52 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN February 2024 CONSERVING FOR THE FUTURE JESSICA WESSON | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Aldo Leopold was born in 1887 in Burlington, Iowa, where he developed a keen interest in nature. He graduated from Yale Forest School in 1909 and pursued his passion of nature in the form of a career with the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona and New Mexico. He accomplished many things, including assisting with the proposal to manage the Gila National Forest as a wilderness area and serving as the supervisor for the Carson National Forest. In 1924, he moved to Wisconsin, where he continued to work for the cause of conservation. He became the chair of game management at the University of Wisconsin in 1933, and two years later bought a farm to experiment with ecology and conservation. He and his family planted thousands of pine trees and restored prairies to see how that affected the wildlife and plant life around them. He documented these efforts and continued to publish textbooks, journal articles and magazine articles about conservation. He dreamed about writing a book for the public to showcase human relationships with nature, but he passed away in 1948 before this could become a reality. However, his essays were published as a book titled A Sand County Almanac. In his book, Leopold insisted that humans are stewards of the land, and it is their responsibility to take care of it. His philosophy is lived out by hundreds of farmers and ranchers across the country, and they constantly work to improve soil, water and wildlife habitats. They do all this in addition to producing food for the world. Decades later, Leopold’s book has become one of the most popular reads for those who are passionate about conservation. In 1967, several private landowners came together to protect the land that once belonged to Leopold, and the Sand County Foundation was born. The landowners committed to practicing conservation on their own land and raising awareness of Leopold’s philosophy. Awarding Conservation Now the Sand County Foundation works with partners nationwide to recognize agricultural landowners for their voluntary conservation efforts through the Leopold Conservation Award program. More than 25 states give out this award to farmers, ranchers and forestland owners to share the story of Leopold and further the cause of conservation. Winners from each state receive $10,000 and a crystal award. The award program also connects the landowners with individuals in government, environmental organizations, industry and academia to advance the conservation cause that Leopold worked his whole life to promote. In Nebraska, this award is managed by the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN). Steve Martin, AFAN executive director, says the award program came to Nebraska in 2006, and AFAN took over the management of the award in 2017. “We work with Sand County Foundation and some in-state partners to gather applications each year, get judging done and coordinate the award presentation,” Martin says. AFAN is proud to recognize Nebraska landowners for their contributions to the environment. “The Leopold Conservation Award program brings awareness to what Nebraska farmers and ranchers are already PEOPLE Apply for the Leopold Conservation Award Ranchers, farmers and landowners who have a passion for conservation can apply or be nominated for the Leopold Conservation Award each year. The 2024 award application is due March 1 and can be accessed by the QR code or directly at sandcountyfoundation.org/ourwork/leopold-conservation-award/ application-info.
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