Meet Matee Manakitivipart, Volunteer Coordinator

Matee was born in Bangkok, Thailand, a city known for its abundance of motorcycles, and spent most of his childhood there. He was given his first moped at age 10 so that he could be a delivery driver for his grandmother’s meat vendor shop—and no, he did not wear a helmet. Another fond memory from Thailand: Steve Irwin. Matee watched shows like the Crocodile Hunter on Thai TV, which sparked his love for wildlife before he even knew what wildlife was. Matee even got the chance to see Steve Irwin in a Thailand mall when he was on a tour for a documentary.

Matee moved to California with his family in 2002. While earning his undergraduate degree at Humboldt State, he made sure that he was always close enough to sample the natural world… sometimes literally. During his time at Humboldt, Matee had the opportunity to eat banana slugs, a traditional Native American food. They were boiled in vinegar and pan fried (to remove parasites) until they shrunk to one-eighth of their original size. Then, after a generous amount of butter, they are ready to eat, though he says it wasn’t the most pleasant eating experience.

Before coming to the Academy to coordinate volunteers, Matee worked as a bird bander in Hawaiʻi and then joined Lindsay Wildlife Experience as a youth programs coordinator. His responsibilities included teaching animal husbandry, overseeing groups of up to 50 teenagers, and handling the animals, from snakes to owls—his favorite part of working there. He quickly became qualified to handle almost all of the live animals (except the eagles).

Outside the Academy, you can find Matee searching for new hiking spots around the Bay Area. His ideal day: waking up early, grabbing some nice drip coffee, and going to look at birds with enough time to grab brunch afterwards. “Redwoods are my happy place,” Matee says.

You can also find Matee searching for new food places. “My foodometer points to sushi most of the time. I have to moderate myself because it’s not always cheap.” After hiking or enjoying a succulent sushi meal, Matee will wind down by watching anime and playing games like Pokemon at home.

Given the chance, where in the world would this well-seasoned traveler go? “I’ve lived in and traveled to many tropical places already, but I haven't experienced snow yet. Maybe somewhere with a clear view of the northern lights, like Greenland.”

Academy Anniversary: August 16, 2021

Favorite Academy animal: Pacific spiny lumpsucker

Favorite part of his job: Chatting with volunteers and learning from Academy biologists and researchers.

First job: Hired at age 16 as a dishwasher at Tucker’s ice cream shop. He was so efficient that they upped his pay as a dishwasher rather than moving him to the front.

Alex Kwong is public programs lead in the Academy's Public Education & Engagement Department