John Fletcher's Who On Earth Is Aldo Leopold
From the moment Aldo Leopold was born, he had a keen interest and respect for nature. Growing up in Burlington, Iowa, he had plenty of opportunities to explore nature. In Who on Earth is Aldo Leopold, Glenn Fletcher describes the area as a place “...with dense and mysterious woodland inhabited by game birds, rabbits, and other animals” (18). Leopold also went through the troubling experience of watching helplessly as the forest was torn up and replaced by civilization. His exposure to the destruction of the habitats of many types of animals contributed greatly to his career choice (20). Growing up, Leopold had countless examples of how to treat nature. First and foremost, his grandfather, Charles Starker made a huge impact on him (21). As uncivilized
lands dwindled, Starker persuaded local lawmakers to purchase an area of wildlife for animals to roam and people to enjoy. The park, which was named Crapo Park, is still present in Iowa today. Starker lake, named for Leopold’s grandfather, is located in the center of the park. Aldo’s father, Carl Leopold, took his children out into nature at an early age (22). Leopold learned how to hunt from his father, and more importantly, was taught the ethics of hunting (23-24). As Leopold became a teenager, he began to keep a daily journal and drawings of the patterns of the many creatures he encountered (25). “Aldo’s early journals, written neatly in a child’s hand, were the first of thousands of pages of nature notes he would keep throughout his life” (Scherer 25). Because of his experience in nature and his love for the land, it was obvious from an early age that Leopold wanted to have a job where he could work in the wilderness.
lands dwindled, Starker persuaded local lawmakers to purchase an area of wildlife for animals to roam and people to enjoy. The park, which was named Crapo Park, is still present in Iowa today. Starker lake, named for Leopold’s grandfather, is located in the center of the park. Aldo’s father, Carl Leopold, took his children out into nature at an early age (22). Leopold learned how to hunt from his father, and more importantly, was taught the ethics of hunting (23-24). As Leopold became a teenager, he began to keep a daily journal and drawings of the patterns of the many creatures he encountered (25). “Aldo’s early journals, written neatly in a child’s hand, were the first of thousands of pages of nature notes he would keep throughout his life” (Scherer 25). Because of his experience in nature and his love for the land, it was obvious from an early age that Leopold wanted to have a job where he could work in the wilderness.