In Memory of Aldo Leopold: A Legacy Rooted in Action

Honoring Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic and Its Call to Stewardship

At the heart of Hundredfold’s philosophy lies a deep respect for the natural world. That reverence is echoed in the life and work of ecologist and writer Aldo Leopold, whose vision continues to inspire those who care for land, plants, and community.

His Work: The Land Ethic

Aldo Leopold’s most enduring contribution is articulated in A Sand County Almanac (published posthumously in 1949). In it, he introduces what he called the land ethic — a profound expansion of our moral community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals alongside people. As he put it:

“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”

Under the land ethic, humans shift from “conquerors of the land” to “plain members and citizens” of it — part of an interdependent community of life.

Leopold recognized that ethical obligations toward land cannot rest only on laws or policies. Rather, they arise from seeing, loving, understanding, and respecting the land — from being part of it.

His Life: A Testament to His Beliefs

Aldo Leopold was born on January 11, 1887, in Burlington, Iowa. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service and later taught at the University of Wisconsin. His commitment to bridging ecological insight with ethical responsibility drove much of his writing and restoration practice.

Leopold’s conviction was more than an intellectual ideal — it became his practice and, ultimately, his final act. On April 21, 1948, at age 61, he responded to a brush fire threatening a neighbor’s land. While helping to suppress the fire, Leopold suffered a fatal heart attack. His passing is widely regarded as an embodiment of his life’s philosophy — giving his life in defense of a neighbor’s land.

Carrying Forward His Ethic

We remember Aldo Leopold not only as a thinker but as someone who acted on his convictions. At Hundredfold, we honor his memory by seeking to apply his land ethic in every facet of our work — from sourcing native plant species to restoring ecological integrity in our local communities.

In every seed we plant and every habitat we help heal, we aim to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community — the very principle he championed.

Header Photo: Estella and Aldo Leopold, by USFS Region 5

Footer Photo: Cardinal flowers in Southern Ontario, by Hundredfold