The Aldo Leopold Foundation is pleased to partner with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association to spotlight land ethics and land care in the sustainability conversation at their 30th Anniversary Energy Fair this June 21-23 in Custer, Wisconsin. The Energy Fair is the longest-running event of its kind, focused on clean energy and sustainability and drawing over 10,000 attendees each summer to learn, connect, and take action.
In 2018, the Energy Fair added the Land Ethic track with speakers and workshops focusing on land management topics relevant to private landowners. This year with coordination and support from the Aldo Leopold Foundation and My Wisconsin Woods the Land Ethic track will have expanded offerings. Featuring six presenters and Sunday’s keynote speaker, Aldo Leopold Foundation Senior Fellow Curt Meine, the Land Ethic track brings an additional layer to the sustainability theme at the fair. “Recently, more and more people have been approaching us for resources on land management and conservation. We are very excited to be working with the Aldo Leopold Foundation and My Wisconsin Woods this year to host a series of workshops at The Energy Fair to help people realize their conservation goals.”
Presentations in the Land Ethic track will focus on a variety of topics from forestry and wildlife to birds and invasive species to citizen science. Whether you are new to owning land, are an aspiring landowner, or have owned land for many years you can expect new information and insights from these extremely knowledgeable natural resource professionals who are eager to share information and answer your questions.
- What About My Woodlands? Getting Started with John Nielsen, Founder/CEO for Nielsen and Nielsen Foresty, LLC
- Managing Your Land – Getting Started with Steve Swenson, Director of Conservation and Carl Cotter, Leopold – Pine Island Important Bird Area and Stewardship Fellows Coordinator both for the Aldo Leopold Foundation
- Introduction to Woodland Invasives with Kelly Kearns, Terrestrial Invasive Plant Coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Aldo Leopold, Phenology, and Climate Change with Stan Temple, Senior Fellow and Science Advisor for the Aldo Leopold Foundation
- Managing Habitat for Birds and Other Wildlife with Yoyi Steele, Former Important Bird Area Wisconsin Program Coordinator and Mike Mossman, Retired Wisconsin DNR Forest Community Ecologist
- Managing Your Land for Wildlife with Matt Weegman, Biologist WI, IA, MN for the National Wild Turkey Federation
A variety of activities in addition to speakers and workshops are found at the Energy Fair including an artisan market, demonstrations, even yoga, and live music!
Whether you join us for one talk or stay for the entire series, visit the Aldo Leopold Foundation and My Wisconsin Woods exhibitor booths to continue the conversation. You can talk with staff about specific resources and technical assistance to help advance your property goals. We look forward to meeting you and helping you in your journey of caring for the land. Here’s to celebrating the summer solstice while soaking in the sunshine and lots of information from this engaging line-up of land care experts.
Where to Find Us
Exhibitor booth A24 all weekend!
White Flag Tent on Saturday for Land Ethic Track Workshops (click here for the line-up of speakers)
Keynote Tent on Sunday for Curt Meine’s “Making Connections for a Resilient Future: Building on the Land Ethic”
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased in advance for a discount or at the gate. View the pre-fair program for details on pricing, lodging, and programming. We hope to see you there!
Plan to join us at the Energy Fair?