Sand County Foundation was founded nearly 60 years ago on an idea advanced by America’s transformational conservation thinker, Aldo Leopold. In his visionary book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold encouraged private landowners such as farmers and ranchers to adopt what he called a land ethic - a personal responsibility to take care of land, water, and wildlife.
He understood that citizens who own and manage private land in the U.S., can lead the way to environmental improvement.
Today, as a national nonprofit organization, Sand County Foundation inspires and empowers farmers, ranchers, forestland managers and others to improve water resources, soil health and wildlife habitat. Few nonprofits are doing this type of targeted environmental work in partnership with private landowners who manage most of the land in the U.S.