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Conservation! It's About Community
A Land Ethic for Today
April 1998 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Aldo Leopold, and 1999 the
fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Leopold's landmark book, A Sand County Almanac.
On these occasions and throughout this period, conservationists whose work has been
inspired, defined, and shaped by Leopold's work and words will pause to commemorate his
many contributions, to reexamine his thoughts, and to.rededicate themselves to the
conservation cause. At century's end, we as conservationists call upon ourselves and others to
take time to reflect upon the fate of the places that give our lives meaning, and to take action
to secure our natural heritage for future generations.
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see
land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."
These words from Leopold's introduction to A Sand County Almanac capture what we believe
to be an essential theme as humanity enters the new millenium: the need to reconcile human
social, economic, and spiritual values and the ecological functions, biological diversity, and
beauty of the natural world that supports us all. To sustain vital human communities within
the context of healthy natural landscapes, watersheds, and plant and animal communities - to
achieve what Leopold called "harmony with land" - will demand constant effort and stout
spirits. We believe that the best way to commemorate Leopold's work, and that of countless
other conservationists of the 20th century, is to accept this challenge as we enter the 21st.
"A land ethic," Leopold wrote, "changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of
the land community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow
members, and also respect for the community as such." Leopold realized that such change
could happen only over time, that the important thing is to continually strive toward that
end. He held that unless such change occurs, our increasing human demands would work to
diminish not only the natural world, but our own lives within it. At this time, as we
recognize Leopold's legacy, we affirm this commitment to conservation, and accept the
challenge to extend it.
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A Vision For Today
by Mark Van Putten, President
National Wildlife Federation
There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. These essays are the
delights and dilemmas of one who cannot.
- Aldo Leopold
Earth Day this year falls on the fiftieth anniversary of Aldo Leopold's death. Leopold
died of a heart attack on April 21, 1948, fighting a fire that threatened his beloved retreat, "the
Shack," near Madison, Wisconsin. No epitaph better sums up his life than these opening
words from the preface to A Sand County Almanac, which was published the year after his
death.
Few people have had more influence on the cause of conservation than did Leopold.
He was among America's first professional foresters; he fathered the profession of wildlife
management; he taught a generation of ecological scientists; he raised a family of dedicated
conservationists; he and his family restored the barren sand prairie at the Shack and he helped
found the National Wildlife Federation and other environmental organizations.
But, he did much more. He developed a new way of thinking about our relationship
with the natural world. Grounded in rigorous science yet voiced with the soul-deep passion
of one who cannot live in a world without wild things, Leopold's "land ethic" gave the
environmental movement a moral force similar to this century's other great causes, civil and
women's rights. "A thing is right," Leopold wrote, "when it tends to preserve the integrity,
stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise."
Leopold's land ethic changed forever our view of the rightful role of the human species "from
conqueror of the land community to plain member and citizen of it."
As an ethic, our responsibility to the land community requires individual and
collective action to protect and restore our land, water, air and wildlife resources. Our
actions, Leopold understood, derive from sound environmental education, must be based on
scientific understanding, and should harness economic incentives.
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These principles have always been and will remain hallmarks of the National
Wildlife Federation. For over sixty years, NWF has supported professional, science-based
management of wildlife and its habitat; our volunteer board of directors has included some
of America's foremost wildlife, fisheries and ecological scientists. NWF has always
believed that a sound economy and a healthy environment go hand in hand. And, of
course, NWF has consistently been a leader in the field of environmental education with
our children's publications like Ranger Rick®, our film and television programs, teacher
training, National Wildlife Week®, and our community-based education programs in our
eleven regional offices and with our 45 state affiliates.
But, Leopold warned that education, science and economics are not enough.
"[Q]uit thinking about decent land-use as solely an economic problem," he urged. Beware,
he warned scientists, that one does not become "as callous as an undertaker to the
mysteries at which he officiates." And, he argued that more education is not always better
if it only "urges enlightened self-interest" and "defines no right and wrong, assigns no
obligations, calls for no sacrifice, implies no change in the current philosophy of values."
NWF's true strength is and always has been the shared values of our members and
supporters committed to making a place for wildlife in our modern world. While few of
us are as eloquent as Leopold, like him we know that we and our children cannot live
without "wild things" and we accept the sacred responsibility to conserve and restore the
land community on which all life depends.
This essay may be reprinted for publication. For permission, please call (703) 790-4085
O
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A Pledge to Live the Land Ethic
I pledge to make this the year that I develop a habit of
considering more than my own short-term interests or bottom
line.
I will make a habit of thinking how my actions will affect our
entire community and our long-term well-being.
I pledge to consider the aesthetic consequences of my
behavior, as well as the economic.
I pledge to bear in mind how my decisions about the
environment will affect the community that we leave to our
children and grandchildren.
Signed, Date
To register your support, visit our website at
http://www.aldo.org.
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Instructions For Using These Materials
As one way to celebrate the life and work of Aldo Leopold 50 years after the
publication of A Sand County Almanac, a coalition of organizations united in their concern
for the environment has sponsored the production of "Conservation: It's About
Community." This kit is intended to be a true grassroots vehicle for building localized
conservation commitment and support. But having the kit in hand is only the first step.
Please use it. And call upon your conservation colleagues to do the same. There are
countless civic groups, PTAs, religious groups, garden clubs and other organizations in your
own community that are hungry for speakers to address their members about important
issues. What could be more important than the conservation of the places we know and love?
What speech could be more helpful than one which would show them how to make a real
conservation ethic part of their daily lives? You can deliver these valuable gifts.
Having encouraged people to live by a new "land ethic," you can then ask them to
pledge their commitment using the pledge form found behind TAB 1. You can also register
that pledge on our website:
http://www.aldo.org
By doing so, you will demonstrate the strength of this new commitment to our earth.
Sponsoring groups will keep track of the pledges and maintain the site for visits by anyone
who wants to learn more about the celebration of Aldo Leopold's life and ideals. Links to
sponsoring groups will also be included.
Using the materials provided in this speakers' kit will make it easy for you to give a 20-
minute slide presentation appropriate for community groups of all sorts. Give some thought
to what clubs and organizations meet in your town, and contact them to line up a speaking
engagement.
