Crafts: Aldo Leopold Bench Plans

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Enjoy these simple plans for this simple bench that provides a perfect place to observe the natural world. 

Considered by many as the father of wildlife management and of the United States’ wilderness system, Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer, and outdoor enthusiast.

“That land is a community is the basic concept off ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.”

Though his book, The Sand County Almanac is a must read, it may be something that can wait for anyone with very young children. For everyone else, it's a wonderful example of nature writing that is a timeless connection to the land.

My family first made our first  "Leopold Bench" as a group effort at the Aldo celebration at the Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb, NY. It remains one our most comfortable outdoor benches. It also was a project that allowed us to work together.


© Diane Chase, author of Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks (Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities) for the towns of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Jay/Upper Jay, Wilmington, Keene/Keene Valley which is available online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the next guidebook in the four-book series of Adirondack Family Activities.

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