he conveyed, and how he was so true to his convictions.
    (How he loved his coffee so much.)!

    Matt definitely touched my life, and we've lost an amazing person. It saddens me that he's no longer with us, and I can only hope that he knew what an impact he had on me.

    Thanks you guys-

    Erica

    Six people in winter outdoor clothing stand close together in a snowy forest at Yellowstone National Park, holding ski poles. They appear ready for a winter activity, possibly cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, with trees in the background. A group of eleven people dressed in winter clothing pose outdoors on snow, with trees and mountains in the background. Smiling, they kneel or stand in two rows, enjoying their Yellowstone National Park Field Course experience. Six hikers wearing backpacks pose together outdoors in a dry, rocky landscape with hills and sparse vegetation in the background. They are dressed in shorts, t-shirts, and sunglasses, smiling at the camera during their Yellowstone National Park adventure. A handwritten note filled with messages and signatures in various ink colors, expressing gratitude and well wishes to Matt—MATT boldly written in the center—commemorates memories from the Glacier National Park expedition. A person kayaks alone on calm water in Yellowstone National Park, silhouetted against a hazy sky with distant tree-covered land visible on the horizon.
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    A bearded man wearing sunglasses, a hat, and a gray shirt stands on a rocky desert trail with a large red backpack, ready for an expedition. Mountains and dry, rugged landscape stretch behind him under a clear sky in Yellowstone National Park.

    Hi WRFI,
    It has taken me a while to organize thoughts and feelings and to just get up the guts to speak about Matt Thomas. I was able to spend two months with him on the Montana Afoot and Afloat course three years ago, and I have never had any experience that has had such an affect on my life as those two months. So much was uncovered for me, not the least of which was discovering a wilderness inside of everyone including myself, including Matt. His strong beliefs in how things should be and yet his revelry in how good life is was so honest and inspiring I know I am forever changed by his presence.
    I will never forget one early morning, paddling down the Yellowstone, watching Matt drifting ahead of us. I was overwhelmed by the excitement of everything that I had been learning and discovering and feeling, but still unsure of myself. I paddled up to Matt and asked him if he ever was lonely out here. He replied, how could anyone get lonely, when there is so much life out here. It was this and so much more that made it so clear to me that a person can really live the majority of his/her life outside, happily, and without sacrifice of a good life or constant battle with the rest of the world.
    I thank you Matt, and I can only hope that for all the roots you spread, your legacy will live on hundred-fold.
    -Mara

    I am deeply saddened to hear of this tragic news. This is a great loss to both myself and the many lives that I am sure Matt has touched during his stay here on this earth. We have lost a very compassionate, living and understanding man, and there will be an empty void in my heart and soul for many years to come. I can't put into words the profound affect that he has had on my life. I looked up to him like a big brother, I respected him as if he were my own father, and I talked of him like a hero, I will now cry for him like a lost friend.

    Matt Thomas, I will always think of you and visit the landscape that you loved so much.

    Brian

    A man with a beard and glasses stands in the snow during an expedition, wearing a red jacket, blue pants, and a green cap. He is surrounded by backpacks and a white snow shovel, with trees and another person in the background.

    There is no better way to understand complex land and societal topics than hiking and paddling your way through them!

    Maizie Smith, University of Montana