To make a presentation using these materials, prepare in advance by loading the
numbered photos (located behind TAB 5) into a slide projector carousel. Sharing the
fundamentals of Aldo Leopold's land ethic with your audience is as easy as reading the
appropriate script provided, advancing from image to image as indicated by the small black
arrows built into the script. The pledge found behind TAB 1 may be copied and distributed
to adult audiences for each person to sign and keep as a reminder of what it means to live
according to the land ethic.
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The kit includes two scripts: one aimed at adults (see TAB 3) and the other more
appropriate for schoolchildren from about sixth grade up (TAB 4). The primary difference
between the two, aside from slight changes in wording, is that we have eliminated the pledge
from the script for children, as well as any messages that may interpreted as laying a "guilt
trip." The slides may be used in the same order for both presentations, with the exception
that the presentation for children does not use the last two slides.
You will notice that at the end of the slide show there are bold portions of text in
brackets. These are areas which you may tailor to address your organization's messages and
opportunities or talk about local environmental issues of immediate concern.
Thinking through the following will help you develop this section.
1. Summarize an environmental issue or problem affecting your local
area.
2 . What kinds of solutions does your organization offer, if any?
3 . If none, what ways - big or small - can you think of for people to help overcome this
environmental challenge (ie. planting trees, picking up litter, writing to their
congressional representative, etc.)?
The answers you give here are all you'll need to put together an effective portion of
the presentation tailored to the local area. Providing slides to illustrate your points will
give your remarks even greater impact.
As an example of how to structure your ending, the following page shows what the
National Wildlife Federation has scripted to introduce its Backyard Wildlife Habitat
program.
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Sample Localized Conclusion
I'd like to talk a little bit about a very unique opportunity for you to begin applying Leopold's
land ethic starting right in your own backyard.
The National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat program began in 1973 as a way
to encourage people to plan their landscaping with the needs of wildlife in mind. Habitat
restoration is critical for wildlife in urban and suburban settings where commercial and
residential development infringe on the natural areas that wildlife need in order to survive.
The program recognizes the efforts of those who "garden for wildlife. "
Providing wildlife habitat is easy and fun. Under the guidelines of the program, a Backyard
Wildlife Habitat must offer wildlife four key elements: food, water, shelter, and places to raise
young. The program features a packet full of suggestions and advice on how to go about
building a Backyard Wildlife Habitat, no matter where you live. All kinds of gardens have
been certified, from a small apartment balcony to a 6,500-acre forest.
With more than 20,000 habitats certified by the program, the National Wildlife Federation
provides information and assistance to schools, businesses, and community groups - as well as to
homeowners.
By helping to restore important wildlife habitat, people who build Backyard Wildlife Habitats
are living up to the ideals of Leopold's land ethic. What's more, they 're giving themselves the
opportunity to observe and "listen to " the land a little more closely.
If you would prefer to stick with the script, you may simply skip over the "local focus"
section of the presentation and begin the concluding remarks found on the page that follows
it. In order for this communication to have greatest impact, however, it will be your
emphasis on local issues and opportunities that will go furthest toward "bringing the message
home." We urge you to spend a little time personalizing and localizing the presentation in
any way you can.
To solicit speaking opportunities before local and civic groups, churches, etc. you
might consider sending a mailing along the lines of the following example. You can simply
fill in the blanks, make copies and mail to appropriate groups. To increase you effectiveness,
consider customizing the letter to address the specific interests of target groups or to make it a
better fit with your own organization.
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Sample Letter
MEETING SPEAKERS AVAILABLE:
HELP YOUR MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THE LINKS
BETWEEN CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY
Dear Neighbor:
Discussions of conservation or environmental topics are often heated debates over
individual issues: Should specific parkland be expanded? Should a factory be allowed? What
is often missing is the context within which these kinds of decisions must be made; a context
which allows us to consider what is right for the community of which we are all a part.
I am writing to offer your group the opportunity to step back and think about that
broader context. Knowing of your interest in issues affecting our community, I would like to
offer the services of a [group name] member to make a fascinating presentation at one of your
group's upcoming meetings. Conservation: It's About Community is a slide presentation
created by a coalition of national conservation organizations to help groups around the
country explore the issue of "conservation ethics" in our everyday lives.
The presentation uses the "land ethic" of conservationist Aldo Leopold - the 50th
anniversary of whose death and posthumous publication of a. A Sand County Almanac are
being marked this year - to prompt audiences to consider how their own sense of
responsibility to their neighbors, their community and the environment are factored into the
decisions they make every day. It is enlightening, thought provoking and a great opportunity
for your members to learn about an important conservation figure as well as about the
thoughts and activities of their neighbors in [group name].
I hope you will take us up on this offer to to address your group. If you would like
more information or to schedule a presentation, please contact me at: [contact information].
Sincerely,
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Conservation: It's About Community
A Land Ethic for Today
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you today about
what conservation really is and about its role in our lives. In my discussion,
I'll be emphasizing the critical work of a man named Aldo Leopold. Though
he died about 50 years ago, his thoughts on the relationship between people
and the rest of nature have guided concerned citizens like me for decades.
In recent years we've come to realize that issues that used to seem distant and
unconnected to our lives - things like water and air quality - actually hit
close to home. No matter where we live, we're linked to nature in an
important way: We're all part of what Leopold called the land community.
Think about what the word "community" means to you.
Most of you probably think of a community in terms of the people who live
in it - your friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Many of us show support
for our community in various ways, like volunteering at a charity or just by
helping out when neighbors need us. We make this kind of effort because we
feel it's the right thing to do.
Fifty years ago, Aldo Leopold, an American forester and wildlife biologist,
wrote a book called yl Sand County Almanac. In his foreword, Leopold
wrote, "When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may
begin to use it with love and respect." His thoughts about the meaning of
community challenge our assumptions in ways that are as relevant to our
lives today as they were back in 1948.
Leopold suggested that the community includes more than we might think. It
includes the environment and everything in it - the plants, animals, soils, and
waters. He said that people are actually members of this land community -
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the most powerful members, in fact. And he said that because people have the
unique ability to make decisions that affect the land, we are also responsible
for its health.
