Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

'Ames Reads Leopold' event set for March 6

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February 21, 2011

AMES, Iowa – Curt Meine’s documentary film about Aldo Leopold, Green Fire, will be shown for the first time in Iowa during “Ames Reads Leopold” on Sunday, March 6, at the Ames Public Library.

Green Fire is a new documentary that details Aldo Leopold’s life, including his view on land ethics and how he chose to implement those ideas into his everyday thinking. Excerpts from A Sand County Almanac also will be read aloud in conjunction with the movie as part of the third annual "Ames Reads Leopold" event. The event will take place between 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the Farwell Brown Auditorium of the Ames Public Library at 515 Douglas Avenue in Ames.

"We will honor the conservation legacy of Aldo Leopold and his land ethic," said Erv Klaas, the retired Iowa State professor who is organizing the event. “We have revamped the event and will be showing Green Fire, but still reading a few passages from A Sand County Almanac, which is a true testament to Aldo Leopold."

Refreshments will be served and copies of A Sand County Almanac will be given to members of the audience in a drawing. The event is free and open to the public.

The Ames event joins similar celebrations in other communities during the first weekend in March when people gather to hear Leopold's writings read aloud and demonstrate their commitment to his vision. Another showing of Green Fire will be the following day, March 7, at the Iowa Water Conference.

Sponsors for the Ames event are the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin; Leopold's Iowa namesake, the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University; and the Ames Public Library. Other sponsors include ISU Department of Natural Resource Ecology Management; ISU Fisheries, Forestry, and Wildlife Extension Programs; Big Bluestem chapter of the National Audubon Society; and Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park.

To learn more about “Aldo Leopold Weekends,” contact the Aldo Leopold Foundation, (608) 355-0279, or on the web at: www.aldoleopold.org. For more information about the Ames event, contact Erv Klaas, (515) 233-3327, eklaas@iastate.edu. 

For more info contact:

Erv Klaas, event organizer, (515) 233-3327, eklaas@iastate.edu

Jeri Neal, Leopold Center Ecology Initiative, (515) 294-5610, wink@iastate.edu

Amy Thompson, Leopold Center communications intern, (515) 294-1712, amyt@iastate.edu

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