Calendar |
August 6:
Green Building Expert Tour |
August 11:
Leopold Center Gardening Day |
August 14:
Canoe Trip (rescheduled) |
August 15:
Art Day applications due |
August 28:
DNR Wildlife Stamp Event |
September 18:
Annual Volunteer Day |
The Woodland School |
In the coming year, we are offering an array of Woodland School classes to advance your land stewardship practice, from the classics—chainsaw safety, prescribed fire—to new opportunities like birding the Leopold Memorial Reserve with experts. We hope you'll let one pique your curiosity and join us in the field! |
Support the Work of the Foundation |
Become a key partner in helping us spread the land ethic, advance the science of land health, preserve the Leopold shack and farm, and train new leaders for the future of conservation. Join today! |
Looking for Summer Reading? |
Visit our bookstore for an array of books, plus other great gift ideas. Shop today! |
Visiting the Leopold Center |
The Leopold Center is open for the season. Open hours are Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm. |
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ALF Wins National Award for My Healthy Woods Handbook
 The Aldo Leopold Foundation was recently recognized by the national Association for Conservation Information for the quality of a publication the foundation developed for private woodland owners last year. My Healthy Wood: A Handbook for Family Woodland Owners, written by ALF ecologist Steve Swenson and designed by ALF communications coordinator Jeannine Richards, received 1st place honors from the association at its 68th annual conference held July 19-23 in Louisville, Kentucky. "We were really excited to receive this recognition," Swenson said. "It really validates the value and appeal of the publication." The foundation has published three My Healthy Woods handbooks, covering Southwest Wisconsin, Southeast Minnesota, and Southern Arkansas. In all, the handbooks reached have reached the owners of 6 million acres of private forestland. You can order a free copy (shipping and tax apply) of any My Healthy Woods handbook online or by calling our office at (608) 355-0279.
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Final Call for Art Day Applicants
 Calling all artists! Are you an artist or artisan whose work reflects a personal connection to the natural world? The Aldo Leopold Foundation invites proposals from new local and regional artists whose work embodies Leopold's land ethic philosophy to participate in this year's Art Day event. The Leopold Center Art Discovery Day 2010 will take place on Saturday, October 30th at the Leopold Center. Artist applications are due August 15th! A selection committee will review proposals, and selections will be made by August 31st. On Art Day, artisans are encouraged to bring samples, do demonstrations, lead interactive workshops for the public, and bring original work to exhibit and sell. Each participating artisan will receive a small honorarium. Leopold Center Art Discovery Day is supported by a grant from the UW Extension Arts and Culture Committee. More information on our website or contact Aldo Leopold Foundation Education Assistant Anna Hawley at anna@aldoleopold.org or 608.355.0279 extension 28.
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Announcing the Land Ethic Leaders Program!
 The Aldo Leopold Foundation is launching a new initiative this fall called the Land Ethic Leaders program. Program participants will learn to help their community think about complex and changing environmental issues and new ways to discuss our collective values and vision. The two-day Land Ethic Leaders training, held at the Leopold Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin, brings together community leaders from across the country to learn how to lead reflective discussions about our individual and collective values and the critical environmental issues of our time and, more deeply, the relationship between our human communities and what Leopold termed "the land community." The training will focus on developing facilitation skills for leading conversations based in literature and other media. The participants in our pilot program in June are already putting their new skills to work and we invite others to join them! The program dovetails with the development of our documentary film, Green Fire. Learn more about Land Ethic Leaders and how you can get involved.
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Another Chance for Canoeing
 Due to extreme weather, we were forced to cancel our scheduled canoe trip in July. We've rescheduled it for August 14th, so if you missed signing up before and are now interested, register today! We'll canoe from a few miles below the Dells Dam to the Pine Island Wildlife Area, with a tour and lunch stop at the historic Leopold Shack and Farm. We’ll start by paddling alongside the striking sandstone formations that made the Dells famous. As we float along, we’ll transition into a very different river landscape as we enter Aldo Leopold’s “sand counties.” We’ll stop for lunch at the Leopold Shack, then paddle a bit further to our take-out point at Pine Island, for a total of about 12 river miles. This entire stretch of river is known for abundant wildlife. We may have a chance to see cranes, eagles, turtles, great blue herons, and more. Join us for a lovely fall day of canoeing the Wisconsin River! This trip is appropriate for all ages and experience levels. Advance registration is required. Children under age 18 must be accompanied by adult. More information and registration on our website or contact Aldo Leopold Foundation Education Assistant Anna Hawley at anna@aldoleopold.org or 608.355.0279 extension 28.
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Listen to a New Podcast
When our executive director Buddy Huffaker was visiting the National Conservation Training Center in June, Fish and Wildlife Service historian Mark Madison interviewed him for a podcast. Hear what Buddy has to say about Aldo Leopold and the work of the foundation.
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The Leopold Center is Great for Biking!
 Thanks to a generous donation from Trek Bikes, visitors to the Leopold Center can now check out a bike and take a scenic ride down our rustic road to the Leopold Shack. We also encourage visitors to bring your own bikes when you come out to see us and take advantage of some the great rural roads to explore the area a little more. When you visit, ask at the front desk for a bicycle map that will give you a few route options. If you arrive at the center by bike (it's about a 10-12 mile ride from Baraboo, Portage, and Wisconsin Dells) we'll reward your efforts with a free self-guided tour!
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Wildlife Stamp Exhibit
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources holds stamp design contests annually to select the artwork that appears on wildlife stamps. Through the stamp design contests, wildlife artists make a tremendous contribution to habitat conservation across Wisconsin. This year is the first time in the history of the stamp programs that all three wildlife stamp contests will be held together to select the artwork that will appear on the 2011 Waterfowl, Turkey, and Pheasant Stamps. There will be a panel of at least three to five judges appointed by the DNR Bureau of Wildlife Management. The event judging is a closed event, but once it is complete, the stamp artwork exhibit will be open for public viewing! By sharing this event with the public, it gives us an opportunity to showcase art that both celebrates nature and our wildlife resources, and enhances the wild landscape in Wisconsin. Come on out to the Leopold Center on Saturday, August 28th from 3pm to 5pm to view about 60 pieces of artwork from local artists across the state, and interact with WDNR staff to learn more about the accomplishments of the wildlife stamp programs for habitat conservation in Wisconsin. |
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Volunteer With Us!
We've got a new list of volunteer opportunities available for teens and adults who want to lend a hand at the Aldo Leopold Foundation. You can volunteer to help out as Shack docent, special events assistant, land steward, maintenance assistant for our building and grounds, and much, much more. Download a volunteer application here.
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