Happy New Year, Everyone!

I am resending this as there was a problem with delivery on Sunday, January 11. Please excuse the technical delay.

Today marks a profound celebration, honoring both Aldo Leopold’s birthday (January 11, 1887) and the150th birthday year of Jay N. “Ding” Darling (October 21, 1876). Their collaborative legacy is a testament to the power of partnership in conservation. In 1938, these two visionaries hosted the Short Course in Conservation at the Savory Hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, emphasizing the importance of wildlife stewardship and public education. Their combined efforts galvanized support from an extraordinary and diverse list of organizations, fostering a collective commitment to securing protections for our natural habitats and its inhabitants! Their relationship was marked by mutual respect and shared ideals; together, they championed science-based conservation and advocated for legislative action.

As we enter the new year, let us embrace the lesson that “we work best when we work together,” a principle that both Leopold and Darling exemplified in their lifetime endeavors. At Drake University, we are also celebrating Darling’s 150th birthday in part through our campaign to raise $150,000 for the Jay N. Darling Institute. As many of you know, the Darling Institute is a promised fulfilled and demonstrates the visionary leadership at Drake University. 

We are approaching the $50,000 mark already in our fundraising efforts! We invite everyone to contribute to this meaningful gift, which will be recognized in our press and media releases, websites and in my new film in production, Finding America’s Darling. Your support helps us honor Darling’s legacy and continue the vital work of the Darling Institute in rural communities through the DarlingCorps under the leadership of Director, Dr. Keith Summerville. Here is the Drake link for the 150th gift:

https://alumni.drake.edu/darling150thbirthday

Also, in case you missed our Drake 150th Kick-off back in November, you will find more information about this Birthday year and the Jay N. Darling Institute through this link:

From Past to Progress: How the Jay N. Darling Institute Empowers Rural Communities

Thank you for being part of the Darling legacy. Thank you for your stewardship.

Best,
Sam