A Sand County Almanac provides the average lay-person insight into the dynamic and beautiful world of nature and ecology. Before 1940, the study of ecology as that of a well-balanced, functional environment, including all elements, large or small, biotic or abiotic, was a fairly novel idea. The vast majority of scientific ecological studies that can be found were published in the late forties, and even those studies were focused on economically valued mega fauna and their environments. Ecology at that time was a field mainly for academics, not for the public, nor for those whose practices ecological knowledge is key to, such as farmers or loggers.
Leopold provides his readers with a deep understanding of nature through his personal experience to bring them closer, to see it through his eyes. He wants everyone to appreciate the beauty that lies there, economically valuable or otherwise. Leopold teaches us to “think like a mountain.” This idea is introduced through his book as an entirely new concept for that time, for the general public anyway. He saw the balance between all elements of the environment, biotic and abiotic. They all play an important role in ecology, in the energy circuit, as Leopold would describe. There is a flow of energy that each piece of the environment is a significant part of, and removing just one would disrupt the entire flow.
Leopold defines conservation as “a state of harmony between men and land.” This demonstrates his desire for a healthy relationship between the needs of man and the environment. He is urging us to use our land with morality as our judgment, not just our wants and needs. We should be treating even the members of the community that are of no use to us with respect, and not just base the value of everything on economics. Humans are behaving as gods, choosing what deserves to exist and what does not. What man does not realize is that those elements that he deems unimportant are actually integral to the continuance of those that he does need. A healthy environment requires are all parts working together.
Leopold’s essays in A Sand County Almanac took nearly twenty years to obtain proper recognition for what it is. It is still being reviewed in recent years by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Verlyn Klinkenborg, in a review written in 2006, discusses a book that analyzes A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold’s Odyssey. In a 2013 review in the Wall Street Journal Robert McFarlane discusses the “paradoxical” nature of Leopold’s writing, as he recounts gory hunting stories with joy, and yet pushes for respectful treatment of the environment. Leopold’s essays have been influential enough to still be discussed, even criticized, over sixty years after being published. His book has become part of an improvement in conservation education content, something he greatly desired.
Conservation education, however, is still incredibly lacking. Only those who attend a school in order to study environmental science receive any sort of comprehensive education in conservation. Many of the top universities for agricultural studies such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Texas A&M, and Purdue require little to no courses in conservation or ecology (Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Texas A&M, Purdue). This is a good indicator that while we have come a long way since Leopold’s time in education and ecological knowledge, educational opportunities are deficient. Also to bear in mind, these educational opportunities are one-hundred percent optional. This is no longer the regarding the education of the general public, but only those that desire to enter fields in which ecological education is dire. If A Sand County Almanac were part of high school curriculums, it is possible that the eyes of many of those who are the future of this planet will be opened to the importance of ecological balance with an appreciation and love for nature, not just for what it provides us in an economic sense.
We still have a long way to go in acquiring a complete understanding of nature and ecology, but Aldo Leopold has made a significant step toward getting us there. With this beautiful rendition of his journey of growth and gain of wisdom with nature, he allows anyone who reads A Sand County Almanac to take a step into his shoes and see the flows of energy in an environment, to think like a mountain, and to truly appreciate every organism for what it is: an integral part of a system that we need in order to continue our existence.
Leopold provides his readers with a deep understanding of nature through his personal experience to bring them closer, to see it through his eyes. He wants everyone to appreciate the beauty that lies there, economically valuable or otherwise. Leopold teaches us to “think like a mountain.” This idea is introduced through his book as an entirely new concept for that time, for the general public anyway. He saw the balance between all elements of the environment, biotic and abiotic. They all play an important role in ecology, in the energy circuit, as Leopold would describe. There is a flow of energy that each piece of the environment is a significant part of, and removing just one would disrupt the entire flow.
Leopold defines conservation as “a state of harmony between men and land.” This demonstrates his desire for a healthy relationship between the needs of man and the environment. He is urging us to use our land with morality as our judgment, not just our wants and needs. We should be treating even the members of the community that are of no use to us with respect, and not just base the value of everything on economics. Humans are behaving as gods, choosing what deserves to exist and what does not. What man does not realize is that those elements that he deems unimportant are actually integral to the continuance of those that he does need. A healthy environment requires are all parts working together.
Leopold’s essays in A Sand County Almanac took nearly twenty years to obtain proper recognition for what it is. It is still being reviewed in recent years by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Verlyn Klinkenborg, in a review written in 2006, discusses a book that analyzes A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold’s Odyssey. In a 2013 review in the Wall Street Journal Robert McFarlane discusses the “paradoxical” nature of Leopold’s writing, as he recounts gory hunting stories with joy, and yet pushes for respectful treatment of the environment. Leopold’s essays have been influential enough to still be discussed, even criticized, over sixty years after being published. His book has become part of an improvement in conservation education content, something he greatly desired.
Conservation education, however, is still incredibly lacking. Only those who attend a school in order to study environmental science receive any sort of comprehensive education in conservation. Many of the top universities for agricultural studies such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Texas A&M, and Purdue require little to no courses in conservation or ecology (Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Texas A&M, Purdue). This is a good indicator that while we have come a long way since Leopold’s time in education and ecological knowledge, educational opportunities are deficient. Also to bear in mind, these educational opportunities are one-hundred percent optional. This is no longer the regarding the education of the general public, but only those that desire to enter fields in which ecological education is dire. If A Sand County Almanac were part of high school curriculums, it is possible that the eyes of many of those who are the future of this planet will be opened to the importance of ecological balance with an appreciation and love for nature, not just for what it provides us in an economic sense.
We still have a long way to go in acquiring a complete understanding of nature and ecology, but Aldo Leopold has made a significant step toward getting us there. With this beautiful rendition of his journey of growth and gain of wisdom with nature, he allows anyone who reads A Sand County Almanac to take a step into his shoes and see the flows of energy in an environment, to think like a mountain, and to truly appreciate every organism for what it is: an integral part of a system that we need in order to continue our existence.
Sources:
“Agricultural Systems Management.” Purdue.edu. Purdue University, 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
“B.S.: Agricultural Leadership & Development (ALED).” Alec.tamu.edu. Texas A&M University, 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
“Curriculum Sheet: Bachelor of Science Degree: Agricultural and Applied Economics Major.”
Cals.wisc.edu. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
Klinkenborg, Verlyn. “Land Man.” Rev. of Aldo Leopold’s Odyssey, by Julianne Lutz Newton. New York
Times. New York Times, 5 Nov. 2006. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. New York: Ballantine, 1966. Print.
Macfarlane, Robert. “The Prophet in the Wilderness.” Rev. of A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold. Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal, 3 May 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
“Agricultural Systems Management.” Purdue.edu. Purdue University, 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
“B.S.: Agricultural Leadership & Development (ALED).” Alec.tamu.edu. Texas A&M University, 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
“Curriculum Sheet: Bachelor of Science Degree: Agricultural and Applied Economics Major.”
Cals.wisc.edu. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
Klinkenborg, Verlyn. “Land Man.” Rev. of Aldo Leopold’s Odyssey, by Julianne Lutz Newton. New York
Times. New York Times, 5 Nov. 2006. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. New York: Ballantine, 1966. Print.
Macfarlane, Robert. “The Prophet in the Wilderness.” Rev. of A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold. Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal, 3 May 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
By: Hanna Gold, Douglas Reymore, Isaac Knipfing, Sarah Irish, Joshua White, Eric Lynch