05/04/2026
Our Matt Arner is presenting at the Forest County Bigfoot Festival!
MEET OUR SPEAKER: MATT ARNER
We are pleased to welcome Matt Arner to the Forest County Bigfoot Festival!
Matt is the founder of the Allegheny Plateau Project and co-host of the podcast the Sasquatch Experience. His interest in the possibility of an undiscovered species roaming North America goes back to childhood, sparked in part by his mother's own visual encounter with an unknown hominid in Pennsylvania.
An established outdoorsman with a passion for the back country of the Northeast, Matt brings more than 20 years of law enforcement experience and forensic training to his research. That background informs how he handles potential evidence in the field, from DNA collection to footprint casting, tracking, and observation. He continues to develop his skills in survival and wilderness first aid as well.
Matt began taking paranormal groups and other interested parties to known Bigfoot hotspots in Pennsylvania early in his research career. In 2013, he partnered with fellow Pennsylvania researcher Sean Forker, taking his work to a new level. Though he lives in the Poconos, Matt spends most of his time investigating the remote areas of North Central Pennsylvania.
In 2024, Matt launched the Allegheny Plateau Project, a scientific research initiative focused on gathering data and evidence of undiscovered and Lazarus species across the Allegheny Plateau of Pennsylvania.
Matt has been featured on the Small Town Monsters Appalachian Bigfoot series with Aleks Petakov and is set to appear in an upcoming Small Town Monsters series on investigations in the Allegheny National Forest and the PA Wilds region.
You can follow Matt's work on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram under the Allegheny Plateau Project and Matt Mickey Arner.
"Founder of the Allegheny Plateau Project & co-host of the podcast the Squatch Experience
Matt has been intrigued by the idea of an undiscovered species still roaming North America since he
was a child. As a young boy, his mother had a visual encounter of an unknown hominid in
Pennsylvania. Matt has always kept this interest with not just the phenomena of Bigfoot but his love of
the outdoors throughout his life.
Matt had taken members of paranormal groups and other interested parties to known hotspots in
Pennsylvania to look for signs of activity. However, it wasn’t until 2013 when Matt teamed up with fellow
Pennsylvanian and esteemed researcher Sean Forker, that he was able to take his research to a new
level.
Matt is an established outdoorsman who enjoys traveling to the back country areas in the Northeast
United States. His skills are continuing to grow in survival, wilderness first aid and other outdoor related
talents. Matt also uses his 20 plus years of law enforcement background and forensic training to
properly handle any potential evidence, from DNA to casting of foot prints, as well as tracking and
observation.
Although Matt lives in the Poconos, he spends most of his time researching the remote areas of North
Central Pennsylvania.
In 2024, Matt started the Allegheny Plateau Project; a scientific based Bigfoot and wildlife research
project. The goal of the project is to provide data and evidence of undiscovered and Lazarus species,
particularly amongst the Allegheny Plateau of Pennsylvania.
Matt is a co host of the podcast, the Sasquatch Experience. Additionally, Matt has been featured on
Small Town Monsters Appalachian Bigfoot Series with Aleks Petakov and an upcoming Small Town
Monsters series on investigations in the Allegheny National Forest and the PA Wilds region.
Matt can be found on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Instagram under the Allegheny Plateau Project
and Matt Mickey Arner."
