"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it does otherwise." -- A Sand County Almanac

You probably didn't realize that March is Aldo Leopold month, did you now? Well, it is and some people are giving the famous conservationist a well-deserved tribute. Cities across the U.S. including those in states such as Wisconsin, Iowa, Arkansas, Georgia and New Mexico are all hosting Aldo Leopold weekends in which citizens take turns reading Leopold's most famous work, A Sand County Almanac, in full.

A Sand County Almanac is a landmark work which created a new science that intertwined forestry, agriculture, biology, zoology, ecology, education and communication. Leopold made huge strides when it came to coupling environmentalism with cultivation. In 1934 he found an abandoned farm on the Wisconsin River and revived it as a conservation getaway.

In 1937, he helped inspire the push for Wisconsin legislature to pass the Soil Conservation District Law that allowed farmers to write rules for land use themselves. Though it made little headway, agricultural stewardship continued to be part of his philosophy. Leopold is most known as the founding father of wildlife ecology, but his land ethic philosophy greatly influences agrarian ideals today.

Source: Aldo Leopold Nature Center

Already there have been Leopold readings all across Wisconsin this month. In Madison, WI last week, a Leopold reading was hosted by Madelyn Leopold (Aldo's granddaughter) and the mayor of Madison, Dave Cieslewicz. Leopold spent a good chunk of his time as Professor of Game Management in the Agricultural Economics Department U of Wisconsin.

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