A Sand County Blog

Explore the latest in conservation thinking and practical land stewardship with special insights, stories, and reflections.

The Restorative Power of Ecosystem Disturbance

Land Stewardship Fellow Cate reflects on the destructive side of conservation work, and why disturbance is critical for ecosystems to thrive.

10.9.2024

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Of Meadowlarks & Men

The author describes a brief tour of his grassland buffalo ranch in South Dakota.

9.24.2024

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What Will You Give the Next Generation?

The Aldo Leopold Foundation provides many opportunities to leave a lasting mark on conservation and join your legacy with the Leopold family's ongoing good.

9.10.2024

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Aldo Leopold and Environmental Citizenship

What does it mean to be part of a community? How do ideas of citizenship - of reciprocal rights and obligations - apply in the context of conservation? Revisit Susan Flader's 1999 essay on Leopold's notion of civic environmentalism.

9.10.2024

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Bumble Bees and VIPs

What's all this buzz about bumble bees? Learn how and why we're working to protect the native bees of the Leopold-Pines Conservation Area in this feature from Land Stewardship Fellow Cate Nelson.

9.5.2024

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Sketches for the Season

Revel in the beauty of summer birds, bugs, and plants with the winning entries from our phenology-themed Summer Art Contest.

9.4.2024

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Dancing with Dickcissels

Ecological restoration is a key pillar of our work at the Aldo Leopold Foundation. Wildlife Monitoring Fellow Jack has been helping to restore and maintain beneficial habitats for many species all over the Leopold-Pines Conservation Area this summer and is here to share a story of a special experience with a winged friend.

9.5.2024

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Lightning's Return: Another Good Oak Meets Its End

Lightning struck and killed an oak tree just fifty feet from the Shack's front door. Much like the immortalized Good Oak, this tree has a story all its own.

8.21.2024

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Leopold's Prodigies Saved the Boomers

Mentor, leader, inspiration—all words that described Professor Leopold. But his legacy as an educator and dedicated naturalist surpassed even his own lifetime. Meet Fred and Fran Hamerstrom, the Leopold students who saved a beloved Wisconsin bird.

8.16.2024

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Restoring The Shack and Farm

Take a tour of the Shack now that one year has passed since our two-year restoration project.

8.7.2024

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Timeless, But Always Accurate

Education and Communications Fellow Ari reflects on Leopold's "timeless, but always accurate" masterpiece A Sand County Almanac 75 years after its publication.

8.7.2024

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The 2025 Phenology Calendar is Here!

Announcing the early return of a seasonal favorite! Follow along with the Leopold legacy of phenological record-keeping, and learn what's in store in the 2025 edition.

8.1.2024

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Leopold Pines Threatened by Climate Change

"I love all trees, but I am in love with pines," wrote Aldo Leopold 75 years ago. Today, some of his beloved pines are suffering the effects of climate change. Learn how our land stewardship team is handling the death of these historic trees, and what their decline means for the Leopold legacy.

7.23.2024

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The Raw Push and Pull Behind the Almanac

Selections from the seven-year correspondence between Leopold and prospective publishers, reveal struggle, disagreement, admiration—the story, in it's opening draft, behind the publication of A Sand County Almanac.

7.6.2024

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Meet the 2024-25 Future Leaders Fellows

This year's Fellows have hit the ground running, and they're all about the land ethic. Learn more about the faces you'll be seeing at the forefront of conservation this year.

7.5.2024

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