Synopses & Reviews
Review
andldquo;A very substantial overview of the history of the arboretum, with an emphasis on the people who conceived of it and worked to develop it. I learned a great deal.andrdquo;andmdash;Paul H. Zedler, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsinandndash;Madison
Review
andldquo;An important contribution to the history of the University of Wisconsinandndash;Madison and the Madison area more broadly.andrdquo;andmdash;Andrew Hipp, The Morton Arboretum, author of Spring Woodland Wildflowers of the University of Wisconsinandndash;Madison Arboretum
Review
andldquo;An excellent, full-length biography of a figure central to the environmental history of the United States.andrdquo;andmdash;Science
Review
andldquo;Aldo Leopold is laboriously researched, masterfully synthesized, and felicitously written. . . . Through Meineandrsquo;s fascinating and lively narrative, we can at last . . . become better acquainted with one of the most important minds in the history of conservation.andrdquo;andmdash;The Bloomsbury Review
Review
andldquo;Meine has done a masterful job in presenting to his reader the family man, sportsman, natural resource manager, administrator, professor, philosopher, and poet.andrdquo;andmdash;Western Historical Quarterly
Review
andldquo;This is a story well worth reading and, happily, itandrsquo;s good fun to boot. The author has skillfully captured Leopold the man, the scientist, the philosopherandmdash;furthermore, anyone who begins to read it will soon be captured, too.andrdquo;andmdash;Gaylord Nelson, former U.S. Senator and founder of Earth Day
Review
andldquo;At this time no writer is better situated in place or time than Meine to understand and to put into practice Leopoldandrsquo;s ideas about man and nature. . . .Meineandrsquo;s biography of Leopold remains our best account of Leopoldandrsquo;s exemplary evolving ethical journey.andrdquo; andmdash;Jim Ballowe, North Dakota Quarterly
Review
andldquo;Courtandrsquo;s history of the UW Arboretum is fascinating in its detailed depiction of some of the giants of ecological restoration, but is also an important reflection on the struggles of establishing, defining, and maintaining a new branch of science in an urban setting.andrdquo;andmdash;Natural Areas Journal and#160; and#160; and#160;and#160;
Synopsis
Internationally renowned for its pioneering role in the ecological restoration of tallgrass prairies, savannas, forests, and wetlands, the University of Wisconsin Arboretum contains the worldandrsquo;s oldest and most diverse restored ecological communities. A site for land restoration research, public environmental education, and enjoyment by nature lovers, the arboretum remains a vibrant treasure in the heart of Madisonandrsquo;s urban environment.
and#160;and#160;and#160; Pioneers of Ecological Restoration chronicles the history of the arboretum and the people who created, shaped, and sustained it up to the present. Although the arboretum was established by the University of Wisconsin in 1932, author Franklin E. Court begins his history in 1910 with John Nolen, the famous landscape architect who was invited to create plans for the city of Madison, the university campus, and Wisconsin state parks. Drawing extensive details from archives and interviews, Court follows decades of collaborative work related to the arboretumandrsquo;s lands, including the early efforts of Madison philanthropists and businessmen Michael Olbrich, Paul E. Stark, and Joseph W. andldquo;Budandrdquo; Jackson.
and#160;and#160;and#160; With labor from the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s Depression, University of Wisconsin scientists began establishing both a traditional horticultural collection of trees and plants and a completely new, visionary approach to recreate native ecosystems. Hundreds of dedicated scientists and staff have carried forward the arboretumandrsquo;s mission in the decades since, among them G. William Longenecker, Aldo Leopold, John T. Curtis, Rosemary Fleming, Virginia Kline, and William R. Jordan III.
and#160;and#160;and#160; This archival record of the arboretumandrsquo;s history provides rare insights into how the mission of healing and restoring the land gradually shaped the arboretumandrsquo;s future and its global reputation; how philosophical conflicts, campus politics, changing priorities, and the encroaching city have affected the arboretum over the decades; and how early aspirations (some still unrealized) have continued to motivate the work of this extraordinary institution.
Synopsis
This biography of Aldo Leopold follows him from his childhood as a precocious naturalist to his profoundly influential role in the development of conservation and modern environmentalism in the United States. This edition includes a new preface by author Curt Meine and an appreciation by acclaimed Kentucky writer and farmer Wendell Berry.
About the Author
Curt D. Meine is director for conservation biology and history with the Center for Humans and Nature; senior fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation; research associate with the International Crane Foundation; and associate adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsinandndash;Madison. He is coeditor of The Essential Aldo Leopold, also published by the University of Wisconsin Press.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
1. The Beginnings, John Nolen, Michael Olbrich, Paul E. Stark, and the andquot;Prairie School of Landscape Designandquot;
2. 1930andndash;1932, Acquiring the Six Key Parcels of Land, Building the Arboretum Road
3. The Pre-Dedication Years; Aldo Leopold, G. William Longenecker, Edward M. Gilbert and the Politics of Governance
4. Two Directors: Leopold and Longenecker, The 1934 Dedication and the 1935 Arrival of the CCC
5. andquot;Go Make a Prairie,andquot; Fassett's Early Planting Experiments and Sperry's Innovative Field Work
6. Late 30s Frustrations, the andquot;Golden Years,andquot; Leopold's Efforts to Increase Staff and Funding
7. The 1940s, The Early Curtis Years, A Grady Tract andquot;Forest Preserve?andquot; Greene's Prairie, Post-War Challenges and Leopold's Death
8. The 1950s, Outside Threats and Challenges, The Grady Tract Fire, andquot;The Beltline Cometh,andquot; andquot;Rabbit Shootsandquot; and Retirements
9. The 1960s, Losses and Gains, Last andquot;Lost Cityandquot; Lots, Building a Reputation, Troubled Times, A Shifting Focus
10. The 1970s, The Arboretum's andquot;World Famousandquot; Prairies, Conflicts in Leadership, a New Direction, New Appointments and A Visitor Center
11. The 1980s and Beyond, Restoration and Management Notes, a Restoration Ecology Legacy, andquot;Earth Partnerships,andquot; Reflections
Notes
Works Cited
Index