Presentation Explores Land Ethics and Water
Winfield Public Library will
host “Land Ethics and Water Resources,” a presentation and discussion by Heidi
Mehl on Saturday, November 13 at 1:00pm. Members of the community are invited
to attend the free program. Register by calling the library at 620-221-4470 or
through the events calendar at wpl.org. The program is made possible by
Humanities Kansas.
In 1949 Aldo Leopold sparked
the modern conservation movement with is treatise on land ethics, declaring
that ethical individual cooperation should also consider soil, water, plants,
and animals. This presentation will explore the role that culture plays in
determining the land ethics of place. Special focus will be on agricultural
practices in Kansas and how they compare with the indigenous land ethics of the
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the Atlai Republic of Siberia, and the Kikuyu
of central Kenya.
Heidi Mehl is the manager of
the Kansas Healthy Streams Initiative at the Nature Conservancy. She holds a PhD in Geography from Kansas
State University.
“As quoted by the great
freshwater biologist H.B.N. Hynes, ‘In every respect, the valley rules the
stream.’ Therefore, if we want to understand and protect our streams and
rivers, we must understand the land use patterns surrounding them and what is
driving those patterns in various cultural contexts,” said Mehl.
“Land Ethics and Water
Resources” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Movement
of Ideas Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and workshops designed to
share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate
insights that strengthen civic engagement.
For information on this or any of WPL’s other programs, including our
2021 Reading Challenge, monthly book discussions, hotspot or ereader check-out,
storytime packets, board game check-out, Grab & Go crafts for all ages,
book sales, or more, visit wpl.org, our Facebook page, or call 620-221-4470.
Winfield Public Library is open 7 days a week: Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs
9am-8pm; Fri 9am-6pm; Sat 10am-3pm; and Sun 1pm-5pm.
