A Sand County Almanac

I grew up exploring nature while hiking in coastal forests and kayaking with seals. But many of my family members hadn’t gone to university, so it didn’t occur to me until I was an undergraduate student that “biology professor” was a job that I could aim for. I was lucky because I met Dr. Dan Keppie, who hired me and started my career in wildlife biology. He also gave me a book - A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. Leopold’s beautiful stories of his experiences with wild animals and places captured my imagination. Now, as a professor who has earned tenure, this book has taken on new meaning. Now when I read it, I find myself drawn to Leopold’s land ethic in which he argues that humans are a part of natural ecosystems, not separate from them. Getting tenure means that I am now rooted in place, a permanent part of this university community and connected to Alberta ecosystems through my work. I hope I can inspire students to think more deeply about their connection to nature in my classes and through my research. And I will do my best to give students opportunities to get involved in wildlife biology - like the opportunities I was given as a student when I was gifted this book.