In other words, we should be as just as mindful about caring for the land as
we are about maintaining our relationships with other people. Leopold said
that "conservation is a state of harmony between man and land" It is about
being a good citizen of the land community, To consider the environmental
consequences of our behavior before we act and then to be as gentle with the
land as we possibly can, is the right thing to do.
It's easy to feel kind of overwhelmed by the suggestion that the health of the
land is your personal responsibility. After all, the environment is so vast,
what difference could the actions of one person really make?
The land ethic does demand something of each of us. Small changes that you
and I make in the way we think about and interact with the environment
day-to-day can add up to big benefits to the land community. And by
protecting the land we protect ourselves and we ensure the well-being of
future generations.
Living according to the land ethic means keeping the needs of wildlife in
mind when we landscape our backyards. It means taking the time to learn
about the environmental issues that hit close to home and then doing what;
we can to help. It means that when we need to build a road, we build it in a
way that preserves as much of the area's natural biological and aesthetic valu.e
as possible.
Aldo Leopold's land ethic suggests that before we act in a way that might
have any kind of impact on the environment, we are responsible for weighing
what would be best for the land against what we need or want from the land
With this in mind, let's look more closely at the land ethic - which is really
an ethic for today.
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SLIDE PRESENTATION
In the course of everyday life it's not always
obvious that the landscape speaks to us. We
see the same old landmarks on our way to
work or school every day - the same trees,
or rocks or hills - and probably don't think
too much about them.
When Aldo Leopold walked through the
woods with his father as a child, he paid close
attention to what he saw. -^3 He kept a
journal in which he recorded what birds he
spotted and even made illustrations of some
of his favorites, like this wren. Leopold's
habit of meticulous observation led to the
development of the ideas I'll be speaking
about today.
By paying closer attention to our own
surroundings we can begin to make sense of
the clues that are right there in front of us.
Clues that remind us how we are connected
to the land and what we need to do to keep
our "land community" healthy. -^5
Here's one example of a clue.
Recently, people in many suburban areas in
the U.S. have noticed what seems to be an
increase in deer populations. But if we stop
for a minute to wonder why we're suddenly
seeing more deer in our neighborhoods, all
Slide 1: street shot
Slide 2: AL as a child
Slide 3: AL drawing
Slide 4: person near tree
Slide 5: deer face
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logical conclusions point right back at us.
^6 Deer populations have become so large
that the animals are altering the composition
of our forests. Their browsing has even
affected shrubs around houses in the suburbs.
Through their more frequent excursions into
our streets and onto our yards, they tell us
something about our behavior. -^7
Signs that we're more connected to nature
than we realize are all around us. We just
have to pay attention.
Aldo Leopold continued to learn from the
land throughout his education and career.
After receiving a Master of forestry degree
from Yale University in 1909, he headed to
the Southwest to work for the U.S. Forest
Service. Over the next 20 years, he played a
critical role in managing the nation's
forestlands for the benefit of future
generations. ^9
Leopold's love for the wilderness grew
during his years spent outdoors in the
Southwest. ^10 He helped start a number
of private conservation groups like the Izaak
Walton League, The Wilderness Society and
the National Wildlife Federation that
continue today to make a difference for the
environment. ^11
Leopold moved to the Midwest in 1924, and
Slide 6: four deer
Slide 7: gray squirrel
Slide 8: AL adult portrait
Slide 9: rural Southwest scene
Slide 10: AL with fish
Slide 11: AL at the Shack
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four years later left the Forest Service to
survey wildlife populations and habitats.
Then he joined the staff of the University of
Wisconsin, Madison as the world's first
Professor of Game Management, where he
stayed until his death in 1948. ^12
Despite the demands of his work and a
growing family, Aldo Leopold always made
time to get out into wild country - and to
write about it. ^13 His books, including A
Sand County Almanac, showcase his superior
writing skills and keen gifts of observation.
+ 14 Published in 1949, A Sand County
Almanac begins with descriptions of the
natural world based on Leopold's own
observations, and then leads to his
conclusions about our connection to it. ^15
The crucial element in this book, the part
that speaks to us most urgently, even fifty
years later, is Leopold's land ethic.
Leopold defines an ethic as "a limitation on
freedom of action in the struggle for
existence." ^16 That may sound complex,
but basically it just means that we have an
obligation to look out for more than what
seems at first to be in our own best interest.
-)H7 The reality, he tells us, is that looking
out for the entire land community is in our
own best interest, because it's the land that
sustains us. The land ethic, in other words,
suggests that self-interest and responsibility
Slide 12: ski tracks in snow
Slide 13: AL outside
Slide 14: b&w landscape
Slide 15: wood storks
Slide 16: oily bird
Slide 17: recycling bin
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to others are inter-connected +18
We already live by certain ethical limitations
every day without really giving it too much
thought. The thing that sets these
limitations is called society. +19 Living up
to society's standards of behavior means that
in some cases we might not be able to do
exactly what we want to do, but most of the
time we're not even conscious of keeping
our impulses in check. +20
Ethical standards change and evolve, which
is why there's hope for a land ethic. In our
society we've addressed everything from the
expectation to be a productive member of
the community to the broader topic of
equality. I doubt that today an
African-American woman would be ordered
to give up her seat on a bus for a white man,
as Rosa Parks was in 1955. Civil rights has
been adopted as an ethic. +21
What's interesting is that Leopold says the
ethical standards we practice so effortlessly
with respect to each other really extend to
all of nature, from the most common animal
•^•22 to the most spectacular canyon lands.
He says we must think ourselves as part of -
not masters of - a land community that
includes us, every living species, the soil and
the water. To some extent, the application
of an ethic toward that broader community
has already begun to take root. +23
Slide 1?: "Pedestrian Crossing"
Slide 19: "No Trespassing'1
Slide 20: Rosa Parks
Slide 21: boy with animal
Slide 22: Grand Canyon
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Twenty years ago it was a lot more common
than it is today to see people just toss their
trash onto the street. These days, society
exerts pressure on us to "put litter in its
place. " It's commonly accepted that
littering ruins the aesthetics of the land
While throwing a soda can out a car window
might be easier than pulling over to find a
recycling bin, we make the small effort to
do the right thing. Almost without even
thinking about it.
