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| Aldo Leopold and his shack |
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| John Muir at his tent |
Last year we had the opportunity to attend the Legends of Conservation event at Prairie Star Farm in central Missouri. The program was the "Holy Trinity of Conservation" - a chance to visit with Henry David Thoreau, John Muir and Aldo Leopold at authentic reproductions of their dwellings, all within a few hours of Springfield. The experience was magical, still raising goosebumps when I watched the video highlights on Youtube. You can get just a sense of it in the Youtube video link below.
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| Thoreau at the Walden Pond cabin |
The passion of the re-enactors was palpable and the setting perfect. You didn't have to be a "nature nerd" to feel the message. Each actor has professionally portrayed their character for years and assumed the personas with passion. It was hard to shake the feeling that you were there in the moment at Walden Pond, Yosemite, or the Wisconsin shack.
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| Roosevelt and Muir at Yosemite |
I am sorry you missed it, but the not for profit Prairie Star Conservation Community will be holding the
Legends of Conservation on March 17th and 18th that promises to be just as exciting.
The Tramp and the Roughrider will feature Lee Stetson again as John Muir, recreating his time with Teddy Roosevelt (
Joe Wiegand) in Yosemite, a historic meeting that led to the development and preservation of the National Park System. Hearing the words in person creates a permanent memory.
"After entering the park and seeing the magnificent splendor of the
valley, the president asked Muir to show him the real Yosemite. Muir and
Roosevelt set off largely by themselves and camped in the back country.
The duo talked late into the night, slept in the brisk open air of
Glacier Point, and were dusted by a fresh snowfall in the morning. It
was a night Roosevelt never forgot." .Wikipedia
Not only will you get to meet with these two giants of conservation but
you can take the short tour which includes realistic recreations of the
Leopold Shack and Walden Pond cabin. You can watch the
Holy Trinity video from last year to sample the flavor of the event.
Ticketing information is here.
