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Akshay Wuppuluri

Moosman

IB LA HL

10 December 2021

ASCA Wisconsin assignment

Marshland Elegy:

Leopold starts by observing the Wisconsin marshes where he seese cranes flock to the

marsh in the spring. The cranes' quality, according to Leopold, extends beyond beauty to

something greater, with a worth "as yet uncaptured by words." Crane predecessors originate

from the Eocene epoch, which spanned 55 to 33.9 million years ago, making the crane's call

"the trumpet in evolution's orchestra." Each year, their return to the marsh serves as a

reminder of the progression of time.

The marsh came about when the glacier receded from Wisconsin. This would end up

leaving behind a lake that eventually formed the marsh. As explorers, settlers, hunters, and

farmers occupied the area, the cranes have continually returned. Farmers, however, got

ambitious and drained the marsh to create additional fields. Fires grew increasingly prevalent,

and cranes became scarce. The region, which was prone to fire and had poor soil, was

eventually reflooded, making it more appealing to cranes once more. Leopold wonders and

thinks about if the cranes will ever recover to their previous numbers, or if they will finally

vanish permanently.

The Sand Counties:

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Economists, soil scientists, social planners, and others may put their theories to the test

in Wisconsin's "sand counties." Each has a unique relationship with the sand counties; Sand

farmers have a distinct point of view, one based on experience rather than theory. They may

not have successful farms, but the dew on the lupine and the pasque-flower that grows on the

gravel ridges are both beautiful. The "little sandwort that throws a white-lace cap over the

poorest hilltops just before the lupines splash them with blue," the small blue Linaria, and the

even smaller Draba are among the plants they have but these specific plants/flowers can only

be found in places with bad soil. However there aren’t just plants and flowers but rather actual

animals like birds which include the Woodcocks, sandhill cranes, and clay-colored sparrows

which are found in these sand counties.

Odyssey:

As Leopold puts it, when the root of a bur oak caused the rock to weather, X, an atom in

limestone from the Paleozoic epoch, was freed. X was transformed into a nutrient for an acorn,

which then became food for a deer, who then became food for a person. After the individual

died and rotted, the pattern persisted. X became a part of a leaf that was buried by a deer

mouse's nest and eventually dissolved, liberating X. X followed a similar path for a few more life

cycles until being halted by a prairie fire. As Leopold completes the circle, X ultimately landed

up in the water after thousands of years.

Tree roots also released Y (an atom) from rock, which ended up in a wheat farmer's

crop. Due to soil erosion caused by wheat growing methods, Y migrated down the watershed

after a few life cycles. Engineers made pools into which Y walked once the rivers became

choked with sediment: "his journey from rock to river was completed in one brief century." Y is
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a member of the aquatic ecology for a few life cycles before becoming part of an oily sludge in a

sewer.

On a Monument to a Pigeon:

The "funeral of a species" is commemorated at the Passenger Pigeon monument in

Wyalusing State Park, Wisconsin and, as Leopold sees it, our grandparents' efforts to improve

their own life resulted in the pigeons' extinction. Industrial technologies have been able to give

us more comfort and luxury than pigeons did, however we must look at what they did add that

the addition of technology didn’t include the ability to enjoy nature. Humans are here for the

ride as we just go along with the other things that have been here longer and are trying to

survive, adapt, and evolve along with us. It is our understanding of evolution that allows us to

properly appreciate and lament the extinction of a species. As living things go through their

yearly cycles, the monument will be still and unchanged.

Flambeau:

There are two young guys that are met by the Leopolds. These young guys are enjoying

and taking in all the freedom of nature that they can. This is being done while canoeing on the

Flambeau River. To Leopold, The Flambeau looks to be a river that is filled with wild nature and

cluttered with things everywhere. Around the shore there are cottages, bungalows, and boat

docks. The logging business has reduced the quantity of hardwood trees significantly. The

Wisconsin Form Conservation Department is attempting to restore sections of the river region

to its original state using the remaining natural flora and fauna, but the dairy sector is adamant

about using the river to produce electricity. This, including a variety of other factors, makes it

look like dairy producers will prevail over conservationists.