“Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land. By land is meant all of the things on, over, or in the earth. Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend.” — Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
As I sit with that last sentence, “Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend,” I am faced with two parallel moments. One moment was when I found harmony with the land—watching the northern lights dance and frolic across the night sky along the shores of Lake Superior, feeling as though the earth was expanding to encompass so much awe and wonder. The second moment, where I found harmony with new friends, was through the Future Leaders Program, bringing both awe and amazement to the forefront of my experiences here.
Through this program, five fellows, from five different states, were brought together to live and work in a beautiful nook along the Wisconsin River. That first day was filled with anticipation, nerves, and joy. Move-in, orientation, and the unknown laid out before us... any of us could admit we were a little nervous about what the next year would look like. That evening, we sat around the dinner table for hours, slowly beginning to unravel our pasts, seeing how our journeys amounted to this moment of union with each other. We shared stories from college, we compared niche interests, and we laughed. Oh, did we laugh! I remember feeling at ease and so grateful at that dinner table. I still feel that way during our weekly “family dinners,” our endearing term for our group dinners.
The friendships that have been cultivated within these walls have been revitalizing. And I do not say that lightly. We have all crashed together at this landing post, only to be wrapped up in a loving community of supporters and staff. The fellowship has brought together beautiful individuals in the past, but I feel particularly lucky to call Lily, Cadence, Sophie, and Cate not only wonderful coworkers but even better friends. In just six short months, we have gone from utter strangers to friends of a similar feather. Exploring Baraboo and all its rolling hills, partaking in afterwork shenanigans fit for only a mosaic of young explorers, and watching the thunderstorms roll in from the west off our porch—we truly have been knit together by our time here, and I am honored with the privilege of calling these lovely folks my friends.
But alas, it is that time of year where the fellows and I are forced to notice the coolness in the air welcoming the winter season. We are faced with the reality that we have already spent six glorious months astride Leopold family trails and only have a few more months to go until our paths may diverge. But, even if that thought is scary now, this is also a time for us to celebrate all that we have learned and accomplished, and all that is still laid out in front of us.
All of us have been able to grow a more intimate understanding of the land ethic: what having a land ethic means and how to embody one in our own lives. Lily, a land stewardship fellow recounts, “I know that my belief in a land ethic would never be as strong if I hadn’t spent a year here and that belief will likely shape much of my future.” Through crafting a land ethic, we have been able to turn our attention to noticing different land management techniques and the different aspects of the biotic community. Through becoming chainsaw certified, being provided ample opportunities to partake in prescribed burn planning and execution, conducting prairie seed collecting and plantings, and discerning the challenging work of land restoration, each of us has been able to expand our biotic knowledge and personal land ethic. Another land stewardship fellow, Sophie, adds “working with others who share a common goal of environmental restoration and protection is a very fulfilling experience. Everyone has an interesting connection with Aldo Leopold and/or conservation and connecting with them provides unique perspectives that help develop my relationship with the biotic world.” Echoing those same thoughts, Cate, the final land stewardship fellow adds, “I’ve been able to get to know intimately the nonhuman community that surrounds us on the foundation’s land through rambling hikes, camping, seed collecting, and sketching. The communities of my coworkers, housemates, and ecosystem have been my best teachers in how to live a land ethic.”
The Future Leaders Program includes an emphasis on integrating professional development programs into our time here. We get the opportunity to cross paths with many interesting professionals; experts in rotational grazing, authors of books relating to Aldo Leopold and his expanding land ethic, and on-site staff who grace us with their accumulated knowledge. The speakers that come visit with us prioritize our learning above all else. Through these programs, we are challenged to expand our view of the world around us, through land stewardship work, conservation endeavors, successful non-profit work, and interpretation. From canoeing down the Lower Wisconsin River, learning how important non-positional leadership is, and understanding the geological treasure chest of Southern Wisconsin, we have been immersed through it all.
We are also provided the opportune place to enact good communication, leadership, and program development skills. These occasions allow us to not only grow our network but also to feel connected to the community that is helping grow the land ethic into a worldwide movement. One of the richest ways we have been able to do this is through giving public and private Shack tours. Cadence and I, both Education and Communication fellows, have been given the unique role of welcoming folks to the Leopold Shack, a National Historic Landmark, and watch people's eyes tear up with wonder and thankfulness. For many, the Shack is a pilgrimage, and we are very honored to partake in a portion of that journey. Cadence says of her Shack tour experience, “The best part of my job is teaching through stories, guiding people to discoveries about themselves and the world around them. Welcoming the summer’s visitors to the Shack has brought into focus the vast network of conservation advocates Leopold’s legacy has inspired, and to which I now belong.” Being part of the ever-expanding Leopold family is significantly impacting our perceptions of what it means to grow connected to this like-minded community and the landscape.
To be part of the evolution in sharing Aldo Leopold’s legacy is incredible. I simply cannot put into words the magnitude of being part of something so much larger than myself. But I do know one thing—I am thankful for this thinking community. I am thankful for the opportunity provided to my cohort, to live and love the land Leopold worked so hard to understand, and I am honored to freely walk those same familial trails, feeling the warmth of the sun glistening through the forest canopy. It truly is a unique place to visit and learn. And I urge you, if you have not gotten a chance to visit the Aldo Leopold Foundation, the Shack, or walk our many trials, perhaps make it a bucket list item in 2025—you never know what you will learn from the land around you.
If you want to expand your land ethic, check out The Land Ethic tab on our website, or the About tab to learn more about our mission. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about this fellowship opportunity, or if you are looking for a place to kickstart your budding conservation career, learn more at this link: https://www.aldoleopold.org/teach-and-learn/fellows-programs. (Applications close February 1st! 😉) It is a wonderful place to visit, and an even better place to work! But don’t just take my word for it. Hear it from some of the fellows who are halfway through their journey.
Lily says, “You’ve got nothing to lose. Housing? Check. Professional development? Check. Time outside? Check. Awesome people? Check.” Following that sentiment, Cate says, “Just apply!! Come seeking community and looking to learn, and you’ll reap great rewards you simply cannot imagine or anticipate. There’s so much to learn in so many different fields: it’s a great opportunity to spend some time exploring and adventuring and learning about yourself and the natural world.” There is room for everyone in the conservation field, and the Aldo Leopold Foundation is a welcoming community filled with passionate land stewards, storytellers, and friends. The ability to network, increase your confidence, and live on the landscape that inspired Aldo Leopold so much is a moment you don’t want to let slip away.
While a portion of all donor support makes the Future Leaders Program possible, these experiences would not be possible without the generous support of Herb Paaren and Denise Marino, the Pines family, Nate Johnson, the Derse Foundation, the estate of Liz Wywialowski, the Cedar Tree Foundation, Chris and Jacque McKay, and the Hartmann-Oehrlein-Vogel Fund at the Community Foundation for South Central Wisconsin.
Visit this link to donate to the Aldo Leopold Foundation: https://www.aldoleopold.org/donate/one-time-donation. Want to apply to the fellowship? Visit https://www.aldoleopold.org/teach-and-learn/fellows-programs. Check out past fellows and where they are now at: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e13f7026c92c4740ba409d2a93905183
The Aldo Leopold Foundation was founded in 1982 with a mission to foster the land ethic through the legacy of Aldo Leopold, awakening an ecological conscience in people throughout the world.
