Aldo Leopold

Sure, I've heard of The Sand County Almanac and Aldo Leopold. I know he's the father of the environmental/conservationist movement but beyond that, I don't actually know too much about him. So I set out to find a bit more about him and his background. Here's what I found:

"He was instrumental in establishing the first official “wilderness area” in the United States (the Gila National Forest), helped to create The Wilderness Society, and founded the field of Wildlife Ecology."

"His biggest contribution was his articulation of “The Land Ethic” (that we are part of a natural community of interdependent parts) and his pioneering work in what is now known as restoration ecology – bringing the land back to health."

"The shack (a converted chicken coop) that Aldo and his family used to vacation at is a small post and beam structure in the sand counties of Wisconsin. It was this location that inspired a sand county almanac. The shack is considered a Mecca for environmentalists, historians, and educators, and has the distinction of being the only chicken coop on the National Register of Historic Places."

"Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) is considered the father of wildlife ecology and a true Wisconsin hero. He was a renowned scientist and scholar, exceptional teacher, philosopher, and gifted writer."

"The roots of Leopold’s concept of a “land ethic” can be traced to his birthplace on the bluffs of the Mississippi River near Burlington, Iowa. As a youngster, he developed a zealous appreciation and interest in the natural world, spending countless hours on adventures in the woods, prairies, and river backwaters of a then relatively wild Iowa. This early attachment to the natural world, coupled with an uncommon skill for both observation and writing, lead him to pursue a degree in forestry at Yale."

Sources: http://aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org/about-us/all-about-aldo/
http://www.britannica.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/filmhist_leopold_lg.jpg

“Once there were brook trout in the 

streams in the mountains. You could
see them standing in the amber

current where the white edges of their

fins wimpled softly in the flow. They

smelled of moss in your hand.

Polished and muscular and torsional.

On their backs were vermiculate

patterns that were maps of the world in its
becoming. Maps and mazes. Of a

thing which could not be put back.

Not be made right again. In the deep

glens where they lived all things were

older than man and they hummed of

mystery.”

― Cormac McCarthy, The Road

The other day a classmate of mine started discussing Nature Deficit Disorder, which I had never heard of before. The main theory or idea behind this is that people, mainly children, are spending less time outdoors than ever before and this is leading to a wide range of behavioral problems. Ask a kid where his food comes from and he replies: "the supermarket". Ask a kid where his clothes come from and he or she replies: "the mall". This disconnect from where our food comes from and where all our products come from is an absolute catastrophe. 

If this next generation fails to educate themselves and continues to be absorbed in their screens, factory farms will only flourish. Factory farms are already hiding behind their false bucolic logos and their cheap prices; our planet and next generation cannot afford to ignore such a huge problem. If you want to know more about nature deficit disorder, here is a link to a great article: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/nature-deficit-disorder/. Definitely check it out!!