Max Sorenson

I grew up on the fringe of the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the son of a forester and a mother who grew up on a remote farmhouse in the Driftless region of Southwestern Wisconsin. The influences of my parents, and my own fascination with the natural world, brought me outdoors throughout my childhood and continue to drive an interest in ecological conservation.

I am a recent graduate of Grinnell College, where I studied studio art and biology. This combination of interests leads me to consider how we view, interact with, and understand the natural communities to which we belong. Recently, I worked as a Land Stewardship Apprentice with the Grinnell College Center for Prairie Studies. In this position, I worked outside nearly every day, splitting time between working on restored prairie plots scattered throughout campus and tending to a small organic vegetable garden, all the while growing closer to this place. Through this Land Stewardship Fellowship with the Aldo Leopold Foundation, I hope to build a similar relationship to a place through work, time, and community; I look forward to continuing to learn and contemplate how we, as members of local and global communities, can forge sustainable relationships with the land full of attention, care, and reverence.