Biography
Future Naturalist
Tom was born and raised in Jackson, Michigan, where he spent a lot of time hunting and fishing with his father. When he wasn't in school or afield with his dad, he could usually be found in his basement "aquarium room" watching and learning the behavior of fish. Following high school he spent a summer working in Yellowstone National Park before enlisting in The United States Air Force. There he worked as a fuel systems mechanic on bombers and in-flight refueling tankers. Various deployments allowed him to scratch his "itchy foot" in Texas, Illinois, Idaho and Alaska.
After the military service, Tom enrolled at Jackson Community College and then transferred to The University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources, where he acquired a B.S. degree as an Interpretive Field Naturalist. While in college Tom began working part-time for wildlife filmmakers Walt and Myrna Berlet. Encouraged by the Berlets, Tom, upon graduation, began working as a film speaker on the National Audubon Society's wildlife film lecture tour. Over 35 plus years since, Tom has produced seven half-hour and two one-hour "specials" for television which have been seen in over 80 countries around the world. At the same time, he produced 15 lecture films whose titles give you a clue as to some of his travels over the years.
The Gho - Bhutan men's wear
- "20th Century Wilderness" (An overview of wilderness areas in the US)
- "Footloose in Newfoundland"
- "The Marsh, a quiet mystery"
- "Superior, Land of the Woodland Drummer"
- "Quebec Whales & Labrador Tales"
- "Vancouver, Isle of Wonder"
- "An Alaskan Autumn"
- "Bermuda, Gem of the Atlantic"
- "Autumn Odyssey, Alaska to the Keys"
- "In Search of the Albino" (A decade long search for albinos across America)
- "The Highlands of Scotland"
- "The Misty Isles of Scotland"
- "Bhutan, the Cloud Kingdom"
- "The Gift of the White Moose"
- "Florida's Alien Wildlife"
Well over five thousand appearances, across Canada and the US, have included engagements at National Geographic, Carnegie Mellon, The Museum of Natural History in New York City, The Smithsonian, Chicago Geographic and Golden Gate Geographic. Tom finds the live performance to be the most exciting way to bring the fascination of the world around us to everyone.