Baraboo, Wisconsin – Pheasants Forever (PF) has announced its Leopold Education Project’s (LEP) 2009 National Conference will be taking place at the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin this June 25-27. LEP is a national network of educators who work to connect youth and adults to land stewardship and wildlife habitat conservation practices.
While using educational materials based on Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, this national conference aims to create an awareness of the current state of human and ecological communities’ co-existence.
“This year’s conference theme focuses on connecting families and their larger communities with the great outdoors. At its most basic fundamental level, respect for the land starts with the family. However, a community wide respect and passion for our land and natural resources is absolutely critical as we build toward a landscape-level view of the world around us,” explainedJanine Kohn, PF’s National Education Specialist and National LEP Coordinator, “Our nationally recognized presenters and new curriculum will do this in a way that’s exciting for everyone.”
Starting with renowned keynote speaker Gary Nabhan, PhD. the conference promises to be non-stop educational entertainment. For his literary non-fiction, grassroots conservation and community-based ethnobiology projects, Nabhan has been honored with the John Burroughs Medal for Nature Writing, a MacArthur “genius” award, a Lannan Literary Award, a Pew Fellowship in Conservation and Environment, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Conservation Biology, and a Quivira Coalition award for excellence in science that contributes to “the radical center.” There will also be numerous seminars, guided hikes, tours of Aldo’s shack, trips to the International Crane Foundation, workshops, a sneak preview of the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s newest film “Greenfire,” and much more!
Culminating Saturday night with the popular Giving Tree Band performing at Aldo’s famous shack, The Aldo Leopold Legacy Center will be providing food and beverages for all of the conference’s registered guests. However, if you are travelling from out of town, you will need to make your own arrangements for overnight accommodations.
The conference costs $275 before May 15 and $300 thereafter. Limited sponsorships are available and PF/LEP is actively searching for sponsors who can create sponsorships for community members. These beneficiaries may include, but are not limited to: local edu cators, scout and 4-H leaders, park rangers, natural resource professionals and PF chapter members. Information pertaining to sponsorship opportunities may be found at http://www.aldoleopold.org/lep/LEP_conf.sponsor.pdf.
More information on the specifics of the conference can be found at http://www.aldoleopold.org, or contact Janine Kohn at (651) 209-4971 or via e-mail at JKohn@pheasantsforever.org.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. PF/QF has 130,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.
Contact:
Anthony Hauck
(651)209-4972
AHauck@pheasantsforever.org
