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Aldo Leopold Foundation The Aldo Leopold Foundation is a 501 (c)3 not-for-profit organization working to foster a land ethic through the legacy of Aldo Leopold.

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Everyone loves a comeback story! 👏🗺️ Within the next few months here in Wisconsin, we’ll be welcoming back migrating San...
10/16/2026

Everyone loves a comeback story! 👏

🗺️ Within the next few months here in Wisconsin, we’ll be welcoming back migrating Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) who use this land as a staging ground before continuing their journey south. Their return each year brings many opportunities to witness these majestic and ancient birds, but also serves as a reminder of one of the greatest conservation comebacks in modern history.

📉 The population of Sandhill Cranes had been decimated by the early 1900’s, reaching an all-time low by the late 1930’s of merely two dozen mating pairs. When Aldo Leopold wrote “Marshland Elegy,” he believed that Sandhill Cranes would soon go the way of the Passenger Pigeon. However, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and other government protections meant to safeguard wildlife simply had delayed results and would greatly improve the survival and proliferation of Sandhill Cranes. Unfortunately, Leopold did not live to see this recovery.

📈 By the 1970’s, Sandhill Crane populations had begun to bounce back, and more help was on the way with the formation of the International Crane Foundation in 1973. Their work has been instrumental in the protection and revitalization of crane species around the world. Here at the Aldo Leopold Foundation, our land stewardship work—as well as our programming aimed at sharing the message of a Land Ethic—help to ensure that Sandhill Cranes and all other members of our biotic community are able to thrive!

🎉 Each year, the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the International Crane Foundation work together to celebrate this conservation success by co-hosting the Great Midwest Crane Fest. This year it takes place on November 14th and 15th, we hope to see you there! The Aldo Leopold Foundation also hosts Crane Congregation Tours from November 10th to December 10th. Book your tour today at https://ow.ly/IZVI50ZXPIo.

Congratulations to Dr. Susan Flader!Flader—Leopold scholar, historian, lifelong conservation advocate, and member of our...
10/15/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Susan Flader!

Flader—Leopold scholar, historian, lifelong conservation advocate, and member of our board of directors—was recently named a recipient of the 2026 Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions to public parks and conservation in the United States.

Read the full press release and learn more about the Pugsley Medal here: https://ow.ly/QqWe50ZUZIV

“If all the world is a commodity, how poor we grow. When all the world is a gift in motion, how wealthy we become.” –Rob...
10/14/2026

“If all the world is a commodity, how poor we grow. When all the world is a gift in motion, how wealthy we become.” –Robin Wall Kimmerer, ‘The Gift of Strawberries,’ Braiding Sweetgrass

Robin Wall Kimmerer, a mother, scientist, professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, writes of two stories we can tell. One frames the world around us as a commodity to be bought or sold, while the other emphasizes gratitude and sustainability by painting the earth as a gift to be shared. Which story will you tell?

Will you be attending the 2026 Great Midwest Crane Festival this November?On Sunday, November 15 from 1-2pm, Dr. Evan La...
10/13/2026

Will you be attending the 2026 Great Midwest Crane Festival this November?

On Sunday, November 15 from 1-2pm, Dr. Evan Larson, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Society at UW–Platteville, will be signing copies of his coauthored book "Ishkode, A Story of Fire."

Embracing the power of memory, storytelling, and restoration, "Ishkode, A Story of Fire" is a celebration of hope, healing, and the lessons we can learn from the land. This lyrical narrative weaves Anishinaabe teachings with the science of tree rings, and was collaboratively written with Nisogaabokwe Melonee Montano, an enrolled member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and illustrated by celebrated artist Moira Villiard, a Fond du Lac Ojibwe direct descendant. Get a copy of the book in the Marshland Market (inside our visitor center) during the festival!

Join us on November 14 and 15 in Baraboo, Wisconsin, to celebrate the natural wonders of the fall sandhill crane migration with a weekend filled with presentations, workshops, guided tours, and other special events.

Through this festival, we also invite you to explore the beautiful landscapes and the rich history that connects the festival hosts, the International Crane Foundation and the Aldo Leopold Foundation.

See the full schedule of events at both locations and register at greatmidwestcranefest.org.

Will you be attending the 2026 Great Midwest Crane Festival this November?Ethan Tapper's award-winning literary debut, "...
10/13/2026

Will you be attending the 2026 Great Midwest Crane Festival this November?

Ethan Tapper's award-winning literary debut, "How to Love a Forest," explores the complex reality of what it means to love a forest at this moment in time. Tapper's highly anticipated follow-up book, "The Forest Year: Finding Hope in a World Worth Saving," follows Ethan across a single year of life and stewardship at Bear Island, his 175-acre forest in Vermont—revealing the profound and beautiful things that happen when we decide to stay.

