Evaluation Essay of Aldo Leopold’s
“A Sand County Almanac”

By: Lashonda Smith
English 111

In reading Aldo Leopold’s, A Sand County Almanac; my thoughts and views regarding Aldo Leopold are clear. His appeal to nature and his background as a wildlife ecologist, conservationist, environmental philosopher, and educator, lead him to be the person he was prior to his death. My question is what made him who he was as a writer.
Leopold speaks of him and his families experiences on this sand farm located on the Wisconsin River, the farm that he speaks of he chose to call the shack, which had been previously abandoned by its owners whom had snubbed it as meaningless as they moved on to a bigger and better society. In getting to know of Aldo Leopold the man you must first know where he began prior to the shack. He had achieved many accomplishments that of a forester, wildlife ecologist, environmental philosopher, and educator. Even with all his experience, there is little known about him as a writer until his death in 1948 and the release of his book in 1949.
Initially at first glance I had little to no interest in this book; I now see the true gift behind Leopold’s writing. He begins speaking of the thaw and how the animals are slowly starting to come out of their sleepy state and once again move about the land.
He gives descriptions of how one must be able to survive off the land, and what you have to do so that you’re able to survive. He describes and details that you must plant a garden, and second is splitting wood to warm where you might sleep. During this time he goes on to describe how over the years, through drought and war he was able to see something in the land that was beauty to him. He speaks of spring and the return geese; this being a sign of seasons change. Soon, the floods begin something unpreventable. From this, Leopold took this as yet another opportunity to see good in the land and take refuge in its beauty. The section of his writing that was most interesting in my reading was Draba. Leopold describes a small meaningless flower that is most often overlooked and he describes it a small thing that has a job and it does it well. Being the optimist that I am I didn’t see what Leopold saw regarding this particular essay, although after re-reading and reviewing it now makes since and that being, there is good in everything you just have to open your eyes to see it.
More of the same observations of the land, and that of the animals and plants he observes while at the shack. He shares his thoughts and views with his family and to those whom many one day read his writing.
Overall, my opinion about Leopold’s intent as a writer was that of getting his audience to look beyond the words he has writing but for them to see the meaning and purpose behind them. Although I may not have much interest in wildlife and nature thing I can appreciate the message that is stated here. Things that are neglected and not taken care of still have beauty under the surface.
Through Leopold’s visions and theory’s he is able to reach even the most uninterested audience by the descriptions he gives. You are able to gain vision into what Leopold had seen, through his words.
In the end part one of the Sound County Almanac, its clear what Leopold’s purpose was, it is up to the reader to see and vision it as Leopold did.

References

www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/43828.Aldo_Leopold www.naturenet.com/alnc/aldo.html www.book.google.com/Science/LifeSciences/Ecology