Inspiring Connections

Inspiring Connections
            Spotting the shining diamond out of the thousands of e-mails that bombard my inbox is not always easy.
            I was intrigued, however, by this subject line in an introductory e-mail I received in January of 2024: “AUTISM AND BUSHWALKING: Australian researcher travelling to San Francisco and wishing to meet you.”
            An Australian man, father to an autistic son, was undertaking a Herculean effort to do research for his Winston Churchill Fellowship project out of Australia. The study was on helping autistic people enjoy walking in nature. As the creator of HikingAutism.com, this felt like a perfect match.
            Six months later, I and my family had the pleasure of spending several days talking and hiking with Travis Saunders and his family. They made the remarkably arduous journey from Australia to San Francisco, a long flight that might have been impossible for my autistic son with all the sensory overload and disruption to routine.
            After San Francisco as the first leg of his research trip, Travis and family then traveled extensively to other parts of the U.S. and Canada to meet other individuals and organizations who facilitate opportunities for autistic people to enjoy time in nature.
            It was an uplifting joy to feel Travis’s energy and determination to make lives better. Check out the in-depth report about his project: “To investigate models of support that enable autistic people to access and enjoy bushwalking” (“hiking” for non-Australians!) under his Churchill Trust Fellow page: 
Travis Saunders, Winston Churchill Trust Fellow:  
https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellow/travis-saunders-sa-2023/
            To read Travis’s reporting on HikingAutism, go to page 19, “Case Study 1: HikingAutism, California, USA”
            It was an honor to be the first stop on Travis’s research trip, and to hear about the amazing progress his son Patrick has made as a result of that journey.
            The photo is of Travis with my son Sean and me on a hike near Lands End during his visit. Another walk we did with Travis and family was at Crissy Field in San Francisco, so this week’s Hike Notes from the archives is: Crissy Field East Beach and Crissy Marsh.
            May we all make connections in life that inspire us. Keep putting one foot forward!
 
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 137: Crissy Field East Beach and Crissy Marsh