The Tuesday Trail Team will be placing simple benches at properties across town this year.
A Seat To Connect Us to The Land
A “Leopold bench,” originally built by the conservationist Aldo Leopold from materials scrounged along the banks of the Wisconsin River, underscores how even a piece of furniture can have a connection to the environment. The benches are meant to live outdoors, weathering and blending with the surroundings, eventually returning to earth. Designed to require minimal materials, time, or expertise, benches can easily be made on-site, from scraps. While Leopold never wrote down his instructions, many people over the decades have drawn plans. If you want to try it yourself, Iowa Extension offers a download.
Two Way Design
You can, of course, sit with the horizontal board against your back. OR you can swing your legs through the opening–the backrest now provides support for your elbows while using binoculars or writing down your observations.
“At 3:30 a.m., with such dignity as I can muster of a July morning, I step from my cabin door, bearing in either hand my emblems of sovereignty, a coffee pot and notebook.
I seat myself on a bench, facing the white wake of the morning star. I set the pot beside me. I extract a cup from my shirt front, hoping none will notice its informal mode of transport. I get out my watch, pour coffee, and lay notebook on knee,” —-Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac.
The Tuesday Trail Team has now placed benches at Westport Woods, Dunham’s Brook and Old Harbor Wildlife Refuge. These benches are designed for nature observation — let us know what you think!