Leopold Centennial Celebration
Contact: Dara Johnson (505) 898-6388, djohn@bosqueschool.orgAs one of many events celebrating the 100th anniversary of Aldo Leopold’s arrival in New Mexico, the Aldo Leopold Centennial Organizing Committee is hosting a film competition.
Filmmakers of all ages are invited to submit a short in one of two categories: 5 minutes or less, or 15 - 20 minutes in length. 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. Graduating from the Yale Forest School in 1909, he eagerly pursued a career with the newly established U.S. Forest Service in Arizona and New Mexico. By the age of 24, he had been promoted to the post of Supervisor for the Carson National Forest in New Mexico. In 1922, he was instrumental in developing the proposal to manage the Gila National Forest as a wilderness area, which became the first such official designation in 1924. Leopold's strongly believed that an ethical relationship with the land is essential to a vibrant and healthy community. The theme of this yearlong Leopold Centennial Celebration is the relevance of Leopold's Land Ethic to how we address today's pressing environmental issues and make policy decisions about our future. The goal of the celebration is to engage the citizens of our community in the meaningful commitment to promise our children the inheritance of a beautiful and healthy physical environment. Films submitted can be in a variety of formats – documentary, works of fiction, animation, persuasive argument, etc. Submissions will be judged on how well they pertain to the themes and ideals of Aldo Leopold, their technical qualities, and the overall quality of the film. The deadline for submissions is Saturday, August 1, 2009. Submit films on DVD or blu-ray disk to: BernCo Open Space Bernalillo County Parks and Recreation ATTN: Colleen Langan 111 Union Square St. SE, Suite 200 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 Disks will not be returned. For further information on the film festival, contact Celia Merrill at execdirector@goldenapplenm.org or Jedrek Lamb at jedrek.lamb@gmail.com. For more information on the Leopold Centennial Celebration, contact Coordinator Dara Johnson at djohn@bosqueschool.org.