Ethan will read from his new book and discuss forest ecology, natural history, and phenology, as well as his own story and his experiences as a working forester and ecologist in Vermont on Saturday, November 14 from 11:30am-12:30pm. Then purchase Ethan's books in the Marshland Market (inside the Aldo Leopold Foundation visitor center) and get them signed from 1-2pm.

Join us on November 14 and 15 in Baraboo, Wisconsin, to celebrate the natural wonders of the fall sandhill crane migration with a weekend filled with presentations, workshops, guided tours, and other special events.

Through this festival, we also invite you to explore the beautiful landscapes and the rich history that connects the festival hosts, the International Crane Foundation and the Aldo Leopold Foundation.

See the full schedule of events at both locations and register at greatmidwestcranefest.org.

This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and every day, we aim to recognize and reflect on the deep cultural heritage that has long...
10/12/2026

This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and every day, we aim to recognize and reflect on the deep cultural heritage that has long existed on this land through Indigenous stewardship.

One way our Future Leaders Fellows were recently able to celebrate this important heritage was through an Indigenous cultural landscapes tour! This learning experience took the fellows through Baraboo and the Dells to visit sacred sites connected to the history, lifestyle, and spiritual beliefs of the Ho-Chunk Nation. They were joined by Rob Nurre, naturalist, and Lightning New Rider, cultural presenter.

The group made multiple stops at conical, linear, and effigy mounds created as early as 2,500 years ago in the shape of physical or spiritual beings. These raised earthworks are believed to serve both as burial sites and physical reminders of the stories and beliefs of communities Indigenous to South Central Wisconsin. While at least 900 mounds existed in Sauk County at one point, about 85% have been destroyed by development including plowing and construction.

One surviving earthwork is Man Mound, the only known mound in the shape of a human. Part of Man Mound’s legs were destroyed in the 1800s when a road was put in place. The fellows spent time at this site painting the paved over portion of the legs in hopes of making the story of this National Historic Landmark more visible.

10/10/2026

Break out the binoculars for a one-of-a-kind birding experience this fall.

Plan your trip to Baraboo and behold the majesty of the wondrous sandhill crane right from the banks of the Wisconsin River. Once near extinction, these birds now flock to the river by the thousands on their migration south. It's a tremendous conservation success story—and a magical experience you won’t want to miss.

Get your tickets for a crane congregation tour today. https://ow.ly/OfSI50ZTAal

*Tours take place between November 11 and December 10 at the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Visitor center doors open at 1pm. Available tour dates can be explored at the link below.

PINING to see and hear some new birds as the weather gets colder? 👀🐦‍⬛ Lucky for you, pine siskins (Spinus pinus) should...
10/09/2026

PINING to see and hear some new birds as the weather gets colder? 👀

🐦‍⬛ Lucky for you, pine siskins (Spinus pinus) should be arriving to the northern United States, and potentially even central and southern areas, any time now! These small finches have a streaky plumage with yellow wing markings, are highly social, and are known for their irruptive migration tendencies that change year to year.

🌲 What do we mean by irruptive? This behavior is all related to the conifers that siskins depend on for seed crop. Believed to be an adaptation to control populations of animals that feed on them, conifers produce an abundance of seeds in some years but little to none in others. These boom and bust cycles force “irruptions” in which siskins travel further south than normal for cone crops.

🌙 Pine siskins are considered diurnal, meaning they exclusively migrate during the day. In irruption years, however, siskins have occasionally been observed migrating at night. This rare behavior is likely a stress response in years of more extreme food shortage.

Have you seen more siskins, or other winter finches, in some years than others? 📈

📸: Lindsey Broadhead, Shutterstock, and Unsplash

TONIGHT on !, it's all about bugs. 🐞The earth's estimated 10 quintillion insects have long influenced human culture, pr...
10/08/2026

TONIGHT on !, it's all about bugs. 🐞

The earth's estimated 10 quintillion insects have long influenced human culture, providing food, pigment, and fiber, and inspiring great feats of engineering, art, and design. How can we learn to better appreciate these six-legged wonders?

Tune in TONIGHT, Thursday, October 8 @ 7pm CDT, as Barrett Klein—entomologist, artist, and author of 'The Insect Epiphany'—shares the entwined history of insects and people and reveals the vital roles insects play, both culturally and ecologically.

Register and join us for this free, virtual program tonight! https://ow.ly/BV6I50ZU7re

Can't make it live? Registration also grants you access to the replay, available shortly after the stream.

Address

E13701 Levee Road
Baraboo, WI
53913

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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