In December 1915, the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation (then known as the Albuquerque Game Protective Association) published its very first newsletter. Titled The Pine Cone, the quarterly publication was largely written and edited by AWF founder Aldo Leopold. That first issue opened with an inspiring mission statement:
“The aim and purpose of this little paper is to promote the protection and enjoyment of wild things. As the cone scatters the seeds of the pine and the fir tree, so may it scatter the seeds of wisdom and understanding among men, to the end that every citizen may to learn to hold the lives of harmless wild creatures as a public trust for human good, against the abuse of which he stands personally responsible. Thus, and thus only, will our wild life be conserved. Be this not done, and that quickly, it must forever vanish from the earth.”
The Aldo Leopold Archive at the University of Wisconsin includes digital versions of the first generation of the Pine Cone, and you can access them at the links below:
“The aim and purpose of this little paper is to promote the protection and enjoyment of wild things. As the cone scatters the seeds of the pine and the fir tree, so may it scatter the seeds of wisdom and understanding among men, to the end that every citizen may to learn to hold the lives of harmless wild creatures as a public trust for human good, against the abuse of which he stands personally responsible. Thus, and thus only, will our wild life be conserved. Be this not done, and that quickly, it must forever vanish from the earth.”
The Aldo Leopold Archive at the University of Wisconsin includes digital versions of the first generation of the Pine Cone, and you can access them at the links below: