WISCONSIN

Aldo Leopold broadcasts recreated and other events planned across the state to celebrate Earth Day

James B. Nelson

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Radio broadcasts by famed Wisconsin conservationist Aldo Leopold 80 years ago have been recreated as part of this year's Earth Day celebration.

Original recordings of the broadcasts don't exist, but the scripts do, and portions have been recorded by Stan Temple, a University of Wisconsin-Madison conservation professor emeritus. The broadcasts originally aired on Madison's WHA radio station, which is now part of the Wisconsin Public Radio network.

The broadcasts began airing in 1933 after Leopold joined UW-Madison as the chair of game management.

"Leopold's radio addresses were early reflections on the land ethic, his philosophy of how to live in harmony with nature, which he detailed later in 'A Sand County Almanac,'" a UW press release says. "Leopold's ideas outlined in these broadcasts went on to influence generations of conservationists and establish the science and tenets of modern wildlife management."

The broadcasts were primarily aimed at farmers, "using radio to reach audiences across the state in an expression of the Wisconsin Idea," the UW says. "In them, Leopold encouraged rural landowners to set aside and manage natural habitats to promote wildlife for both private and public benefit."

Temple will discuss and read from the broadcasts on the "University of the Air" program 4 p.m. Sunday on the Wisconsin Public Radio Ideas network.

Excerpts of the broadcasts are available here. They will also be aired on WPR's "Wisconsin Life," a series of essays on the culture of the state

Earth Day got its start in Madison in 1970, launched by the late Sen. Gaylord Nelson as a "national day for the environment" aimed at pressuring Washington to establish a national environmental agenda.

Earth Day events around the state include cleanup and planting events at various state parks.

Other gatherings include a March for Science in Milwaukee starting at 2 p.m. in Red Arrow Park. In Madison, a Climate March will begin at 2 p.m. at the State Capitol.

In Washington, a March for Science is planned to "defend the vital role science plays in our health, safety, economies, and governments."

Stan Temple, University of Wisconsin-Madison emeritus professor of forest and wildlife ecology and senior fellow at the Aldo Leopold Foundation, is pictured in the snowy woods near the historic Aldo Leopold Shack in rural Baraboo, Wis., during winter on Dec. 6, 2010. (Photo by Jeff Miller/UW-Madison)