Center for Humans and Nature

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Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time

Lead Staff: Curt Meine, Ph.D.

Rationale

Aldo Leopold is widely regarded as the 20^th century’s most important conservationist and a central figure in the development of environmental ethics.  However, there has not yet been a full-length documentary film exploring his life, philosophy, and legacy.  Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time fills this gap, and will provide continuing opportunities to connect Leopold’s story to contemporary trends in conservation ideas and actions.

Click on image for Green Fire preview!

History and Partners

The film’s co-producers are the Center for Humans and Nature, the U.S. Forest Service and the Aldo Leopold Foundation.  Work on the film began in 2005, and has been progressing intensively since early 2008.  The Center has played a key role in filming, working closely with the film’s director, editor, and producers.  Curt Meine, Director of Conservation Biology and History at the Center, serves as the on-screen “guide” and narrator for the film.  For more information on the filming of Green Fire and screening opportunities visit Greenfiremovie.com.

Goals and Strategies

The film seeks to provide viewers with a basic historical biography of Aldo Leopold while simultaneously surveying the contemporary relevance and creative evolution of the conservation ethic that Leopold defined.  The former is accomplished through standard documentary film methods (archival images, interviews, narration, etc.).  In exploring the latter, the film highlights examples of vital conservation work being done by individuals and communities around the country.

The film aims to communicate to a general audience—i.e., viewers who have likely not heard of Leopold and have limited knowledge of the history of conservation and the environmental movement.  Green Fire will be widely distributed and shown nationally on public television.  Specific target audiences include film festival attendees, local and regional community-based conservation groups, conservation and environmental professionals, and students.  To reach these audiences, the Center will work with its partners to organize a series of Green Fire screenings in 2011.  These screenings will feature panels of environmental thinkers, policy makers, scientists, and advocates.

What’s Next

There will be a series of special screenings at festivals, conferences, universities, and other venues throughout 2011.  The film will air on public television nationally in 2012. The film’s world premiere was held on February 5, 2011 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Additional screenings are planned at a variety of venues in Spring 2011, including Chicago; Washington D.C.; New York; Baraboo, Madison, Appleton, and Milwaukee (WI); Fort Collins and Denver (CO); Phoenix; Seattle; and San Francisco.  The Center will be hosting several screenings and additional programming—lectures, forums, field days, special presentations, meetings with local organizations, etc.  Check back with us soon to see a calendar of screening dates and blog with us about what you think of the film. Also visit Greenfiremovie.com to find a screening near you.

The unique vehicle of the Green Fire film will allow thousands of viewers in 2011 to become acquainted with the origins, evolution, and contemporary expressions of the land ethic, and to engage in the work of advancing it for the next generation.