Land Ethic Leaders/Green Fire

The Land Ethic Leaders program will equip Refuge staff all over the nation to engage their communities on environmental issues in deeper and more meaningful ways. Using outdoor observation, a hands-on work project on the land, reflective discussions, and a deep immersion in Aldo Leoold's land ethic philosophy, the program develops ambassadors that lear to apply the land ethic to modern conservtion issues. The program provides an array of effective building blocks for incorporating the land ethic directly into the environmental educaion goals of the USFWS Refuge system and for building mor productive local, regional and national partnerships. The Green Fire film is another owerful outreach and education tool. The first high definition documentary film ever made about famed conservationist Aldo Leopold, Green Fire explores Aldo Leopold's life in the early part of the twentieth century and the many ways his land ethic idea continues to be applied all over the world today. This grant supports the development of DVD extras to be paired with the full-length film that will be designed to suit specific audiences and contexts and will increase its reach to diverse audiences. For example, segments could be developed to speak specifically to a wide range of topics that could be useful in Refuge public programming, including connecting people in urban areas with a land ethic, multicultural perspectives on conservation, and the role of private landowners in contributing to ecosystems health. Making thse bonus materials available with the film will enable every Refuge across the nation to engage theri local community in programs that focus on building a shared community land ethic.