Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:
Whither Missouri? Aldo Leopold’s Challenge
Original Presentation Nov. 14, 2012 Big Muddy Speaker Series – Kansas City
“Whither Missouri? Aldo Leopold’s Challenge” – by author and historian Dr. Susan Flader, professor emeritus, University of Missouri
Missouri environmental historian Dr. Susan Flader has spent a lifetime researching and writing about the “Land Ethic” of Aldo Leopold. She will join us to share her thoughts on extending the vision of Aldo Leopold into the land and water conservation issues we face today.
In 1938, conservationist Aldo Leopold gave a speech in Ashland, MO, at the dedication of the Ashland Wildlife Area (click here to read speech). He outlined what challenges and strengths Missouri had for expanding land conservation in the state, emphasizing that private landowner conservation ethic was the crucial cornerstone in a state like Missouri.
Meet Your Presenter
Dr. Susan Flader
, Author and Historian
Dr. Flader revisited Leopold’s vision and used it to discuss our current relationship with Missouri’s resources. By extending Leopold’s ideas on land stewardship to our water resources, she described how citizen initiative and private land and stream stewardship remain the keystone for conservation in Missouri.
Related Presentations
Resources & Links
Resources
- Presentation flier (pdf)»
- Copy of 1938 Leopold speech “Whither Missouri?” (pdf)»
- University of Wisconson Aldo Leopold Digital Archive»
- ARTICLE: Missouri Conservationist, May 1999, “Sand County Anniversary” by Dr. Susan Flader.
- ARTICLE: Forest History Today, 2004 “Missouri’s Pioneer in Sustainable Forestry” by Dr. Susan Flader on the legacy of Leo Drey in the Ozarks
- Dr. Susan Flader bio»
- ARTICLE: Columbia Tribune, April 6, 2011 – article on Flader and Leopold film “Green Fire” (April 6, 2011)»
The Big Muddy Speakers Series in Kansas City
is hosted by these wonderful partners!
- Little Blue River Watershed Coalition
- Friends of Lakeside Nature Center
- Missouri River Relief
- Healthy Rivers Partnership
- Friends of Big Muddy
- Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge
- Kansas City Digital Video
Thanks to all of our venue hosts for making this possible! Click here for a list of upcoming presentations» The Big Muddy Speaker Series is also held monthly in Rocheport and St. Charles.
Recordings of Presentations
Kansas City Digital Video has been recording Big Muddy Speaker Series presentations. These are available on their website at this link. Some contain synchronized powerpoint presentations. We will be posting these to the archived presentation pages on bigmuddyspeakers.org. Thanks Micheal Morgan and crew for putting this important archive online! The Big Muddy Speaker Series is partially funded by the Columbia Ecological Services Field Office (USFWS) and the Mo. Dept. of Conservation.
Upcoming Presentations
Leave No Trace Training on the Barge
October 14, 2026St. Louis, MO
Join us for a special Big Muddy Speaker Series on the Living Lands & Waters Barge where Perry Whitaker will lead us in a Leave No Trace Training.
See Event
Missouri River Relief: 25 Years on the Big Muddy
November 10, 2026Columbia, MO
Join us for a journey through time celebrating 25 years of Missouri River Relief's work on the Big Muddy.
See Event
Plastic Pollution, Gulf Hypoxia, and Water Quality
November 11, 2026St Charles, MO
Jennifer Wendt from MidAmerica Clean Future guides us through understanding regional water quality challenges.
See Event