Steve Brower: Aldo Leopold and the Roots of the Land Ethic

Biographers, conservationists, and philosophers are interested in identifying the sources of Leopold’s Land Ethic. Through family history research and interviews with the Leopolds, new information has surfaced, explaining how Aldo started on the path to the Land Ethic at a very early age, even before starting school. This program covers some of the high points of Leopold’s career in Wisconsin and the Southwest, before focusing in on some of the newly found sources in Burlington. This way, people who are new to Leopold’s ideas can first learn of his significance before going into the details of how his Burlington roots influenced his career. This program uses photos and quotes from Aldo’s childhood and early career to study the influences from his youthful discoveries. We take a look at some of Aldo’s favorite places to learn more about his reflections used in later writings and development of the Land Ethic.