RIPTON — Friends of the Ripton Community Church will host a screening of the Emmy Award winning film “Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time” on Sunday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. at the church on Route 125 in Ripton.
The first full-length, high-definition documentary film ever made about legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold, “Green Fire” explores Leopold’s life in the early part of the 20th century and the many ways his land ethic idea continues to be applied all over the world today.
Bill McKibben, who appears in the film, will introduce it in Ripton and take questions afterward.
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.
“Aldo Leopold’s legacy lives on today in the work of people and organizations across the nation and around the world,” said Aldo Leopold Foundation Executive Director Buddy Huffaker. “What is exciting about ‘Green Fire’ is that it is more than just a documentary about Aldo Leopold; it also explores the influence his ideas have had in shaping the conservation movement as we know it today by highlighting some really inspiring people and organizations doing great work to connect people and the natural world in ways that even Leopold might not have imagined.”
“Green Fire”illustrates Leopold’s 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, incooperative community conservation efforts. They’ll meet wildlife biologists who are bringing back threatened and endangered species, from cranes to Mexican wolves, to the landscapes where they once thrived.
“Green Fire” 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 togetherand offers inspiration and insight for the future.
There is a suggested donation of $5 to benefit restoration of the historic church. For more information call 388-3471 or 388-1634.