Celebrating Wilderness: The Leopold Land Ethic

In 1924, conservationist Aldo Leopold led the effort to create the first designated wilderness area in the world. Join us for an interactive reading from his seminal work, A Sand County Almanac, with WA State Parks host and environmental educator, Elena Kayak-von Ancken. (Re)discover The Land Ethic, which influences our thinking about nature, wilderness, and open space today. 

Elena Kayak is a certified environmental educator who loves working with students outdoors, especially in their local neighborhoods and on nearby trails and open spaces. She has initiated and administered sustainability best practices in public schools, emphasizing renewable energy, food composting, landfill diversion, environmental stewardship, riparian restoration, energy and water conservation, and active transportation through myriad Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs.

Elena has trained twice with the Aldo Leopold Foundation, in Albuquerque, New Mexico (2013) & Baraboo, Wisconsin (2015) to serve as a Leopold Land Ethic Leader. She currently volunteers with Washington State Parks at Anderson Lake & Fort Worden. When she grows up, she aspires to be a seasonal interpretive park ranger at the south rim of the Grand Canyon.