Friends -- I received word today of the passing of Luna Leopold, son of Aldo and Estelle, professor of hydrology, naturalist, poet, bird bander, editor of his father's famous work "A Sand County Almanac" and mentor to many. Here are a couple of my personal reminiscences of peripheral contact with Dr. Leopold:
>My mentor, Fran Hamerstrom, was a graduate student of >Aldo Leopold's at the University of Wisconsin and a >friend of the Leopold family. She once told me of her >reminiscence of Luna as a very handsome young man who >made the ladies swoon with his guitar playing and >singing. > >When Fran, as an 87 year old widowed scientist, >invited me to come to Plainfield, WI to work on her >raptor project on northern harriers, I called Luna >Leopold on the phone to seek his advice. He was very >reluctant to advise my participation in Fran's study, >because he had recently visited the Hamerstrom >property on a hunting trip with his long-time friend >Bob McCabe and he found the Hamerstrom house to be >filthy and perhaps unsafe, and found Fran to have >become a "very strange woman" (in her old age). He >advised me to contact Bob McCabe for further advice. >So I called Bob McCabe and Bob noted that Fran was >never much of a housekeeper, that her furniture was >old but safe (probably), and he confirmed that Fran >was a world authority on raptors and that I could >benefit by working under her for a field season, as >many graduate students as well as undergraduates had >done over the decades. > >In a way, Luna Leopold was correct. Fran had her >strangeness and ideosyncracies, which upset Luna's >well-defined sense of propriety. But I benefited from >the work with Fran Hamerstrom, and also got to visit >the Leopold property in Baraboo, Wisconsin, visited >"The Shack", and formed a wonderful friendship and >correspondence with Luna's sister Nina that continues >to this day. > >My perception is that the Leopold family were/are all >remarkable humans, with high intelligence, class, >warmth, and deep goodness. The contributions of Aldo, >his wife, and his children are beyond awesome, and it >makes me feel profoundly sad to learn of the passing >of Luna. > > >Stan Moore San Geronimo, CA >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >http://mail.yahoo.com
