Outside With Meags
Welcome! This is the story of my journey with nature. For more info about my professional work, visit this page.
In short: I’m an avid hiker, I’m obsessed with trees, I love camping, and I feel happiest when surrounded by evergreens in the mountains. But I wasn’t always this way!
Growing Up in the PNW
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, but I never fully appreciated the beauty of my surroundings, and never felt a pull to spend much time outdoors. Going to college in Spokane, Washington didn’t spark that in me, either.
In Her City Era
After college, I moved to Washington, DC, and for 6 years, I fell in love with city living. In 2020, I moved with my partner to Berkeley, California, where we knew almost no one and it wasn’t safe to be inside, and as will ring true for many others – this is when my relationship with nature changed.
Bay Area Infusing Nature Into Her Being
I was already a big fan of walking everywhere I could, which I attribute to my time living in DC, an incredibly walkable city. Once we moved to the Bay Area, I quickly realized how fast a neighborhood walk turns into an unplanned hike, given the topography.
Dazzled by our beautiful natural surroundings, I increasingly felt pulled to explore the outdoors. From the Berkeley and Oakland hills, to eventually Mt. Tamalpais and Marin County, and then eventually along the coast in places like the Pt. Reyes National Seashore, Mendocino, and the North Coast of California. I was spoiled, and I was hooked. And once I started solo hiking, I could never get enough.
Deep Diving On Dendrology (Trees)
All of this adventuring was combined with an increasing fascination with the trees around us. I’m not sure why it never occurred to me to learn about them when I grew up in Seattle, but back west again, I couldn’t NOT notice the redwoods on every block, as well as the other evergreens. I knew I wanted to learn how to tell them all apart. And thus began my amateur naturalist phase that has only strengthened since.
Eventually, my hiking progressed to backpacking, and once again I was hooked, marveling at the ability to wake up somewhere majestic after having carried a whole campsite on my back.
City Era Returns, Plus Nature This Time
In 2023, we moved back to Washington, DC for work. With my newfound focus on nature and the outdoors, I have come to view the DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas with an entirely new lens, and I am having a blast exploring, while still enjoying what I love about the city.
I travel back west often, and have a long bucket list of adventure destinations, but I also explore the Mid-Atlantic every chance I get, outside of work.
Thanks for reading and being here. I’d love to hear about your outdoor adventures, too.
Meaghan Webster | Public Affairs 