Schedule of Events
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This year, Arizona State Parks, in conjunction with the states of Arizona and New Mexico and the Aldo Leopold Foundation, will kick off a yearlong celebration of Aldo Leopold’s arrival in the southwest (in Springerville ,Arizona in 1909). Arizona State Parks will hold the next centennial event at Kartchner Caverns State Park on Saturday, June 6 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (see complete schedule below).
Aldo Leopold is considered by many as the Father of Wildlife Management in the United States and his literary works are used in most Universities in the field of Natural Resources. He was born in 1887 and died in 1948 and was an ecologist, forester, and environmentalist. Leopold was influential in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the movement for wilderness preservation. For a good introduction to Leopold’s time in Arizona check out “Aldo Leopold’s Southwest,” a collection of 26 essays by Leopold. Leopold’s most famous book, “A Sand County Almanac,” contains insightful and moving nature-related essays related to his outdoor experiences. His biography is called “Aldo Leopold: A Fierce Green Fire.”
The goal of the centennial celebration is to promote Leopold’s vision that an ethical relationship with the land is essential to a vibrant and healthy community. The theme of this yearlong celebration is the relevance of Leopold’s Land Ethic to how we address today’s pressing environmental issues and make policy decisions about our future. Our goal is to engage the citizens of our community in the meaningful commitment to promise our children the inheritance of a beautiful and healthy physical environment.
For more information, visit the State Parks website at http://azstateparks.com/find/aldo_calendar.html
While at the event, take a Rotunda/Throne Room tour at Kartchner Caverns for the reduced summer price. When you book your tour for any day between June 1 and September 4, 2009, adult cave tour tickets will be $12 while tickets for youths aged 7-13 will be sold for $5 (children aged 6 and younger are always free). Ticket buyers will save $6.95 and $4.95 respectively per ticket.
In addition to the 75-minute cave tours, there are opportunities for hiking, picnicking, camping, and in the Discovery Center, there is a movie about the cave explorers, the ecosystem and the geology within the cave.
Make your reservation for a tour by calling (520) 586-2283. The $5 entrance fee is waived with that tour reservation for a vehicle with up to four adults, however there is a $2 per adult charge for each additional adult passenger. The ticket office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the week.
Kartchner Caverns State Park is located on Highway 90, nine miles South of I-10 near Benson, Arizona. The State Park is open daily at 7 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. and the Cave Discovery Center hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
June 6, 2009 Aldo Leopold on Park at Kartchner Caverns State Park 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Schedule of Events
8 – 8:45 a.m. Who’s Aldo Leopold; a walk in the park with Dr. Bob Casavant
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. CSI – Critter Scene Investigation by Interpretive Educator Marti Murphy
9:30 – 11 a.m. Javalina Program with Ranger Rachel McCay & Resource Ecologist Joanne Roberts
11:30 a.m. – Aldo Leopold (portrayed by Kim Stone) 12:30 p.m.
1:30 – 3 p.m. Ranger K. Curtis & Dr. Bob Casavant; Speleothems, what a deep subject
For more information about Arizona State Parks call (602) 542-4174 (outside of the Phoenix metro area call toll-free (800) 285-3703) or visit AZStateParks.com.
