Who is Smallworlds
Smallworlds is made up of countless individuals, from all over the world, who have contributed to the initiative in their own special way. The following are those who helped begin it all.

Amanda Gomm: Founder/Explorer
Amanda began forming the idea of Smallworlds about six years ago as a high school student in her home of Toronto, Canada. Her activism as elected Head of the Student Environmental Network’s (SEN) Campaigns Committee, where she worked to help protect a local watershed, the Oak Ridges Moraine, led Amanda to realize her passion towards the conservation of wild spaces and sharing her love for this work.

As a representative of SEN, Amanda was invited to attend the Toronto Wide Meeting for this local issue. Here, she took witness to the coming together of over 64 local Ontario environmental groups, each working together because of their devotion and affection for the land, which most called home.

Amanda's idea of a project which recreated this amalgamation of local groups, but with a global focus, developed over several years. She finally launched the Smallworlds web site in May 2004 with only 4 organizations listed on the Smallworlds Network. Since then the Network has begun to fly with over 60 organizations and more than 30 representing countries.

Please click to view Amanda's Curriculum Vitae

Smallworlds Thank you
Since I began constructing the idea of Smallworlds, several years ago, there have been many who I owe a great amount of gratitude towards. They are the people who took the time to do the little things that make such a difference. The ones who offered their support. The ones who so graciously volunteered their own special talents and the ones who encouraged me to keep going and to persevere.

All of these people, from all corners of the globe, contributed in their own special way. They have nourished not only Smallworlds but my life as well and for that I offer them my greatest amount of appreciation.

Thank you to all of the individuals who replied to my emails and helped direct me towards other inspiring organizations and people. To those who offered their constructive criticism and to all of the organizations themselves who have agreed to be a part of the Smallworlds network. No words can truly explain.

A very special thanks to my dear friend Michaela who has been with me every step of the way. She has always been there to keep me going and has devoted more time, support, and energy then anyone could ever imagine. She is my anchor.

Amanda Gomm

Photographs courtesy of Rob Gomes, the Nepal River Conservation Trust, the Wan Tok Environment Centre (Vanuatu), Green Reef, Toby Wang and Jean-François Pelletier. Thanks to Jean-François Pelletier for translating and thanks to Elerey Mella for their time spent tutoring on the art of web design.