Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, and the Land Ethic

Pioneering conservationist Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) is best known for A Sand County Almanac, published 75 years ago. Written in part at his tiny home known as the Shack in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the book begins: “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. These essays are the delights and dilemmas of one who cannot.”

One of Leopold’s delights was sitting around the fire pit with his family, listening to cranes and geese nearby. At the Freeland Library, we’ll gather ’round a virtual “fire,” watch the award-winning “Green Fire” documentary about Leopold, and discuss what land ethics mean to us. Though Aldo Leopold was not around for the establishment of Earth Day (or Month), he’s a significant part of it now!