Honoring Tom Small

This event was organized by Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones, honors Tom Small for his many contributions to environmental sustainability in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area, including landscaping with native plants. A number of speakers who have worked closely with Tom over the years on various projects and interests speak about Tom’s influence and achievements. A bench honoring Tom Small, to be installed in the Glen Park pocket park located in the Oakwood-Winchell neighborhood where Tom lives, is unveiled. Tom provides some of his own reflections on his work at the end of the event.
Tom Small co-founded the Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones Chapter in 1999 and remains actively involved to this day. He is also the co-author of Using Native Plants to Restore Community: in Southwest Michigan and Beyond, published in 2011, along with Nancy Cutbirth Small. This book is a highly useful reference and guide to the establishment and preservation of native plants and is richly illustrated with works by local artists. As the subtitle indicates, the book is of interest to a wide audience interested in native plants and community. Proceeds from its sale were used to establish the Nancy Small Memorial Fund and have assisted various groups in establishing native plantings at multiple schools, parks, community gardens, and organizations in Kalamazoo and adjacent counties. Along with his advocacy for landscaping with native plants, Tom continues to be a voice for environmental sustainability more broadly.
Recorded January 9, 2022

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Ty for your work, Tom. Ty Ruth, for your connection