Even so, we still have a lot of progress to
make before we can say as a society that
we've fully signed on to a land ethic. ^25
We must do more for the environment than
put litter in its place before we're even
halfway there.
Which leads me back to the question of
what it really means to be a member of the
land community - what, exactly, we must
do. ^26 Leopold tells us that, "A thing is
right when it tends to preserve the integrity,
stability, and beauty of the biotic
community. It is wrong when it tends
otherwise." r^27 So this means that we
must find solutions that work for people
and maintain as much of the land's natural
health and beauty as possible. Take a look
around you and judge for yourself what
works for people and the rest of nature.
+28
Slide 23: trash in forest
Slide 24: person with hawk
Slide 25: Valdez cleanup
Slide 26: waterfall
Slide 27: boy fishing
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Notice that I say both people and nature.
Leopold didn't set up the land ethic as an
"either/or" proposition. If you were to pledge
today to start being a citizen of the land
community it wouldn't mean that you'd
never cut down another tree or even build
another factory. r>29 But you would think
twice about how best to do those things with
the least negative impact on your land
community. "^30
It's important to remember that if we're to
live according to the land ethic, we would
have to drop certain assumptions. We'd have
to take on the challenge of thinking and
acting differently about such things as our
stewardship of land.
We're accustomed to thinking that the land is
ours, and that this gives us the right to use it
simply as we choose. Stories of early settlers
conquering the land and reaping the benefits
of its natural resources are legendary in
American history. Mastery of the land seems
to be part of "the American way. " +32
For a long time, that's meant that we've been
tuned in to the bottom line while tuning out
the messages the land is sending us. We've put
our short-term economic priorities first,
above the welfare of the environment and
Slide 28: Backyard Habitat
Slide 29: bulldozer
Slide 30: landfill
Slide 31: bison
Slide 32: dead fish
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future generations. And when we regard the
environment upon which we depend as
nothing but raw materials for the taking, we
tend to discount the full range of benefits we
derive from it. "^33
Think of some of the issues you hear about
on the news every night. Over-fishing, air
pollution, water pollution, and many
wildlife management problems are just a few
examples of the challenges we face that are
the direct results of human beings basing
environmental decisions on narrow
economic priorities alone. ^34
In making our decisions about how best to
interact with the environment, each of us
must consider more than how to get the
quickest dollar value out of the land. We
must determine what outcome would be
best for the land and factor that in, too.
•^35 To consider what's in the best interest
of the environment and then to act with
that in mind upholds the principles of the
land ethic. This doesn't mean giving up the
right to own property. What it really means
is recognizing our responsibility to take
better care of that property and our
community at the same time. "^36
In A Sand County Almanac, Leopold warns
that efforts to exploit the land are not only
bad for the environment, but that they will
also prove to be harmful to human beings.
Slicle33: captive wolf
Slide 34: water lilies
Slide 35: wolf pup
Slide 36: pitcher plant
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That's actually a pretty intuitive idea.
Examples are all around us. +37
Think again for a moment about the
suburban deer population problem. With
more and more deer coming closer and closer
to our homes and streets, a couple of things
have happened +38 Lyme disease, which
can be spread through the bite of the deer
tick, is becoming more common. More
people are getting injured in car collisions
with deer that have wandered onto the roads.
And large populations of deer feeding in
condensed areas lead to loss of certain forest
trees, like hemlock. +39
In moving aggressively into deer habitat, we
have changed the way things used to work in
nature, and we're beginning to see some
examples of why ignoring the needs of this
member of the land community isn't
necessarily the best thing for deer or for
people. +40
We're used to thinking of human beings as
self-reliant and in control of the natural
environment. Biologically, though, we're just
part of the web of life, just members of the
land community, not very good masters of it.
So our own well-being depends on the health
of the rest of the system.
When we damage one part of the
environment by contributing to the
Slide 37: deer
Slide 38: deer
Slide 39: new condos
Slide 40: spiderweb
Hide 41: river
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extinction of a species or the pollution of a
river, for instance, we hurt ourselves. Of
course, we might not feel the negative
impact of our actions immediately - or even
in our own lifetime. In fact, we might
consider the short-term economic benefits
worth the risk. But the consequences of
mistreating the environment will eventually
show up, and can be economically costly.
+42
When people make an effort to practice the
land ethic, great things can happen for the
environment and for people.
Thirty years ago, fewer than 3,000 bald
eagles remained in the United States, due in
large part to the use by humans of the
pesticide DDT. When eagles ate fish that had
ingested insects poisoned by DDT the egg
shells they produced were too weak to
protect the chicks growing inside. Bald eagle
populations plummeted because many
chicks died before they hatched. ^43
Today, there are more than twice as many
eagles in the U.S. as there were in 1968.
When people realized the detrimental
impact of DDT use on bald eagle
populations, the pesticide was banned, and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched
a program to introduce newly hatched
chicks to healthy eagle habitat. ^44
Slide 42: bald eagle
Slide 43: eagles with young
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Because they are at the top of the food chain,
the health of bald eagle populations is a good
indicator of the health of the ecosystem
overall. By making the effort to correct
behavior that was resulting in diminishing
bald eagle populations, we made things better
for ourselves, too. ^>45
Think of land and society together as a single
body, as different, and yet as connected as
heart and bones. Just as a heart condition
impairs the overall well-being of a person
with perfectly healthy bones, an ailing
environment cripples the human community.
Just because your heart is giving you trouble
doesn't mean you'd be better off without it.
Each part of an organism contributes
something to the welfare of the system as a
whole. "^47 When part of our body is sick
we concentrate on curing it, knowing that
only by fixing that specific illness will we feel
completely better. Similarly, a damaged
environment cries out for healing, and unless
we take the time and make the effort to bring
about a cure, the whole land community -
which includes human society - will suffer.
Leopold wrote that, "harmony with the land
is like harmony with a friend; you cannot
cherish his right hand and chop off his left.
That is to say you cannot love game
Slide 44: soaring eagle
Slide 45: anatomy
Slide 46: surgeons
Hide 47: sick child
Slide 48: goose with chicks
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and hate predators; you cannot conserve the
waters and waste the ranges; you cannot
build the forest and mine the farm. " ^49
In other words, only by accepting the entire
natural world - in all its diversity - as good
and as worthy of continued existence can
you and I claim to practice the land ethic.
