Episode 125: Reflections on The 75th Anniversary of ‘A Sand County Almanac’ and the 100th Anniversary of the Gila Wilderness with Buddy Huffaker
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Buddy Huffaker, President and Executive Director, Aldo Leopold Foundation
About
With an academic background in landscape architecture and plant ecology, Buddy Huffaker joined the Aldo Leopold Foundation as an intern in 1996 and today serves as its President and Executive Director. In this role, he headed the $7.5 million campaign to construct and endow the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center and served as the Executive Producer for Green Fire, a documentary film about Leopold’s life & legacy. You can find a link to the documentary in “extra Credit” below.
Buddy serves as a leading voice for the role of ethics in the relationships between humans and nature and has addressed audiences across North America on why and how society must develop an ecological conscience. Today we talk about the 75th anniversary of Sand County Almanac and the 100th Anniversary of the Gila Wilderness along with reflections on what Aldo Leopold’s message means in today’s conservation landscape and the challenges we face.
Show Notes
Celebrating Aldo Leopold’s Legacy: Milestones in Conservation
In this episode of the Rewilding Earth podcast, Jack Humphrey converses with Buddy Huffaker about the dual significance of 2024, marking the 75th anniversary of ‘A Sand County Almanac’ and the 100th anniversary of the Gila Wilderness Area. We discuss Aldo Leopold’s profound impact on conservation, his visionary yet pragmatic approach, and how his legacy continues to inspire contemporary environmental efforts.
The conversation also touches on the importance of connecting various conservation efforts, from large wilderness areas to urban environments, and the ongoing challenges and opportunities in the field. Buddy emphasizes the need for continued education and engagement with Leopold’s land ethic and highlights the work of the Aldo Leopold Foundation in promoting ecological consciousness and stewardship.
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:15 Celebrating Leopold’s Legacy
02:09 Reflections on Leopold’s Vision
03:21 Connecting Conservation Efforts
03:42 Leopold’s Philosophical Impact
04:38 The Gila Wilderness and Beyond
05:26 Leopold’s Pragmatic Approach
06:18 Rewilding and Modern Conservation
12:53 Educational Initiatives and Legacy
16:28 Expanding Conservation Awareness
22:29 Challenges and Opportunities in Conservation
30:52 Conclusion and Call to Action
Extra Credit
- Watch: Green Fire Documentary
- Check out the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s website for all kinds of tools and resources and grab a copy or two of “A Sand County Almanac.”
- Read: Protecting Aldo Leopold’s Great Idea: Help Protect More of the Gila Wilderness
Director of Digital Outreach (D.O.D.O.) for The Rewilding Institute
Host and Producer of the Rewilding Earth Podcast
Jack started Rewilding work as Executive Director of Sky Island Alliance in the mid-1990’s, organizing the Sky Island Wildlands Network design, ripping up illegal roads on forest service lands, installing wolf acclimatization pens on Ted Turner’s Ladder Ranch & conducting howling surveys to help make way for the final stage of the Lobo reintroduction program in the Southwest.
Through the years, Jack has worked with Dave Foreman and the Rewilding Gang to further Rewilding initiatives and education.