Savage Arms proudly announces “Aldo Leopold | Serve the Land” which debuted exclusively on Carbon TV on April 26, 2023 and is now available on Savage’s website. This complete film breaks down the impact, importance and of course, legacy, of Leopold. Viewers will learn why he was such an influential person in the history of wildlife conservation in North America and also discover a direct tie Savage Arms had to Leopold.

Many people know Leopold as a pioneer in wildlife conservation and are familiar with his life story and major accomplishments. Leopold’s collection of essays “A Sand County Almanac” is iconic in many conservation, environmental and hunting communities. With more than two million copies sold, it is one of the most respected books about the environment ever published and is a driving force behind Leopold being regarded as the most influential mind in conservation in the 20th century.

“Aldo Leopold’s name, story and many of his accomplishments are well-known within the hunting community,” said Megan Harten, Marketing Manager at Savage Arms. “But this film highlights specific stories and paramount events with great detail. Our partners on this project present information and unparalleled knowledge that will allow even the most dedicated followers or studiers of Leopold to learn something new. We’re proud of this film and look forward to hearing how viewers gained new perspective and appreciation for the work of a great man, conservationist and hunter.”

Leopold, like many who truly make a difference in their field, fully dedicated himself to conservation. In 1928 he believed wildlife conservation was so flawed, he quit his high-paying, comfortable job at the Forest Service to pursue, develop and implement his progressive thoughts on the topic. At the time he had five children and the country was about to enter The Great Depression.

Leopold’s urge to step out and make a difference was fueled by the initial reasoning that wildlife conservation was not sufficiently achieved by wildlife protection—it required active management. This meant that having Game Wardens enforce laws was not enough, and that effective wildlife conservation required wildlife managers.

After Leopold left the Forest Service, he was unemployed and needed to find a path to dedicate his career to wildlife conservation. In 1928, he was fortunate enough to land a contractor position with an influential trade group, The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI). Savage Arms was a member of his organization, so interestingly enough Savage was a direct supporter of Leopold in one of the most influential periods of his life. Leopold would go on to collect data, implement programs and models and be a driving force in conservation that still shapes policies and practices today.

Savage would like to thank the following to help make this film:

Stan Temple
Stan is the Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in Conservation in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology and former Chairman of the Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development Program in the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW–Madison. For 32 years he held the academic position once occupied by Aldo Leopold. He is currently a Senior Fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation.

Janet Silbernagel
Janet is Professor Emeritus, Planning and Landscape Architecture at UW-Madison, where she specialized in regional conservation strategies and landscape ecology; building forest conservation scenarios. Janet grew up near Riley and her family property was once part of the Riley Game Cooperative.

The Aldo Leopold Foundation
Established in 1982 by the five children of Aldo Leopold and his wife Estella, we are a conservation organization that works to inspire an ethical relationship between people and nature through Leopold’s legacy. This vision of a “land ethic” was not meant to be rigid or dogmatic; instead, Leopold intended for it to evolve continually through personal reflection, open dialogue, and people’s actions on the land and in their communities. We invite you to join us as we work to weave a land ethic into society and encourage its unfolding in myriad of ways.

More information on Leopold, his story and his impact on conservation can be found at here. The full-length feature is live now here.

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