In March of 2009 the states of Arizona and New Mexico, in conjunction with the Aldo Leopold Foundation 
will kick off a yearlong celebration of Aldo Leopold’s arrival in the southwest (in Springerville Arizona in 1909). Arizona State Parks is holding special centennial events at 8 parks over the next year.
Aldo Leopold was an ecologist, forester, and environmentalist. He was influential in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the movement for wilderness preservation. For a good introduction to Leopold's time in Arizona check out “Aldo Leopold's Southwest,” a collection of 26 essays by Leopold, edited by David Brown & Neil Carmony. Leopold's most famous book, “A Sand County Almanac,” contains insightful and moving essays related to his Wisconsin experiences. His biography is called “Aldo Leopold: A Fierce Green Fire.”
The goal of the centennial celebration is to promote Leopold’s vision that an ethical relationship with the land is essential to a vibrant and healthy community.
The theme of this yearlong celebration is the relevance of Leopold’s Land Ethic to how we address today’s pressing environmental issues and make policy decisions about our future. Our goal is to engage the citizens of our community in the meaningful commitment to promise our children the inheritance of a beautiful and healthy physical environment.
Learn more about other Centenntial events plus the life and work of Aldo Leopold at the following sites: Aldo Leopold Centennial Celebration 2009 and Aldo Leopold Foundation. Or read about Arizona State Park events below.
Photography courtesy Aldo Leopold Foundation. Copyright © Aldo Leopold Foundation. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
April 4 - Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park10 am – 4 pm. Kim Stone will be portraying Aldo Leopold at this event. Join us for a Leave No Trace talk, a Geocache event "Where's Aldo?", and "behind the scenes" hike with Aldo. Also kids activities in conjunction with the Artists in the Park event.
Listen to podcast about this event and learn more about Aldo Leopold
April 19 - Oracle State Park 11 am – 3 pm. Kim Stone will be portraying Aldo Leopold at this event.* Activities include: guided nature and bird hikes, house tours, an Earth Day celebration, displays and exhibits with local land trusts and environmental groups, kids activities, and readings from Leopold. Reservations are preferred for some of the event activities, call (520) 896-2425.
June 6 - Kartchner Caverns State Park9 am – 3 pm. Kim Stone will be portraying Aldo Leopold at this event.* Activities include: interpretation talks on various topics such as mountain lions, javelinas, cave science, and bats. Cavern tours and aboveground park tours. Plus junior ranger activities for the kids.
Download Event Schedule (
631 KB PDF)
August 15 - Lyman Lake State Park9 am – 12:30 pm. Join us for an intro to Dutch oven cooking and a Dutch oven Cook Off. with local judges.
The event starts at 9 am with an Opening Ceremonies. At 9:15 am there will be a Dutch Oven Presentation at "beach #1 vendor area". At 9:30 am the Dutch oven Cook Off begins! Food Categories to be Judged include: Breads, Dinners, and Desserts. At 10 am join Ranger led hikes. At 11 am Judging from the Cook Off. At 11:30 am Speaker Kim Stone (portraying Aldo Leopold) will give a presentation. And finally, at 12:30 pm there will be the Closing Ceremonies & Presentation of Awards.
The goal of the centennial celebration is to promote Leopold's vision that an ethical relationship with the land is essential to a vibrant and healthy community. The theme of this yearlong celebration is the relevance of Leopold's Land Ethic to how we address today's pressing environmental issues and make policy decisions about our future. Our goal is to engage the citizens of our community in the meaningful commitment to promise our children the inheritance of a beautiful and healthy physical environment.
September 20 - Red Rock State Park2 pm in the park theater. Kim Stone will be portraying Aldo Leopold. Aldo Leopold was an ecologist, forester and environmentalist. He was influential in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the movement for wilderness preservation. Kim Stone has been a horticultural specialist at Boyce Thompson Arboretum SP for over 20 years. He has produced several instructional videos and written and performed audio essays for NPR. Reservations are recommended, as seating is limited
October 3 - Oracle State Park11 am – 3 pm. Come celebrate the legacy of conservationist and author Aldo Leopold at the annual harvest festival at Oracle State Park. Event also features mesquite pod milling, music, food, archery, and more. Parking will be onsite at Oracle State Park. The special event fee is $10 per vehicle. Call the park for more information, (520) 896-2425.
November 28 - Sonoita Creek State Natural Area9 am – 3 pm. Kim Stone will be portraying Aldo Leopold at this event.* Join us for a unique canoe/kayak trip on Patagonia Lake. There will also be kids activities, a guided horse back ride with readings from Leopold (max limit), nature walks with readings from Leopold, plus, author David Brown will be on hand for a book signing. Call the park to reserve your spot for the backpack trip, canoe outing or the guided horse back ride. Please register in advance for all activities. (520) 287-2791.
* = Portrayal of Aldo Leopold at these events is subject to change.
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