LAND USE ETHIC PHILOSOPHY
The philosophy of the Foundation is based upon the concept of a land use ethic that has evolved from the writings of Aldo Leopold, defining the relationship between humankind and the earth. It broadens our concept of the land to be inclusive of humans and our impact on the complex community of the environment. This concept of the land serves as a platform from which the land use ethic grows.
LAND USE ETHICS OF ALDO LEOPOLD
A land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow-members, and also respect for the community as such. The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants and animals, or collectively, the land.
The land ethic, then, reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land. Health is the capacity of the land for self-renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity. It is inconceivable to me an ethical relation to land can exist without love, and a high regard for its value. By value, I of course mean
something far broader than mere economic value; I mean value in the philosophical sense.A land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow-members, and also respect for the community as such. The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants and animals, or collectively, the land.
The land ethic, then, reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land. Health is the capacity of the land for self-renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity. It is inconceivable to me an ethical relation to land can exist without love, and a high regard for its value. By value, I of course mean something far broader than mere economic value; I mean value in the philosophical sense.
A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.
Whatever may be the equation for men and land, it is improbable we as yet know all its terms. The answer, if there is any, seems to be in a land ethic, or some other force which assigns more obligations to the private landowner.
An ethical obligation on the part of the private landowner is the only visible remedy for these situations.
CONSERVATION PHILOSOPHY
While the meaning of the word "conservation" may appear to be self-evident, to the people of Landsward it signifies something more complex than the simple act of "preserving." The term "conservation" encapsulates a relationship with the land that has developed out of more than 125 years of working on, and with, the natural world.
This relationship is a process, which takes place within each of us and must begin with an awareness of the land and its ecological processes and a desire to understand and appreciate land's essential values. This awareness then promotes a sense of responsibility and obligation to acknowledge these values and to be accountable for our actions as those actions affect the plant, wildlife and other land communities and the land's productivity to meet human needs.
Recognizing our place within the land community, we become willing to further embrace these values; the result is good land stewardship. The process is circular. The more we interact with and understand the land, the more we value the land's complex ecological processes. This relationship is what is meant by "conservation."
Landsward further defines this relationship through its Generations Sustainability Sciences Program, which is a framework by which the stakeholders make land use decisions. The goal of the program is to affect a land use ethic as landowners have science-based knowledge and technologies to inform sound stewardship and conservation of their lands, and the natural and cultural resources. The focus areas of the Generations Sustainability Sciences Program include:
Land Use Ethic, Social Dynamics and Relationships,
Sustainability Practices, Living Off Interest - Not Principal,
Cross-Disciplinary Research, Blending Natural & Social Sciences,
Science & a Sense of Art, Information Dissemination,
Regional Planning
