Aldo Leopold, Father of Land Ethic
Presented by Marty MacCleery
Advanced Master Gardener, Master Naturalist, member of Wild Ones, River City and West MI Conservation Network partner
In this presentation MacCleery will introduce the audience to the contributions of Aldo Leopold, the father of the “Land Ethic” and author of the landmark book, A Sand County Almanac, published in 1949.
A Sand County Almanac proposes that land is a community of living things to be loved and respected, and that land creates an ongoing awareness of the connections between it and humans, a core tenant of his term land ethic. When one loves and respects the land, then one appreciates it as living circulating system that can nurture all forms of life, not just humans.
Follow Aldo Leopold’s life as he joined the U.S. Forest Service in 1909, working around the country, all the while observing and thinking about what he saw and experienced. In 1935 he purchased a worn out sand county farm near Madison, Wisconsin while serving as chair of game management at the University of Wisconsin. He and his family slowly turned the old farm into a beautifully restored landscape with abundant wildlife.
That experience, along with a lifetime of rich work experiences, became the basis of his landmark book, A Sand County Almanac, considered to be the basis of the conservation movement of the 20th century.
MacCleery challenges the audience as gardeners to be part of a modern concept of landscape stewardship in the 21st century, all the while honoring Aldo Leopold’s legacy.
About the speaker
Although Marty MacCleery’s work career was science-based including medical records administration and pharmaceutical research and development including sales, gardening has always satisfied both her love of science and the arts. She is currently active in 4-H with young children, is a docent at Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, and serves as Education Committee Chair at Wild Ones River City in Grand Rapids. She is also an Advanced Master Gardener and Master Naturalist through MSU Extension and a life-long learner
Presentation Date - March 30, 2021
