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Land Ethic: Aldo Leopold

January 11, 2021

Americans Who Tell the Truth

Today we reflect on the wisdom of Aldo Leopold, born on this day in 1887 – ahead of his time.

As we are becoming increasingly aware, the eradication of any species, be it flora or fauna, carries with it serious consequences for local and global ecosystems. Aldo Leopold saw the dangers of putting people’s needs and wants ahead of the planet’s health well before the modern environmental movement, and helped shape today’s efforts to preserve what wilderness we have left.

“We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and I have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes – something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view.”

Read more about Aldo Leopold’s story here

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