2019 is the 70th anniversary of the publication of A Sand County Almanac, by Wisconsin conservationist Aldo Leopold. Leopold is considered the father of wildlife management and an absolute favorite author of mine, so it has been just my luck to be close enough to many special events plus the Leopold Family Shack to learn more about his life and writing. But there was one place connected to Leopold that I hadn't really explored yet- Leopold was the first professor of game (wildlife, conservation) management (anywhere!) and where did he teach? University of Wisconsin in Madison. I heard about an exhibit of some of his papers honoring the 70th anniversary of the book publication, but was disappointed initially to see that the exhibit was only open during the week at the UW-Madison library's special collections. Lucky for me, I caught news of a special presentation and opening of the exhibit on the last Saturday of March, so I couldn't miss it!
We drove down to Madison (Wisconsin's capital city) on Saturday morning, and of course had to stop for lunch and a beer or two on the way (The Lone Girl Brewing Company in Waunakee and Working Draft Beer Company in Madison). We arrived on the UW-Madison campus in the early afternoon and stopped in another library building to see one of John's Muir inventions (his study desk) on display. It was pretty windy and cold so we didn't walk around for too long. Once we go to the library and found the exhibit, I had to go through everything twice since there was just so much information and so many unique documents to see and read. The collection included books, hand drawn maps, journals, photos, and personal items. It was really special to see these up close and organized in such a way to highlight some of the unique details and experiences of Leopold's life. For example, one section highlighted some communications in establishing Leopold's job with the university, including his offer letter and photos of the first department offices (which was located in a house near campus!). After exhibit viewing time, there was an excellent presentation by Curt Meine, Leopold's biographer, about the making of A Sand County Almanac. We also had the chance to talk with a number of folks connected to the Aldo Leopold Foundation, and we got to meet Aldo's granddaughter. Really awesome experience!
Round River and personal journals describing time traveling
Leopold's binoculars
Letter from Teddy Roosevelt, who heard about Leopold's involvement in a game protection association in New Mexico
Course catalog with game management listed. First wildlife class ever!
Handwritten draft of The Good Oak. Many of Leopold's hand written drafts were discarded after they were typed, but one of his grad students thought to pull them out of the trash and save them.
Icy Lake Mendota views from campus
After finishing up on campus, we drove by Aldo Leopold's house just a few blocks away on Van Hise Avenue. No photo there since a different family lives there now and it was creepy enough to pull up in front of their house and stare for a few minutes. After stopping by the family home, we had to hit the UW Arboretum where Aldo worked extensively while he was at the university. The arboretum is touted as the first ecological restoration effort to bring back plants and habitats that were once there. The university acquired the farmland during Leopold's tenure, and a number of notable folks since then have worked hard to implement different practices and bring back native species and communities right in the city. Really beautiful property- we enjoyed a walk around Curtis Prairie and the Leopold Pines. Would be great to go back when the prairie is in bloom!
Curtis Prairie at UW-Madison Arboretum, the birthplace of ecological restoration
The Leopold Pines, planted in the 1930s by the CCC
Arboretum turkeys!
After the arboretum, it was time for another beer/root beer- this time at newly opened Delta Beer Lab owned by a 2018 Appalachian Trail thru hiker. I was excited to see a map of the trail and the guy's gear displayed in a corner- reminded me of Virginia! Then it was time for dinner at Scott's favorite eatery in Madison- Ichibahn Sichuan Restaurant. Scott often travels to Madison for work, so he knows his way around pretty well!
Delta Beer Lab is owned by a 2018 AT thru hiker!
New Glarus Brewing Company
