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The Crèche of Conservation
It’s not a stretch to imagine that the hilly landscape around the Aldo Leopold Foundation Visitor Center northeast of Baraboo as the backdrop to world-changing ideas about the environment. Swaying prairie grasses and blooming wildflowers attract butterflies, birds and bees; a monumental mature pine forest rises in the background.
It’s here that, arguably, the modern concept of environmental stewardship was born. Leopold wrote the classic A Sand County Almanac, an evocative telling of how he, his wife Estella and their five children revitalized what was then a “worn-out and wasted” former farmstead, beginning in 1935.
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Since its publication a year after his death in 1948, Leopold has become widely considered the father of wildlife ecology and modern conservation for popularizing a “land ethic” that intertwines care for humanity with care for soil, water, plants and animals.
The center – a sleek building of wood and stone topped with solar panels – honors that legacy. Visitors find a map of the 4,000-acre site before moving on to multimedia displays about Leopold’s history and impact. Photos, videos and text describe how the family planted nearly 50,000 pine trees along with other native plants during their weekends and summer vacations here.
And of course there’s the direct link to the world-renowned book this place inspired: “The Shack,” the iconic rebuilt chicken coop that was the family’s rustic quarters during the getaways from their home in Madison. A mile and a half of trails with interpretive information meander along the nearby Wisconsin River and through the pine forest the family planted.
Even the visitor center itself teaches about sustainability. Windows minimize the need for electric lighting, and wood used in construction was carefully harvested from the site. Designed by Cedarburg-based Kubala Washatko Architects, it was the world’s first LEED-certified carbon-neutral building when completed in 2007.
A Sand County Almanac became “required reading in environmental courses” after the first Earth Day in 1970, says Amy Terbilcox, the Leopold Foundation’s visitor services coordinator, and it’s now been translated into 14 languages. “When we see land as a community to which we belong,” Leopold wrote, “we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
The center is open May-October, Mon-Sat. Visitors may access The Shack on guided tours on Saturday mornings, or on self-guided tours from 1-4 p.m. on Fridays.
115 miles from Milwaukee to Baraboo
Continue learning about conservation at the International Crane Foundation. The 300-acre site hosts a captive flock of about 100 cranes, including the world’s only complete collection
of all 15 species.
Circus World offers historic exhibits about America’s most popular form of entertainment for more than 50 years. During summer, the big top features daily performances including stunt work, trapeze and animal acts.
For a bite, head downtown for the Little Village Cafe, a retro diner in a historic building two doors down from the Al. Ringling Theatre. Bookend your meal with a baked goat cheese app, and save room for carrot cake.
