Over 2,300 individuals in five states and one Canadian province celebrated Leopold and the land ethic last month during Leopold Week and Weekend. The annual celebration, an official event in Wisconsin and Iowa, encourages communities to come together to reflect on Leopold’s contribution to the conservation movement as well as their own connections to the natural world.
This year, 24 event organizers offered 52 Leopold-focused activities for the interested public. Community readings of A Sand County Almanac and screenings of Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time took place at nature centers, state parks, cafés, libraries, and other public spaces. Some event organizers brought in guest speakers, including outdoorsman and television star Steven Rinella, Wisconsin author Robert Root (catch him at the Leopold Center on April 20), Leopold Foundation Senior Fellow Stan Temple, and as well as local conservationists and professors. Other events included outdoor activities, such as guided hikes and Leopold bench building workshops.
A large crowd gathered for a talk by author, outdoorsman, conservationist, and host of the podcast MeatEater, Steven Rinella, in La Crosse, WI. Photo courtesy of the La Crosse Leopold Weekend Event Committee.
Leopold Week and Weekend events are coordinated by dedicated individuals and organizations throughout the country and are shaped by the communities in which they take place. For those who did not have an event in their area, or who wanted to connect with the larger online community, daily at-home challenges were offered on the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s social media pages. Over 300 individuals engaged with these posts, and many more were made aware of #LeopoldWeek.
Just as Aldo relied on the geese to inform him of spring, you can plan on Leopold Week and Weekend taking place the first week and weekend of March next year. We encourage you to consider planning an event for your community and hope the momentum generated by this year’s event inspires you to continue sharing the lessons of Leopold with your family, friends, and community year-round.
Feature photo, top, of a Leopold Weekend event in Raleigh, NC. Courtesy of the Center for Human-Earth Restoration.
Want to plan an event in your community for Leopold Week and Weekend 2019?