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The Foundation

Fostering the Land Ethic
through the legacy of Aldo Leopold

The Aldo Leopold Foundation works to weave a land ethic into the fabric of our society; to advance the understanding, stewardship and restoration of land health; and to cultivate leadership for conservation.

The foundation is committed to the ongoing restoration of the Leopold Shack and Farm, where, in 1935, Aldo Leopold and his family undertook a revolutionary experiment in returning health to a worn out farm.  Celebrated in Leopold’s classic A Sand County Almanac, the transformed land now supports vibrant forests, wetlands, and prairie and draws visitors from around the world.  First published in 1949, A Sand County Almanac has sold over two million copies in ten languages.

The foundation’s headquarters in the Leopold Center, located less than a mile from the Leopold Shack and Farm.  Opened in 2007, the Leopold Center was built using pines the Leopold family planted in the 1930s and ‘40s and implements a wide spectrum of green building techniques and technologies.  The Leopold Center begins to demonstrate the many ecological, economic, and cultural harvests we may begin to reap when we commit to caring for land.

As the primary advocate and interpreter of the Leopold legacy, the foundation manages the original Leopold farm and now-famous Shack, serves as the executor of Leopold’s literary estate, manages the extensive Leopold Archives and acts as a clearinghouse for information regarding Aldo Leopold, his work, and his ideas. The Shack, a re-built chicken coop along the Wisconsin River where the Leopold family stayed during weekend retreats, continues to serve as the heart of the foundation’s programs. Each year, thousands of visitors are inspired through tours, seminars, and workshops in the same landscape that deeply moved Leopold.

Leopold's words have stirred many to a personal ecological awareness. The foundation's goal is to share the legacy of Aldo Leopold and to awaken an ecological conscience in the people of our nation. As long as we care about people, land, and the connections between them, we have hope for sustainable ecosystems, sustainable economies, and sustainable communities.

Our educational outreach programs help people understand and accept their responsibility for the health of the land. Our stewardship initiatives and research programs encourage ecological and ethical use of private and public land, and promote an understanding of the total land community.

The five children of Aldo and Estella Leopold established the Aldo Leopold Foundation as a not-for-profit conservation organization in 1982.