Maritz & The Aldo Leopold Foundation: A Partnership for Good
Maritz has partnered with The Aldo Leopold Foundation, a partnership created based on the shared goals of preserving our planet.
What Is the Aldo Leopold Foundation?
Considered by many to be the father of wildlife ecology and the United States’ wilderness system, Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer and outdoor enthusiast. Among his best-known ideas is the “land ethic,” which calls for an ethical, caring relationship between people and nature.
The Aldo Leopold Foundation, founded by the five children of Aldo and Estella Leopold, works to grow an ethic of care for all people and places. By weaving in this philosophical belief that humans have an ethical responsibility to care for our habitats, The Aldo Leopold Foundation aims to advance the understanding, stewardship and restoration of land health, as well as to cultivate leadership for conservation.
Based in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the Foundation owns 600 acres of land where the original Leopold Shack, built in 1935, still sits along the banks of the Wisconsin River. The Foundation also coordinates the 16,000-acre Leopold-Pine Island Important Bird Area (IBA), which includes state, federal and Pines family properties.
Path to Partnership: Greener Work Vehicles
The Aldo Leopold Foundation had a goal to tackle: what it describes as the “oldest task in human history – living on a piece of land without spoiling it.” The key to that goal is reducing its carbon footprint while showcasing an electric truck’s ability to handle the same work demands as trucks with internal combustion engines (ICE). This includes heavy payloads, trailering equipment, 4WD requirements in rugged terrain and alternate power sources for charging tools – all without carbon emission.
Enter Maritz. We leveraged original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and dealer relationships to facilitate the Foundation’s purchase of two Ford F-150 Lightning all-electric trucks, the first of which was delivered in May 2023.
What the Partnership Means for Maritz
Maritz team members visited The Aldo Leopold Foundation property, where they gained an appreciation of the land, the wildlife, the Foundation and its members, as well as the farming, conservation and outdoor recreational communities in and around central Wisconsin.
The story of how EVs such as electric trucks can be utilized for work on tracts of land like The Aldo Leopold Foundation property is an important one – and one Maritz wants to help write. By partnering with The Aldo Leopold Foundation, we are not only awarded the opportunity to tell that story but were also given the chance to further our goal of leading the national growth of EV market share.
As we continue the Maritz-Leopold partnership, we hope to further the EV narrative and accomplish our organizations’ goals bilaterally.
The Aldo Leopold Foundation
The Aldo Leopold Foundation was founded in 1982 with a mission to foster the land ethic through the legacy of Aldo Leopold, awakening an ecological conscience in people throughout the world. Find out more by visiting AldoLeopold.org.
Our Commitment to Sustainability
Learn how we help stakeholders in the eMobility area with our expertise in Transportation Electrification.