To be a solid citizen of the land community,
we must get into the habit of balancing our
needs with those of the community in every
decision we make and every action we take,
and that includes the needs of the natural
community. r>51 There are hints all
around us that we are connected to the land.
By paying attention to them and taking
responsibility for our own attitudes and
behavior we can all play a role in creating a
greater degree of harmony between people
and the rest of the natural system. ^52
When we take up the challenge of caring for
the land, the outlook for a good quality of
life for us and for future generations
brightens.
Let's all make the decision to do the right
thing. -^53
We can begin by making a pledge to
ourselves and our neighbors to make this the
year that we develop a habit of
Slide 49: snake
lide 50: alligator
Slide 51: kids with birdhouse
Slide 52: sunset
Slide 53: pledge
-------
considering more than our own short-term
interests or bottom line. Let's begin to think
about how our actions will affect our entire
community and our own long-term
well-being. Let's weigh the aesthetic
consequences of our behavior against the
economic. Let's pledge to bear in mind how
our decisions about the environment will
affect the community that we leave to our
children and grandchildren. **54
You can make this pledge to yourself, or I
can give you a pledge to sign to join in an
alliance for conservation that's nationwide.
But when we do these things, we'll be
starting to live the land ethic.
End of packaged presentation
Slide 54: howling wolf
LOCAL FOCUS - Continue with your own short slide presentation, if possible.
Here's how you might get started:
Here in [name of town] we have an opportunity to help create a land ethic,
first in our daily lives, and then more broadly to the issue/problem of
[Summarize issue/problem/opportunity. See instructions, TAB 1] in our
collective backyard.
In [name of town/community], [insert detailed description of local
problem or opportunity].
Because it [state impact of issue on environment], you and I, as
conservation-minded citizens consider [local problem a bad thing or
opportunity a good thing]. According to the land ethic, we must act
-------
accordingly. [Suggest what audience can do to address issue/problem.]
The year 1999 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Aldo
Leopold's yl Sand County Almanac. It's quite possible that the importance of
adopting a system of principles to guide our interaction with the land has
never been more crucial. The land is crying out for a cure, and each of us
must choose whether or not we will answer.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
When you hear about the latest decision the powers-that-be have made
regarding the environment, it might seem to have little relevance to you and
your life. "So what if the government removes wolves from Yellowstone,"
you might think. "I live in [name of town]. What does it have to do with
me?
Actually, the environment and the decisions that affect it are about you.
What happens to the environment has a direct impact on the quality of your
life. We are all part of the land community. We're linked to it and dependent
on it.
So as you can see, conservation is really about community. As members of
the land community, each of us has stake in the health of the environment.
We must assume responsibility for our own actions and make a habit of
behaving ethically in relation to the land. To do otherwise, as Leopold warns,
is to hurt ourselves and generations to come.
Change isn't always comfortable. But it is a necessary part of survival. To
ensure the health of the environment for tomorrow we must begin today to
embrace Leopold's land ethic - to accept our role and our responsibilities as
members of the land community instead of conquerors of it.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you, and I hope I've convinced you
that conservation really is about us and our community. If I have, you can
join [name of your group] and work with us to make a difference. You can
-------
get started on [local issue/opportunity discussed]. Of you can act on
whatever issue moves you. But please, take some positive action and do it
with your own land ethic in mind Our community and our future depends
on t.
Thank you.
-------
Conservation: It's About Community
A Land Ethic for Today
This version uses slides 1 through 52 only.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you today about what
conservation really is and about its role in our lives. Throughout my talk today,
I'll be mentioning the work of a man named Aldo Leopold. Even though he
died about 50 years ago, his thoughts on the relationship between people and
the rest of nature have helped guide concerned citizens like me for decades.
I bet that sometimes it seems to you that the kinds of issues I'm involved in,
things like water and air quality, don't really affect you. Actually,
environmental issues are near and dear to all people. No matter where we live,
we're connected to nature in a very important way: We're all part of what
Leopold called the land community.
Think about what the word "community" means to you.
Most of you probably think of a community in terms of the people who live in
it — your friends and your neighbors. People show support for their community
in many different ways, such as volunteering at a charity or just by helping out
when neighbors need us. We make this kind of effort because we feel it's the
right thing to do.
Fifty years ago, Aldo Leopold wrote a book called A Sand County Almanac
which makes us think a little bit differently about what "community" really
means. In his foreword, Leopold wrote, "When we see land as a community to
which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."
Leopold suggested that the community includes more than we might think. It
includes the environment and everything in it - the plants, animals, soils, and
-------
waters. He said that people are actually members of this land community - the
most powerful members, in fact. And he said that because people have the
unique ability to make decisions that affect the land, we are also responsible for
its health.
In other words, we should be as just as thoughtful about caring for the land as
we are about maintaining our friendships. Leopold said that "conservation is a
state of harmony between man and land." It's about being a good citizen of the
land community. To think about what the environmental consequences of our
behavior might be before we act and then to be as gentle with the land as we
possibly can, is the right thing to do.
Leopold's definition of community might seem a little overwhelming or
far-fetched to you. After all, the environment is so huge, what difference could
the actions of one person really make?
The land ethic doesn't demand as much of us as it might sound. But it does ask
something of each of us. Small changes that you and I make in the way we
think about and interact with the environment day-to-day can add up to big
benefits to the land community. And by protecting the land we protect
ourselves.
Living according to the land ethic means keeping the needs of wildlife in mind
when we plant our gardens. It means taking the time to learn about the
environmental issues that hit close to home and then helping out if we can. It
means that when we need to build a road, we build it in a way that preserves as
much of the area's natural beauty as possible.
Aldo Leopold's land ethic suggests that before we act in a way that might have
any kind of impact on the environment, we should weigh what would be best
for the land against what we need or want from the land.
With this in mind, let's look more closely at the land ethic - which is really an
ethic for today.
-------
SLIDE PRESENTATION
Sometimes we don't notice that the landscape
is speaking to us. You see the same old
landmarks on your way to school every
day - the same trees, or rocks or hills - and
probably don't think too much about them. '
When Aldo Leopold walked through the
woods with his father as a child, he paid close
attention to what he saw. ^3 He kept a
journal in which he recorded what birds he
spotted and even made illustrations of some of
his favorites, like this wren. Leopold's habit
of careful observation led to some of the ideas
I'll be talking about today.
