It is with heavy hearts that the staff and board of the Columbia Land Conservancy share the passing of our dear friend and colleague Tim Kennelty.
Tim’s legacy will live on in the landscapes he nurtured in Columbia County during his time on the CLC board and later as a leader on the Taghkanic Community Forest Committee. His beautiful home garden teemed with native species, inspiring countless other gardeners to do the same in their own yards. He spearheaded a meadow restoration project at Siegel-Kline Kill, bringing joy to the insects, animals, and people who visit that space seeking connection with nature.
In an incredible final act of generosity, he was the driving force behind Tim’s Woods, a tree-planting project at the Taghkanic Community Forest. Tim inspired (and sometimes lovingly cajoled) hundreds of people to come together and care for the land at the largest volunteer events ever hosted by CLC. Tim took conservation work seriously, but he took joy seriously too. He cracked jokes effortlessly, was generous with smiles and hugs, and had a personality so sparkling and lively that even a virtual meeting with him left you feeling energized.
Tim’s own words describe his legacy best: “A lot of people stuck a tree in the ground, and said ‘We’ve got to do this for Tim!’ I always think of trees when I think about legacy – you know, they outlive people, and it’s just kind of amazing that you can leave something like that.”
“The Taghkanic Community Forest wouldn’t exist without Tim. He was truly a force of nature. We were so lucky to know him, to spend time with him, and to get our hands dirty together in service of something larger than all of us,” says CLC President Troy Weldy.
Friend and fellow volunteer Betsy Albert remembers Tim: “Tim brought laughter and importance into my life, whether it was while we worked on a project for the Taghkanic Community Forest, or planned a town gardening project, perused the rows of plants at a nursery, or shared stories of our oddly aligned upbringing. Every outing with him was an adventure of the highest order – a little madcap and a lot of fun. I was lucky to be in his orbit.”
We’ll miss Tim for a long time. And yet, we can’t help but feel incredibly grateful that we can continue to connect with his spirit by visiting the forest he put so much love into. If you haven’t yet, we hope you’ll visit Tim’s Woods. Take a moment or two to sit near one of his namesake trees. Though he won’t get to enjoy their shade himself, he made it possible for future generations to have that experience and, hopefully, be inspired to do a little planting of their own.
Our thoughts are with Tim’s husband Harris Spylios, his two dogs Sam and Theo, his family, and his incredible community of friends and fellow gardeners.
