Increasing urbanization, growing use of electronic devices and other indirect ways of experiencing our natural environment increasingly disconnects us from the natural world, such as a farm, that sustains us daily.  LEP is a program to help people reconnect to the land.

The Leopold Education Project (LEP) is an innovative, interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education curriculum based on the essays in A Sand County Almanac written by Aldo Leopold. Originally created by a Wisconsin high school science teacher, LEP uses Aldo Leopold's writings as a springboard for engaging students in natural science and literature curriculum.

Through reading about Leopold’s recorded discoveries and participating in meaningful activities, students will expand their awareness and appreciation of nature and their ecological understandings based on Aldo Leopold’s  “Land Ethic.”  The “Land Ethic’s” objective is to teach the student to see the land, to understand what he sees, and enjoy what he understands.” – Aldo Leopold.

LEP is mainly for use by teachers, although other educational groups and private citizens can benefit from the materials. One major premise of the LEP is that Leopold’s writings are both sound science and excellent literature, and that they can be used for meaningful conservation education.  By brining students into direct contact with the land and posing questions that employ their critical thinking skills, LEP gives citizens the background to reach decisions based on a land ethic.

The Leopold Education Project has an assortment of activities for teachers and non-formal educators to help bring Leopold into their lessons and activities. Taking an LEP Educator Workshop you can attain these activities.  For more information or to schedule LEP training for your school, organization, group or other, please contact Robert J. Hawk at 586-4009 or 488-3848.  You can also email Robert at “robert_hawk@ncsu.edu.”