Madison Reads Leopold is a community read-aloud celebrating the life and legacy of Aldo Leopold. MRL has been a celebratory gathering for more than fifteen years.
In 2026, Madison Reads Leopold: Voices of a Land Ethic will take place on March 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Arboretum Visitor Center. Join us for a community reading of selections from A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold and writings by other environmental thinkers. Listeners may come and go throughout the event.
Throughout the afternoon, community members will give voice to Leopold’s keen observations and eloquent conservation philosophy. The readings will include the well-known “calendar” essays as well as other pieces chosen for their relevance to the Arboretum, UW–Madison, and the State of Wisconsin. Readings from contemporary environmental thinkers – including Alberto Ríos, Margaret Renkl, and Robin Wall Kimmerer – will be incorporated to amplify perspectives, values, and experiences of ethical relationships with the land.
After a welcome at 1 p.m., the afternoon will kick off with selections from Aldo Leopold’s speech at the Arboretum’s dedication ceremony on June 17, 1934. Leopold was the Arboretum’s first research director and closely involved in its design; his words are as timely, eloquent, and inspiring today as when he penned them.
Also for Leopold Weekend, join us March 8 at 1 p.m., for the nature hike Walking in Leopold’s Footsteps to visit key sites and learn about Leopold’s work as the Arboretum’s first research director.
First published in 1949, A Sand County Almanac has prompted generations of people to take better notice – and care – of the natural environment. Madison Reads Leopold is a community celebration organized for Aldo Leopold Week.
“What a wonderful event to be part of every year to honor Leopold, and to start to know our ecological community. Thank you for this tradition!” — Reader
The 2025 reading schedule is listed below for reference. The 2026 schedule will be posted in February.
2026 Reading Schedule
Times are approximate, please arrive ten minutes early for any particular reading. Schedule is subject to change.
1 p.m. – Welcome – Maddie Smith – UW Arboretum
From A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
1:06 p.m. – Foreword – Kathy Miner – Naturalist, UW Arboretum
1:12 p.m. – January Thaw – Rebecca Spartz – U.S. Forest Service
1:17 p.m. – The Geese Return – Mengmeng Luo – Arboretum research fellow, Department of Soil Sciences, UW-Madison
1:25 p.m. – Draba – Mia Keady – Community member
1:27 p.m. – Sky Dance – Jim Berkelman – Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, UW–Madison
1:32 p.m. – Back from the Argentine – Timothy Bauer – Community member
1:35 p.m. – Prairie Birthday – Tom Sinclair – Community member
1:43 p.m. – The Green Pasture – Darcy Kind – Conservation biologist, WDNR
1:48 p.m. – Choral Copse – Tad Pinkerton – Professor emeritus, Computer Sciences, UW–Madison
1:52 p.m. – Smoky Gold – Ryan Dostal – Community member
2 p.m. – If I Were the Wind – Jennifer Baltes – Community member
2:02 p.m. – 65290 – Stu Levitan – Historian
Literary Nature Writings
2:10 p.m. – “Springtime’s Not-So-Peaceable Kingdom,” by Margaret Renkl – Kate VandenBosch – President, Friends of the Arboretum board
2:15 p.m. – Lace & Pyrite: Letters from Two Gardens, by Aimee Nezhukumatathil and Ross Gay – Robin Lee and Jonathan Rosenblum – Community members
2:25 p.m. – A House Called Tomorrow, by Alberto Ríos – Estelle Katz – Community member
2:28 p.m. – Remember, by Joy Harjo – Anne Edwardson – Oblate, Holy Wisdom Monastery
Break
2:40 p.m. – Welcome back – Maddie Smith – UW Arboretum
Leopold and Wisconsin
2:42 p.m. – The Arboretum and the University (1934 Dedication Address) – Bill Barker – Friend of the Earth
2:48 p.m. – Letter to a Wildflower Digger – Jim Fitzgibbon – Naturalist, UW Arboretum
2:53 p.m. – Marshland Elegy 1 – David Kelly – Secretary, Friends of the Arboretum board
2:57 p.m. – Marshland Elegy 2 – Nick Utphall – Pastor, Advent Lutheran of Madison Christian Community
From Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
3:04 p.m. – Braiding Sweetgrass (preface) – Danny Hullihan – Community member
3:09 p.m. – Maple Nation 1 – Josh Goldman – Associate director, UW Arboretum
3:18 p.m. – Maple Nation 2 – James Roberts – Sterling North Society
3:28 p.m. – Maple Nation 3 – Ken Cameron – Department of Botany and Wisconsin State Herbarium, UW–Madison, and Botanical Society of America
Leopold and the Land Ethic
3:35 p.m. – Thinking like a Mountain – Eric Liljequist – Retired teacher, Aldo Leopold School
3:41 p.m. – The Community Concept – Susan Carpenter – Native Plant Garden Curator, UW Arboretum
3:51 p.m. – Outlook – Madelyn Leopold – Community member
3:56 p.m. – Closing remarks and prize draw – Maddie Smith – UW Arboretum