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| Aldo Leopold - Learn more at aldoleopold.org |
Clean And Clear Catawba, by Alice
Battle – June 1, 2012
Aldo Leopold was a man before his time.
He was born in 1887 in Iowa and died in 1948. Yet his earth ethic is as
relevant today as it was during his lifetime. Early in his life he realized when man
viewed the land as a commodity, the land was abused. When the land was viewed
as a community of which man belonged, the land was valued and conservation of
it was important.
His mother encouraged him as a young
boy to keep phenological records monitoring nature in his backyard. Phrenology
is the study of natural phenomena that recur periodically, as migration or
blossoming, and of their relation to climate and changes in season. This habit
of recording he did his whole life.
Aldo graduated from Yale at an
opportune time. Teddy Roosevelt, the conservation president, came into office
and led the country in the purchase of wilderness land. The Forestry Service
was established. Aldo became a member of the first generation of the Forest
Service. His first assignment was in the Apache National Forest.
His journey to the West and his
observation in the wilderness made him aware of the problems of soil erosion
due to abuse of the land and the importance of fire in restoring the
wilderness.
One of his observations was the
eradicating of wolves. It was thought that killing predators would increase big
game. Bounties were placed on the hides of wolves. Over time they disappeared
from the scene. The result was the area was overrun with deer and elk, which
destroyed vegetation, which in turn caused soil erosion. Once the wolves were
reintroduced the forests began to revive.
The Southwest Gila National Forest was
dedicated to him. He requested it be kept as a wilderness area with very few
roads. His request was honored.
In 1924 he and his family moved to
Madison, Wisconsin, where he was in charge of wildlife research at the
University of Wisconsin. Watershed restoration in the West could be done
because whole watersheds were in the wilderness. In Wisconsin there were many
private landowners. Abuse of the land had destroyed its value. An integrated
approach was necessary involving the cooperation of 100s of individual private
land owners. Coon Valley, Wisconsin, stands as a testimony to Aldo Leopold’s
land ethic approach.
Aldo himself bought worn out land to
see what could be done. He felt wilderness was to serve as a land laboratory. Through
restoring the wetlands he brought back the migrating crane population that
numbered less than 100 when he started.
Aldo felt that land ethics were part of
a social evolution that saw man as part of the community of soil, wildlife and
integration with nature – an ethic that is as viable today as when he lived.
"Green Fire," a film for the 21st Century about Aldo Leopold
Aldo Leopold's message lives on in many
forms, including the film, "Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time." A
production of the Aldo Leopold Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service, and
the Center for Humans and Nature, the film shares how Aldo shaped
conservation in the twentieth century and still inspires people today. CLICK
to learn more, see the film trailer and learn about planned movie viewings.
About Alice Battle – Alice lives on
Mountain Island Lake has served on numerous groups devoted to protecting the
lake, including the Duke Energy Relicensing stakeholders group. She currently
is Lakekeeper for the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.
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