The Starker-Leopold Trees
Aldo often said that a tree is a history book library or an archive. Thanks to these skilled craftsmen, LLA has been able to turn our downed wood into an archive for future generations to enjoy.
Our Woodworker Craftsmen
LLA is fortunate to have wonderful craftsman friends who create beautiful furniture and other works of art for us out of the fallen Leopold wood.
Philip Eves See photos and read more, click here
Jim Spring See photos and read more, click here
Marshal Walz See photos and read more, click here
Paul Ziglar See photos and read more, click herel
Craig Owsley See photos and read more, click
The Storms:
The Starker/Leopold family had a tradition of planting trees for important occasions like birthdays and weddings. For Aldo's birthday they planted a red oak in 1887. Actually, Grandfather Starker planted red oaks for each of the four grandchildren. The red oak was no doubt selected for Aldo's birth tree because it was the prime wood used by the Leopold Desk Company, being excellent in strength, grain pattern and color for desks and other office furniture. The desk company was an acquisition by grandfather Charles Starker to be run by son-in-law Carl Leopold, Aldo's father. Their slogan "Built on Honor to Endure" reflects the quality of this handsome wood.
By 2013 the great tree had reached a diameter of five feet. A heavy storm took the tree down on May 30, 2013, or it might have lived many more decades. Several of the Starker-Leopold maples also blew down. Another record storm in 2014 toppled more of the large sugar maple trees on the property. We are replanting seedlings from the original trees for continuity through the generations.
Rather than have the trees go for firewood, LLA worked with the Leopold Heritage Group to save as much of the trees as possible for enjoyment by the ever growing number of Leopold enthusiasts. Some of the wood is being used for fund raising projects and for museums and visitor centers. Jim Spring, Frederic Leopold's grandson, is turning beautiful wooden bowls. See the bottom of this page to view all the beautiful furniture LLA has received from our craftsmen. Sculptor Homer Daehn is working on a piece. The Midewin National Tall Grass Prairie folks came over and took a large stump to have carved for their visitor center. The straight logs have been sawed into lumber for furniture and memorial plaques. A bench in the new Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center was constructed from this wood. The Aldo Leopold Foundation in Baraboo also plans to use some of Leopold's oak in a display. And now Covered Bridge Country Canoe Works is building a wood strip canoe incorporating Leopold Red Oak and Starker-Leopold Sugar Maple.
We are especially fortunate that expert woodworkers have donated their talents in creating furniture for the Leopold Childhood Home that is made from the downed red oak and maple trees.
Aldo's Red Oak Birth Tree
The red oak Leopold birth tree came down in a straight line wind storm May 30, 2013, just as LLA was getting ready to purchase the Boyhood Home. The street was blocked by several trees downed in the storm.
Saving the massive red oak stump was quite a challenge. Jim Spring and Mary Shier, the former owner, took a little break from the work to have some fun.
Logs had to be stored, inventoried, and the ends painted to slow the drying time to minimize cracking. Leopold family members, Jim Spring and Nelson Smith, man the portable saw mill to create some lumber.
Starker-Leopold Sugar Maples
May 31, 2013 June 20, 2015
The Sugar Maples were a part of Grandfather Charles Starker's park and street improvements in the neighborhood. How is it possible to suffer two such terrible wind storms so close together? Two giant sugar maples came down in the Red Oak storm and then in June of 2015, we lost another two. Again, it was a major clean-up effort.
THE RED OAK REBORN
Crooked limbs with knots, burls and crotches, along with the stump and root wad, have been saved for sculpture projects of varying sizes. These range from 1' x 3' to 5' x 8', and larger for the tree base. Possibly, some of these pieces could be rotated between display sites to generate continuing Leopold interest, and perhaps brought together for conferences or special celebrations.
Large sculptures present a photo opportunity for visitors. People relate to places were they can capture a moment in their lives that connects to something bigger than themselves, something reverent. Having a photo by a Leopold treasure could become popular, perhaps even become a pilgrimage for conservationists.
Milled lumber has been purchased by the Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University in Ames, to construct a conference table. Boards have also gone to the Leopold Wilderness Institute in Missoula, Montana to make a building sign. And a number of local woodworkers are making plans to build tables and other furniture pieces to be used on the property.
Let us know if your group is interested in adding to your Leopold conservation display.
Midewin National Tall Grass Prairie staff, USFS Casey Chadwick, Ed Whitmore and Steve Brower from Joliet.IL,. deliberating about which log to of Burlington and Rick Short, Lucero Torres, choose for their Visitor Center. and Leo Bazan (Wendy Tresouthick not pictured) of Midewin with the loaded log.
SCULPTORS AND SAWYERS
Our Wisconsin friends, sculptor Homer Daehn and sawyer Bernarde Roznos, visited us in September to begin slabbing our larger sections of Leopold wood.
Cutting boards and wine stoppers
Made of Leopold Wood, created and donated by the Winterset Carvers.
Replanting a Leopold Red Oak
Lois Rigdon, Carol Brotherson, Jerry Rigdon and Kathy Brower
To continue the tradition for future generations, we planted a new red oak seedling from the Leopold Birth Red Oak that blew down in the storm. Since it was dug before the leaves budded out, it was rarin' to go when we planted it, and it still seems to be thriving.
Leopold Bench
Leopold bench at Port Louisa NWR Visitor Center using Leopold wood.
The family emphasis on trees stuck with Aldo throughout his life. He considered a tree or even a board, as a library of information. The history of an oak read like a book to Aldo. He perceived all manner of relationship within its wood and under its canopy. For the Starker-Leopold family, a tree was the symbolic place of celebration - births, peace, weddings and the circle of life. It represented camp, shelter, aesthetic and utility all in one. The tree was a meeting place of spirit -- bringing people together.
