The inaugural Aldo Leopold Conference, which focuses on the future of open space and greenways in Lawrence Township, is set for March 16.
The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be held in the Heely Room in Woods Memorial Hall on The Lawrenceville School campus.
The conference is named for Leopold, who has ties to Lawrence Township. He attended The Lawrenceville School in 1904 before going on to Yale University. He studied forestry at Yale and graduated in 1909.
Leopold, whose best-known book is “The Sand County Almanac,” became a founder of the wilderness and conservation movement. The book is a collection of his essays and was printed after his death in 1948.
One of the sessions at the March 16 conference will delve into Leopold’s background in depth. It will be led by Stephen Laubach, who is the director of Sustainability at The Lawrenceville School, and Dan Druckenbrod, who is a professor of environmental science at Rider University.
The conference also will draw on Leopold’s legacy, as well as the legacy of Frederick Law Olmstead. The landscape architect designed The Lawrenceville School campus. The session will be led by landscape architect Elaine Mills.
Another session, led by David Mizenko of the Friends of the Lawrence Greenway, will review the history of the Lawrence Township Greenways. He is the president of the Friends of the Lawrence Greenway.
Paul Larson will lead the session on the current and future open space and trails plans in the township. He is the chairman of the Lawrence Township Trails, Open Space and Stewardship Committee.
There will be an open discussion that asks attendees for their vision for open space, trails and greenways over the next 10 years. About 25% of Lawrence Township has been preserved for open space, with interconnected trails and greenways.
The discussion will be led by Annette Loveless of the Lawrence Township’s Environmental Resources and Green Advisory Committee; Stephen Laubach of The Lawrenceville School; and Dana Irlbacher of Sustainable Lawrence.
The Aldo Leopold Conference is sponsored by Sustainable Lawrence; The Lawrenceville School; Friends of the Lawrence Greenway; and the Lawrence Environmental Education Foundation.
