Leopold was not a preservationist; he understood and even celebrated our need to harvest from the land those things that nurture us, that provide for our families and from which we earn our livings. However, because the connection between humans and "the land" is essential, he demanded we respect it, replenish it and understand its unique ability to provide for both our material and spiritual needs.

For me, the "land ethic" Leopold describes is ultimately about our culture. It describes the relationships we form with each other and with our environment. Another great environmental writer Wendell Berry said it best "People are joined to the land by work. Land, work, people and community are all comprehended in the idea of culture."

There can be no better place to nurture our relationship with "the land" than here in the Catskills- with our precious water, timber, wildlife, farms and our people and communities. This nurturing of culture, this "land ethic" is the driving force behind our work; it is shorthand for the Catskill Center’s broad mission. To nurture a healthy "land ethic" requires living on and with the land. It requires the education of our youth and the thoughtful planning of our communities. It is also about art, literature, music, history, science and economics.

Leopold said, "The evolution of a land ethic is an intellectual as well as an emotional process. The fallacy the economic determinists have tied around our collective neck, and which we need to cast off, is the belief that economics determines all land use. The bulk of land relations hinges on investments of time, forethought, skill and faith rather than on investments of cash. As a land user thinketh, so he is."

Our culture, our economy, our values and our understanding of the land as community will determine the "land ethic" of the Catskills. Lets make the right choices. Thank you for all of your support.

Tom Alworth
Executive Director