Abstract
When, on September 18, 1909, Aldo Leopold shot a she-wolf and then watched the “fierce green fire” in her dying eyes, he found a story that he subsequently reworked into a foundational parable for humanity's relationship with nature. A century later, in June 2011, a wildfire boiled out of the Bear Wallow Wilderness on the Apache National Forest and burned over that hallowed landscape. The fire spoke to an odd entangling of symbols. The Apache National Forest was, during Leopold's time as a ranger, a progressive emblem of state-sponsored conservation. The Bear Wallow Wilderness was a sterling token of a postwar environmentalism that emphasized nonanthropogenic values. Between them, and a bit to the east, and no doubt inspired by Leopold's morality tale, Mexican gray wolves had been reintroduced in 1998. The Wallow fire burned over all three sites. At 548,000 acres, it was the largest forest fire in Arizona's recorded history.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
