The Future Leaders program at the Aldo Leopold Foundation provides young professionals just starting their careers with practical, hands-on experience in conservation through fellowships. The Education and Outreach Fellow program focuses on program planning and coordination, communications, and interpretation/environmental education for visitors to our site in Baraboo. The program also fosters a better understanding of land ethics, revealing the necessity to reach across differences to find and foster common ground, building care for land and communities in equal measure. We are excited to welcome and introduce the newest Education and Outreach Fellow, Ian Cotten.
Ian grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Parks and Protected Area Management. After graduating he joined the Peace Corps, and served as a Community-Based Natural Resource Management Volunteer in Malawi.
During his time at the Leopold Foundation, Ian will be working alongside the education staff to help plan and execute education programs at the Leopold Center. He has already been busy representing the Aldo Leopold Foundation at local Earth Day events around Sauk County and Madison, learning the ropes to begin leading tours of the Leopold Shack and Farm, and planning an activity station he will host for kids during our Family Day event Saturday, May 20th from noon-4pm. He will also be helping with a number of projects related to our upcoming Building a Land Ethic Conference in June, including helping to coordinate volunteers for that event. Future projects will include grant writing, leading some special interpretive tours at the Leopold Center on select Saturdays this summer and fall, and learning the basics of social media management. His time at the Leopold Foundation is already off to a busy start and we look forward to his many contributions throughout the visitation season.