Community Calendar

Buddy Huffaker joined the Aldo Leopold Foundation in 1996 as a seasonal intern and has served as Executive Director since 1999.  During his tenure, the foundation has grown into a national conservation organization with international reach, realizing the potential of a Land Ethic. Dr. Stanley A. Temple is the Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in Conservation in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For 32 years he held the academic position once occupied by Aldo Leopold, and during that time he won every teaching award for which he was eligible. He and his students have helped save many of the world’s endangered species and the habitats on which they depend. The Aug. 20 presentation is titled “Aldo Leopold’s Legacy: A conversation on land ethic and conservation.” Join a fireside chat with Huffaker, Temple (joining virtually) and Jesse Pope, president and CEO of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation on endangered species and the land ethic. Temple will share stories from his lifetime of work on conservation efforts to save endangered species across the world, including one right here at Grandfather Mountain. Huffaker and Pope will chat about Leopold’s Land Ethic today, why it continues to be important and what challenges are being faced at Grandfather. Tickets go on sale online for this event at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 19.

One of the world’s first arbornauts, CanopyMeg devoted over four decades to exploring forest canopies. Her research and exploration have taken her to more than 45 countries, on all seven continents, where she not only tirelessly saves forests but also mentors girls. Lowman’s Oct. 1 presentation is titled “In Honor of Jane Goodall – How Trees Keep our Planet and its Wildlife Healthy.” Mission Green is a global project to conserve the world’s most important forests by building canopy walkways. These walkways not only educate the public about the amazing 8th continent otherwise known as the treetops, but they sustainably employ indigenous women via ecotourism, and offer students access to forest canopies to make new discoveries. Speaker CanopyMeg Lowman pioneered the construction of canopy walkways that now bring economic incentives to forest conservation around the world. She will talk about Mission Green, and the importance of both forest conservation, plus linking kids to nature via the treetops and her friend Jane. Tickets go on sale online for this event at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 31.