"If our sons and daughters are to hunt and fish, are to enjoy the same streams and forests and lakes that we have, we must act now to preserve the land and the air we breathe. We must make the measure of our humanity our ability to conserve and preserve life." Leslie Neustadter

Look at these understory transformations! Our #stewardship crew has been clearing small shrubs and saplings to prepare forests for #prescribedburns, expand usable area for grassland birds living in nearby savannas, and give seed banks in the soil a chance to sprout.

"No important change in ethics was ever accomplished without an internal change in our intellectual emphasis, loyalties, affections, and convictions. [...] In our attempt to make conservation easy, we have made it trivial." ― Aldo Leopold, The Land Ethic, A Sand County Almanac 🧡

The Silphium are in seed! These plants need a period of cold stratification to sprout in the spring. Stratification can occur naturally in the wild, or be artificially simulated in a greenhouse for prairie restoration! #phenologyfriday #aldoleopoldfoundation #seedcollection

fieldwork friends! 🐛💙 This week, Land Stewardship Fellow Sophie got quite close with an esteemed lunch guest: a wooly bear caterpillar. Have you seen any caterpillars recently?

"Red lanterns have lighted my way on many pleasant hunt in many a region, but I think that blackberries must first have learned how to glow in the sand counties of central Wisconsin." ― Aldo Leopold, October, A Sand County Almanac 🍁🎃🦌

tools are part of the stewardship team too! The end of every Stew Crew work day is spent rehabbing our equipment, a task that includes cleaning, refueling, and sharpening our saws. Caring for land happens best when you care for the tools that do conservation work too!

"There are woods that are plain to look at, but not to look into." ― Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac Leopold had a passion for the outdoors, and we are reminded every time we read his many books that there is something special everywhere! 💗 #wednesdaywisdom #getoutdoors

Happy chilly #PhenologyFriday !!! While today its a little toastier at the Aldo Leopold Foundation, early this week we had one of our first frosts that really hung around. Look out for wilting sensitive ferns, they don't like the cold at all! 📷: Yellow avens

"Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants, and animals." ― Aldo Leopold, The Upshot, A Sand County Almanac 🧡 #wednesdaywisdom #aldoleopold #landethic

When Vacant Voice asked to shoot a music video at the Shack this past July, we were intrigued. Read our interview with drummer Shane to learn how #Leopold inspired the band's newest song, then watch the music video they filmed at the Shack! aldoleopold.org/blogs/a-voice-…

Coming in hot 🔥🔥 These baddies know it's important to take a rest day... or few weeks. Get a good ol' dose of dopamine by coming on a crane tour and beholding the magic of these majestic beings on their migration journey. ow.ly/HAcP50TG23n

It's hard not to grin ear-to-ear when you get to enjoy this Leopold landscape AND help take care of it! Here's a couple times when the stewardship crew couldn't help but smile. #StewardshipSaturday

Wishing A Sand County Almanac a very happy 75th birthday!! 📖🌱🎉 On October 27, 1949, a year and a half after Aldo's passing, Oxford University Press released his #book of #essays into the world. Which essays or quotes have made their mark on you? #AldoLeopold #75Years #Conservation

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you." ― Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright, like Aldo Leopold, was on to something here... 💙🍂🌲 #wednesdaywisdom #aldoleopoldfounation #lovenature #aldoleopold #franklloydwright #wisconsin

Happy Halloween! 🎃 We hope you have a delightfully spooky day, and we look forward to seeing you at the Shack when we reopen for visitors next spring! #Halloween #HappyHalloween #Pumpkins #Pumpkinheads #Photoshoot #Shack #SpookySeason #VisitorSeason

In Ojibwe tradition, Ajijaak (Sandhill Crane) represents wisdom and communication. What can we learn from his connection to manoomin (wild rice), the Great Lakes, and his other relatives? Register here: crowdcast.io/c/ajijaak

Northern Red Oak and Black Oak are so cool! Both tree species have leaves with pointed tips between the lobes, but Northern Red Oak have shallower lobe indents than Black Oak. See if you can spot the differences on the acorns! 🧡

Watch out for fall branches...falling! 🍂🍁 Sophie, a super-strong land #stewardship fellow, is using a pole saw to prune up low-hanging oak branches. This brings more light into the understory, encouraging grassland species in the soil's seed bank to give growing a shot!☀️

Our 2025 #PhenologyCalendar is the perfect adornment for any nature lover's wall. Mark the changing seasons in style while admiring beautiful wildlife photography all year long! Get your #calendar today! aldoleopold.org/products/2025-… #Phenology #Wildlife #Ecology #HolidaySeason