After shooting and killing a wolf with a gun, Aldo Leopold saw a “fierce green fire” die in the animal’s eye. The moment moved Leopold to change his outlook on nature and become a dedicated conservationist.
His life and work served as an inspiration for the documentary Green Fire, which Stuart’s Opera House and Wayne National Forest will team up to bring to Southeast Ohio at 7:30 p.m. this Friday.
Leopold learned to understand the land as an all-encompassing entity, said Jeannine Richards, communications director for the Aldo Leopold Foundation. He felt a responsibility to the land and worked throughout his life to promote conservation.
“The name is a reflection on his personal change and beginning to understand the land as a community,” Richards said.
Photos and videos from his life provide a backdrop for the film’s message of adopting Leopold’s views in today’s society.
“The main message of the film is a new vision for conservation in the 21st century,” Richards said. “It’s about forming an emotional and ethical relationship with the land.”
The film also includes commentary from contemporary conservationists.
“When we can offer something for free, we like to,” said Tim Peacock, executive director of Stuart’s Opera House. “And we thought it looked like an interesting film to show the public.”
Wayne National Forest approached Stuart’s in hopes that the opera house would agree to collaborate to bring Leopold’s mission to Southeast Ohio. Although the two have never worked together before, Peacock said it has been “smooth sailing so far.”
“Anyone interested in conservation might be familiar with Aldo and interested in seeing the movie,” Peacock said.
Even those who have never been involved with conservation before can relate to the film, Richards said.
“Many different people can see themselves in this movie and really connect with it,” she said. “I hope people are inspired to do something in their own communities and think about how they relate to the land and find their own land ethic.”
bm257008@ohiou.edu
