Rolling Out the “Green” Carpet
February 01, 2012
On February 7th, Stonehill will host the premiere screening of a new film called Green Fire, the first full-length, high definition documentary film ever made about legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold. The film explores 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.
The film screening, which will be free and open to the public, will take place in the Martin Institute at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a panel discussion on the significance of Leopold's life and work featuring Stonehill professors Robert Rodgers (Political Science), Laura Scales (English) and Bridget Meigs (Environmental Studies and Manager of The Farm at Stonehill).
Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time is a production of the Aldo Leopold Foundation, the US Forest Service, and the Center for Humans and Nature. The film shares highlights from Leopold's life and extraordinary career, explaining how he shaped conservation in the twentieth century and still inspires people today. Although probably best known as the author of the conservation classic A Sand County Almanac, Leopold is also renowned for his work as an educator, philosopher, forester, ecologist, and wilderness advocate.
Associate Professor of Biology and Program Director of Environmental Studies Susan Mooney watched the film at a conference last summer, and began planning for the documentary to be shown at the College. After discovering that no one else in Massachusetts had screened Green Fire Stonehill was invited to host the premiere event for the film.
Green Fire illustrates Leopold's (pictured left) continuing influence by exploring current projects that connect people and land at the local level. Viewers will meet urban children in Chicago learning about local foods and ecological restoration. They'll learn about ranchers in Arizona and New Mexico who maintain healthy landscapes by working on their own properties and with their neighbors, in cooperative community conservation efforts.
Viewers will also meet wildlife biologists who are bringing back threatened and endangered species, from cranes to Mexican wolves, to the landscapes where they once thrived. The Green Fire film portrays how Leopold's vision of a community that cares about both people and land-his call for a land ethic-ties all of these modern conservation stories together and offers inspiration and insight for the future.
For more information on Green Fire visit www.greenfiremovie.com.
Contact
For more information, contact Communications and Media Relations at 508-565-1321.