By paying closer attention to our own
surroundings we can begin to make sense of
the clues that are right there in front of us.
Clues that remind us how we are connected
to the land and what we need to do to keep
our "land community" healthy. -^5
Here's one example of a clue.
Recently, people in many suburban areas in
the U.S. have noticed what seems to be an
increase in deer populations. But why are we
suddenly seeing more deer in our
neighborhoods?1 ^6 The behavior of deer
Slide 1: street shot
Slide 2: AL as a child
Slide 3: AL drawing
Slide 4: person near tree
Slide 5: deer face
Slide 6: four deer
-------
has changed as the landscape has changed.
Their numbers have become so great they are
affecting our forests. People have removed
the predators such as wolves and bears that
once kept deer populations under control.
By visiting our streets and our yards more
frequently deer tell us something about our
behavior. r^7
Signs that we're more connected to nature
than we realize are all around us. We just
have to pay attention. ^8
Aldo Leopold continued to learn from the
land throughout his education and career.
After receiving a degree in forestry from Yale
University, he headed to the Southwest to
work for the U.S. Forest Service. Over the
next 20 years, he played an important role in
managing the nation's forestlands for future
generations. ^9
Leopold's love for the wilderness grew
during the time he spent outdoors in the
Southwest. -^10 He helped start a number
of private conservation groups like the Izaak
Walton League, The Wilderness Society and
the National Wildlife Federation that
continue today to make a difference for the
environment. What kinds of things do
conservation groups do that help the
environment? ^11
Slide 7: gray squirrel
Slide 8: AL adult portrait
Slide 9: rural Southwest scene
Slide 10: AL with fish
Slide 11: AL at the Shack
-------
Leopold moved to the Midwest in 1924, and
four years later left the Forest Service to
survey wildlife populations and habitats.
Then he joined the staff of the University of
Wisconsin, Madison, as the world's first ,
Professor of Game Management, where he
stayed until his death in 1948. +12
Even though he had a challenging career and a
growing family, Aldo Leopold always made
time to get out into wild country - and to
write about it. +13 His books, including .4
Sand County Almanac show what a great
writer and keen observer he was. One of the
things that help him become such a good
writer was keeping a journal of the things he
saw outside. Do any of you keep a journal like
Aldo Leopold did? +14
Leopold's most famous book, A Sand County
Almanac, begins with descriptions of the
natural world based on Leopold's own
observations, and then leads to his conclusions
about our connection to it.
The key idea in^l Sand County Almanac, the
part that speaks to us most urgently, even fifty
years later, is Leopold's land ethic.
An ethic is a way of behaving that is good for
more than just one person. +16
Actually, Leopold tells us that looking out for
the land community is in our own best
Slide 12: ski tracks in snow
Slide 13: AL outside
Slide 14: b&w landscape
Slide 15: wood storks
Slide 16: oily bird
-------
interest. Because it's the land that eventually
takes care of us. ^17
When you get right down to it, we already
live by certain limitations every day without
really giving it too much thought. ^18
The thing that sets these limitations is called
society. Living up to society's standards of
behavior means that in some cases we might
not be able to do exactly what we want to
do, but most of the time we're not even
conscious of making an effort to be a good
citizen. ^19 Can you think of an example?
Ethical standards change all the time. I
doubt that today an African-American
woman would be ordered to give up her seat
on a bus for a white man, as Rosa Parks was
in 1955. Her courageous refusal to move
sparked the civil rights movement, which
has been adopted as an ethic.
What's interesting is that Leopold says the
ethical standards we practice so easily with
respect to each other really should be
applied to all of nature, from the most
common animal "^22 to the most
spectacular canyon lands. He says we must
think ourselves as part of - not masters of -
a land community that includes us, every
living species, the soil and the water. We can
already see ways in which an ethic has begun
to show up in our attitudes about the
Slide 17: recycling bin
Slide 18: "Pedestrian Crossing"
Slide 19: "No Trespassing'1
Slide 20: Rosa Parks
Hide 21: boy with animal
Hide 22: Grand Canyon
-------
environment. Can you think of an example
of an ethical standard we use with people
that we could apply to animals? -^23
Twenty years ago it was a lot more common
than it is today to see people just toss their
trash onto the street. These days, society at
large expects us to "put litter in its place."
It's commonly accepted that littering ruins
the beauty of the land. While throwing a
soda can out a car window might be easier
than pulling over to find a recycling bin, we
know that littering is wrong, so we make
the small effort to do the right thing.
Almost without even thinking about it. Just
imagine how it would look outside if
everyone littered! H^24
Even so, we must do more for the
environment than put litter in its place
before we can say as a society that we're
living up to a land ethic.
Who can think of another example of how
people take care of the environment? -^25
That leads us back to the question of what it
really means to be a good member of the
land community. ^26 Leopold suggests
that we must find solutions that work for
people and maintain as much of the land's
original health and beauty as possible. -^27
Take a look around you and judge for what
yourself works for people and the rest of the
Slide 23: trash in forest
Slide 24: person with hawk
Slide 25: Valdez cleanup
Slide 26: waterfall
Slide 27: boy fishing
-------
natural system.
Notice that I say both people and nature.
Leopold doesn't set up the land ethic as an
"either/or" situation. If you were to decide
today to start being a citizen of the land
community it wouldn't mean that you'd
never be able to cut down a tree or even build
a factory. ->29 But you would think twice
about how to do those things in a way that
does the least amount of harm to the land
It's important to remember that if we're to
live according to the land ethic, we would
have to let go of certain ideas that we're used
to taking for granted. We'd have to take on
the challenge of thinking and acting
differently about such things as our
ownership of land. *>31
We're used to thinking that the land is ours,
and that this gives us the right to use it simply
as we choose. You find stories of early
settlers conquering the land and using its
natural resources throughout American
history. Taking control of the land seems to
be part of "the American way."
