Podcast Ep. 24: The Land Ethic is Rooted in Iowa with Steve Brower from Leopold Landscape Alliance

It's Leopold Week where we celebrate the life and work of Aldo Leopold, the "Father of Wildlife Ecology" and no doubt a big influence on many of us in the conservation field. But how many of us stop to appreciate the fact that Leopold is from here in Iowa, born and raised in Burlington (my hometown, incidentally). So much of what he wrote and what has been written about his focuses on his professional life and his travels and accomplishments outside of Iowa. But the "Land Ethic" that he's so well known for is rooted in his upbringing. And those roots are right here in Iowa.

In this episode, I chat with Steve Brower, president of the Leopold Landscape Alliance (LLA) which is working to not only secure the birthplace homes of Leopold and his grandparents, but to preserve the legacy that Leopold and his family have in Iowa, and in Burlington specifically. 

Starker-Leopold House. Photo credit: Leopold Landscape Alliance

Steve is an inexhaustible advocate for the cause and is a Leopold scholar in his own right. His insights into Leopold's childhood and how those experiences helped form his later philosophies could be an entire series of podcast episodes alone. For this one, however, we take a broad view and discuss the broader implications for connecting people with nature in the modern era, something we in the county conservation world do every day.

Fair warning, you'll be digging out your copy of Sand County Almanac after listening to this episode. I already have mine. It is Leopold Week, after all.

To learn more about the Leopold Landscape Alliance or to connect with Steve for a program or tour of the houses, visit www.leopoldalliance.org.

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