Wholesale Aldo Leopold’s Shack: Nina’s Story (A New Edition)

Nina’s Story (A New Edition) In Aldo Leopold’s Shack: Nina’s Story, Nancy Nye Hunt recounts the Leopold family’s efforts to restore a worn-out farm along the lower Wisconsin River near Baraboo during the 1930s through the 1940s. Aldo Leopold, the renowned ecologist and conservationist, with Estella, his wife, their five children, and dogs Gus and Flick, spent weekends and vacations at their Sand County farm—the Shack, now a National Historic Landmark listed on the National and Wisconsin Registers of Historic Places. Told through Nina, the eldest daughter, life at the Shack unfolds seasonally. Readers follow the family’s experiences: healing the land, converting an old chicken coop into a cabin, restoring prairies and improving woodlands, planting gardens, collecting firewood, tending orchards, observing animal tracks and bird migrations, cooking over an open fire, and singing Estella’s Spanish songs while enjoying activities like walking, swimming, canoeing, cross‑country skiing, and tracking games. The Shack journals, written during visits, formed the basis for Aldo’s 1949 book A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There, which continues to inspire with its land ethic. Visiting the Shack has become a pilgrimage for many. Using Nina and Leopold family interviews, Shack journals, historic photos, and the author’s field experience, Hunt captures the spirit of this place. Readers discover Nina’s story of growing up at the Shack, family recipes, songs, and genealogical notes, complemented by 161 historic and contemporary photographs, maps, and wildlife drawings for a transformative read. First published in 2011 and now in an updated edition, this edition adds 38 new illustrations, 32 more pages, and a new Shack field trip. It helps readers appreciate Aldo’s concepts—the land ethic and phenology—and understand their enduring influence. This book is a unique tribute to the Leopold family and how the Shack can shape the world. Binding: Paperback Pages: 128 Author: Nancy Nye Hunt Imprint: George F Thompson Publishing Image Note: 161 historic and contemporary photographs, maps, drawings, and documents