For a long time, that's meant that some
people have been tuned in to how they can
make money from the land while tuning out
the messages the land is sending them. Some
Slide 28: Backyard Habitat-
Slide 29: bulldozer
Slide 30: landfill
Slide 31: bison
Slide 32: dead fish
-------
people have put their short-term desire to
make money above the welfare of the
environment. ^33
Think of some of the issues you hear about
on the news every night. Over-fishing, air
pollution, water pollution that causes
problems for people and wildlife, and many
wildlife management problems are just a few
examples of the challenges we face that
result from human beings basing
environmental decisions on economic
priorities alone.
In making our decisions about how best to
interact with the environment, each of us
should consider more than how to get the
quickest dollar value out of the land We
should determine what outcome would be
best for the land and think about that, too.
To consider what is best for the
environment and then to act with that in
mind, upholds the principles of the land
ethic. This doesn't mean giving up the right
to use or own property. What it really
means is taking better care of that property
and our community at the same time.
In A Sand County Almanac, Leopold warns
that efforts to use up the land are not only
bad for the environment, but that they
might also prove to be harmful to people.
Slide 33: captive wolf
Slide 34: water lilies
Slide 35: wolf pup
Slide 36: pitcher plant
-------
That's actually a pretty simple idea. There
are examples all around us. -
Think again about the deer population
problem I talked about a minute ago. With
more and more deer coming closer and closer
to our houses and streets, a couple of things
have happened ^38 Lyme disease, that can
be spread through the bite of the deer tick, is
becoming more common. More people are
getting seriously injured in car collisions
with deer that have wandered onto the roads.
Large populations of deer feeding in
condensed areas lead to loss of certain forest
trees, like hemlock. And when there's not
enough left to eat, some deer starve. ^39
By moving into deer habitat and eliminating
their natural enemies, people have changed
the way things used to work in nature.
We're beginning to see some examples of
why this isn't necessarily the best thing for
deer or for people.
We're used to thinking of people as being in
control of the natural environment. Fact is,
people are really just part of the web of life,
plain old members of the land community,
not veiy good masters of it. So our own
well-being depends on the health of the rest
of the system.
When we damage one part of the
Slide 37: deer
Slide 38: more deer
Slide 39: new condos
Slide 40: spiderweb
Slide 41: river
-------
environment by contributing to the
extinction of a species or the pollution of a
river, for instance, we feel the consequences
ourselves. Some people might consider the
short-term benefits worth the long-term risk,
but the consequences of hurting the
environment eventually show up, and when
they do, they tend to be expensive to fix.
+42
When people make an effort to practice the
land ethic, great things can happen for the
environment and for people.
Thirty years ago, fewer than 3,000 bald eagles
remained in the United States, due in part of
the use by humans of a pesticide called DDT.
When eagles ate fish that had ingested insects
poisoned by DDT, the egg shells they
produced were too weak to protect the chicks
growing inside. Bald eagle populations
dropped because many chicks died before
they hatched.
Today, there are more than twice as many
eagles in the U.S. as there were in 1968.
When people realized how bad DDT was for
bald eagles, the pesticide was banned. The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also began a
new program to introduce newly-hatched
chicks into healthy eagle habitat.
Because bald eagles are at the top of the
Slide 42: bald eagle
Slide 41i_eagles with young
Slide 44: soaring eagle
-------
food chain, their health is a good indicator
of the environment's overall health. By
making the effort to correct behavior that
was hurting bald eagle populations, people
made things better for themselves, too.
Think of land and society together as a single
body, as different, and yet as connected as
your nose and your feet. Just as a cold makes
a person feel sick even if their feet are
healthy, a damaged environment hurts the
human community.
Just because a person has a cold doesn't
mean they'd be better off without their
nose! Each part of a body contributes
something to the well-being of the whole
body. ">47 When part of our body is sick
we focus on curing it, because we know that
only by fixing that specific problem will we
feel completely better. Likewise, a damaged
environment cries out for healing, and
unless people take the time and make the
effort to cure it, the whole land community
- which includes human society - will not
be completely healthy. ->48
Leopold wrote that "harmony with the land
is like harmony with a friend; you cannot
cherish his right hand and chop off his left.
That is to say you cannot love game and
Slide 45: anatomy
Slide 46: surgeons
Slide 47: sick child
Slide 48: goose with chicks
-------
hate predators; you cannot build the forest
and mine the farm." ^49 In other words,
only by accepting the entire natural world -
in all its variety - as good and as worthy of
continued existence, can a person claim to
practice the land ethic.
To be a solid citizen of the land community,
people should get into the habit of
considering the needs of the whole
community in every decision we make and
every action we take, and that includes the
needs of the natural community. ^51
There are hints all around us that we are
connected to the land. By paying attention
to them and taking responsibility for our
own attitudes and behavior we can all play a
role in restoring the balance between people
and the rest of nature.
When we take up the challenge to care for
the land, the outlook for a good quality of
life for us and for the future brightens.
Leopold said that it's important for people
to do their best to live up to the principles
of the land ethic. Can you think of
something you can do to live up to the land
ethic?
Slide 49: snake
Slide 50: alligator
Slide 51: kids with birdhouse
Slide 52: sunset
End of packaged presentation
-------
LOCAL FOCUS - Continue with your own short slide presentation, if possible.
Here's how you might get started:
Here in [name of town], we have an opportunity to create a land ethic, first
in our daily lives, and then to the [issue/problem] of [Summarize issue/
problem/opportunity. See instructions, TAB 1] here in our town.
In [name of town/community], [insert detailed description of local
problem or opportunity].
Because it [state impact of issue on environment], you and I might conside'r
[local problem a bad thing or opportunity a good thing]. According to the
land ethic, we should act accordingly. [Suggest what audience can do to
address issue/ problem.]
It's possible that it has never been more important than it is today to live by a
system of principles to guide our interaction with the land. The environment
is crying out for a cure, and each of us can choose whether or not we will
answer.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
When you hear about the latest decision that politicians have made about the
environment, it might seem to have little importance to you and your life.
"So what?" you might think. "What does it have to do with me?"
Actually, the environment and the decisions that affect it are about you.
What happens to the environment has a direct impact on the quality of your
life. We are all part of the land community. We're linked to it and dependent
on it.
So as you can see, conservation is really about community. As members of
the land community, each of us has stake in the health of the environment.
We have the opportunity to assume responsibility for our own actions and
-------
make a habit of behaving ethically in relation to the land
Change isn't always comfortable. But it is a necessary part of survival. To
ensure the health of the environment for tomorrow people can begin today
to embrace Leopold's land ethic - to accept our role and our responsibilities
as members of the land community instead of conquerors of it.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you, and I hope I've helped you
understand that conservation really is about us and our community.
Thank you.
-------
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CONSERVATION: IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY
A Land Ethic for Today
Photo Credits
1. Street view, Jackson Hole Wyoming, by Steve Chase, FWS.
2. Aldo Leopold as a young boy, ®University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives.
3. Drawing of a wren by Aldo Leopold, ©University of "Wisconsin-Madison Archives.
4. FWS personnel showing size of tree by Hollingsworth, FWS.
5. Deer, by Ryan Hagerty, FWS.
6. Whitetail deer, National Wildlife Federation.
7. Gray Eastern squirrel, by Ryan Hagerty, FWS.
8. Adult portrait of Aldo Leopold, ®University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives.
9. Scene in rural New Mexico, circa 1915, ®University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives.
10. Leopold with a fish, ®University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives.
11. Leopold exiting Shack, circa 1940, ®University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives.
12. Cross country ski trail near the Shack, late 1930s, ®University of Wisconsin-Madison
Archives.
13. Leopold strolling with wife Estella and daughter near the Shack, circa 1940
®University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives.
14. Hunting area near "Tome"; New Mexico, circa 1920, ® University of Wisconsin-
Madison Archives.
15. Wood storks, by Ryan Hagerty, FWS.
16. Oiled black Scoter, by Jill Parker, FWS.
17. Recycling bin, National Wildlife Federation.
18. Pedestrian crossing sign, National Wildlife Federation.
19. No Trespassing sign, National Wildlife Federation
20. Rosa Parks leaves with attorney Langford, 1956, UPI/Corbis-Bettmann.
21. Small boy and kangaroo rat by Steve Van Riper, FWS.
22. Arizona landscape, by George Gentry, FWS.
23. Litter, by Ryan Hagerty, FWS.
24. Red tail hawk, by Doug Canfield, FWS.
25. Cleanup at Exxon Valdez, by Jill Parker, FWS.
26. Waterfall, by George Gentry, FWS.
27. Young boy fishing, by Roger L. Hamman, FWS.
28. Backyard Wildlife Habitat, National Wildlife Federation.
29. Bulldozer, National Wildlife Federation.
30. Landfill, ®1998 CMSP. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction allowed.
31. Bison, 1983, National Wildlife Federation.
32. Water pollution fish kill by W. French, FWS.
33. Wolf relocation, by LuRay Parker, FWS.
34. Water lilies, by Ryan Hagerty, FWS.
35. Mexican wolf pup, by Ryan Hagerty, FWS.
-------
36. Endangered pitcher plant, by George Gentry, FWS.
37. White-tailed deer, by Fred Youngblood, FWS.
38. White-tailed deer, 1983, National Wildlife Federation.
39. New condominiums, National Wildlife Federation.
40. Spiderweb at sunrise, by Bill West, FWS.
41. Bald cypress, by Ryan Hagerty, FWS.
42. Bald eagle, by George Gentry, FWS.
43. Eagles' nest, by Gerry Atwell, FWS.
44. Bald eagle, by Al Milliken, FWS.
45. Brain, heart, kidney, vascular illustration, ©1998 CMSP. All Rights Reserved. No
reproduction allowed.
46. Surgeons in a circle, ©1998 CMSP. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction allowed.
47. Child with chicken pox, ©1998 CMSP. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction
allowed.
48. Canada goose with chicks, by George Gentry, FWS.
49. Rattlesnake, by Tom Smylie, FWS.
50. Alligator, by Jill Parker, FWS.
51. Kids building wood duck habitat, by George Gentry, FWS.
52. Altamaha River, by George Gentry, FWS.
53. Land ethic pledge, National Wildlife Federation.
54. Eastern Timber wolf, by L. David Mech, FWS.
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List of Further Resources
For more information on Aldo Leopold and the land ethic, visit
http://www.aldo.org or contact the following organizations:
Aldo Leopold Foundation
E-12919 Levee Road
Baraboo, WI 53913
(608)355-0279
Aldo Leopold Nature Center
300 Femrite Drive
Monona, WI 53716
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
209 Curtiss Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Leopold Education Project
1783 Buerkle Circle
St. Paul, MN 55110
(612) 773-2000
http://www.lep.org
Potomac Overlook Park
2845 Marcey Rd, Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 528-5406
University of Wisconsin - Madison Archives (photos)
B134 Memorial Library
728 State Street
Madison, WI 53706
Conservation groups:
International Crane Foundation
P.O. Box 447
Baraboo, WI 53913
(608) 356-9462
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The Izaak Walton League of America
707 Conservation Ln.
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(301) 548-0150
National Wildlife Federation
8925 Leesburg Pike
Vienna, VA 22184
(703) 790-4085 (communications department)
http://www.nwf.org
North American Association for Environmental Education
1255 23rd St,NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 884-8912
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
http://www.epa.gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center
Route 1, Box 166
Shepardstown, WV 25443
(304) 876-1600
U.S. Forest Service
P.O. Box 96090
Washington, DC 20090
(202) 205-0957
The Wilderness Society
900 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 833-2300
http://www.wilderness.org
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Acknowledgments
"Conservation: It's About Community" was developed by the National
Wildlife Federation in coordination with the following organizations:
Aldo Leopold Foundation
Aldo Leopold Nature Center
International Crane Foundation
Izaak Walton League
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Leopold Education Project ;
North American Association for Environmental Education
Potomac Overlook Park
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Training Center
U.S. Forest Service
Wilderness Society
Special thanks to:
Jeff Miller of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Training Center
for designing this kit.
The University of Wisconsin - Madison Archives for contributing
photographs from their Leopold Collection, and to Bernie Schermetzler for
photo research assistance.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for lending numerous images to this effort
and to Elizabeth Jackson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation
Training Center for photo research assistance.
"Conservation: It's About Community" is printed with soy ink on recycled paper.
Printing by Custom Print, Inc., Slide duplication by Washington Slide.
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