Audubon

This article is about the nonprofit organization. For the ornithologist, seeJohn James Audubon.For other uses, seeAudubon (disambiguation).

National Audubon Society

Formation	January 5, 1905(1905-01-05)
Type	Nonprofit organization
Purpose	Conservation of birds, other wildlife and healthy ecosystems
Headquarters	Manhattan,New York City, U.S.
Coordinates	40°43′45″N74°0′19″W
Region served	United States
CEO	Elizabeth Gray
Main organ	Board of Directors
Website	audubon.org

TheNational Audubon Society(Audubon;/ˈɔːdəbɒn/) is an American non-profitenvironmental organizationdedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in theUnited Statesand incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world. There are completely independent Audubon Societies in the United States, which were founded several years earlier such as the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Indiana Audubon Society, and Connecticut Audubon Society. The societies are named for 19th century naturalistJohn James Audubon.

The society has nearly 500 local chapters, each of which is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization voluntarily affiliated with the National Audubon Society. They often organizebirdwatchingfield trips and conservation-related activities. It also coordinates theChristmas Bird Countheld each December in the U.S., a model ofcitizen science,in partnership withCornell Lab of Ornithology,and the Great Backyard Bird Count each February. Together withCornell University,Audubon createdeBird,an online database for bird observation. The National Audubon Society also has many global partners to help birds that migrate beyond the U.S.'s borders, includingBirdLife Internationalbased in Great Britain,Bird Studies Canada,American Bird Conservancy,and many partners in Latin America and in the Caribbean.Audubon's International Alliances Program (IAP) brings together people throughout the Western Hemisphere to work together to implement conservation solutions at Important Birds Areas (IBAs).

History

"Audubon House", the former headquarters of the National Audubon Society at 700BroadwayinManhattan,New York City

Development of Audubon societies

In 1886,Forest and StreameditorGeorge Bird Grinnellwas appalled by thenegligent mass slaughter of birds that he saw taking place.As a boy, Grinnell had avidly readOrnithological Biography,a work by the bird painterJohn James Audubon;he also lived in his early years in a development of the former Audubon estate,Audubon Parkin upper Manhattan, and attended a school for boys conducted byLucy Audubon.The Audubon name would become the namesake of the society he founded, and after its failure, that of local, state, and a national organization bearing that name.

Within a year of Grinnell founding it his early Audubon Society claimed 39,000 members, eventually growing to 48,862.Each member signed a pledge to "not molest birds". Prominent members included juristOliver Wendell Holmes Jr.,abolitionist ministerHenry Ward Beecher,and poetJohn Greenleaf Whittier.In under a decade this society was discontinued, but the name and plan survived.

Organizations for the protection of birds were not a wholly new idea. Even before Grinnell's Audubon Society was organized, theAmerican Ornithologists' Union,founded in 1883, was aware of the dangers facing many birds in the United States. There were, however, influential ornithologists who defended the collection of birds. In 1902,Charles B. Cory,the president-elect of the AOU refused to attend a meeting of theDistrict of Columbia Audubon Societystating that "I do not protect birds. I kill them."

Los Angeles Audubon Society members studying themarsh wrenin theDominguez Slough,1918

In 1895, a second iteration of the Audubon Society was created,with an unbroken history that traces to today. Cousins and Boston socialites,Harriet HemenwayandMinna B. Hall,disturbed by the destruction left by plume hunters, organized a series of afternoon teas with other wealthy local women, encouraging them to avoid feathered garments. They also sent literature asking these women to, in Hall's words, "join a society for the protection of birds, especially the egret".Later that same year, they founded theMassachusetts Audubon Society.Over 900 women came together with Hemenway and Hall, and across the country, many others were doing the same.These boycotts were largely successful, and the efforts of the early society members helped bring about the end of the plume trade and assisted in the introduction of early conservation legislation such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.In 1896, Pennsylvania created their Audubon Society,and during the next few years, bird lovers in many other states followed suit. St. Louis Audubon Society (SLAS) was established in 1916 as the St Louis Bird Club. In 1944, the Bird Club became the first local Audubon chapter in the United States.The national committee of Audubon societies was organized at a meeting held in Washington, D.C. in 1902. 1905 saw the organization of the National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals;William Dutcherwas president, and T. Gilbert Pearson was secretary and financial agent. During this time, Albert Willcox provided financial support, more than $331,072 in 1905 and 1906. At the end of 1906, the Association had an interest-bearing endowment fund of more than $336,000 and an income from other sources of approximately $9,000.

Bird protection

Audubon Center at Bent of the River,Southbury, Connecticut

Birds in the United States were threatened by market hunting as well as for the fashion industry. Pressure from shooting enthusiasts was intense. For example,great auks,whose habit of crowding together on rocks and beaches made them especially easy to hunt, had been driven to extinction early in the century. During one week in the spring of 1897, nature authorFlorence Merriamclaimed to have seen 2,600 robins for sale in one market stall in Washington alone. By the start of the 20th century, the sale of bird flesh had never been greater. The second equally great threat to the bird population was the desire for their plumage. In the late 1890s, the American Ornithologists' Union estimated that five million birds were killed annually for the fashion market. In the final quarter of the 19th century, plumes, and even whole birds, decorated the hair, hats, and dresses of women. Poachers killed game wardenGuy Bradleyon July 8, 1905; poachers killed Game Warden Columbus G. McLeod in November 1908 in Florida and Audubon Society employee Pressly Reeves of South Carolina also in 1908.

Public opinion soon turned on the fashion industry. Bolstered by the support of Boston socialiteHarriet Hemenway,President of the United States and avowed Audubon Society sympathizerTheodore Roosevelt,and a widespread letter-writing campaign driven by church associations, many of whom distributed the Audubon message in their various newsletters, the plume trade was halted by such laws as the New York State Audubon Plumage Law (May 1910), which banned the sales of plumes of all native birds in the state. By 1920, similar laws were enacted in about 12 other states. Audubon Society activities are responsible for many laws for the establishment of game commissions and game warden forces or prohibiting the sale of game.

Refuges

Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center,Oyster Bay, New York

In 1918, the NAS actively lobbied for theFederal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.In the 1920s, the organization also played a vital role in convincing the U.S. government to protect vital wildlife areas by including them in aNational Wildlife Refugesystem.

The association also acquired land through purchases and donation. TheTheodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon CenterinOyster Bay, New Yorkwas donated to New York Audubon in 1923 byEmlen Rooseveltand Christine Roosevelt in memory of their cousin, who is buried in the adjacentYoungs Memorial Cemetery.TheAudubon CenterofGreenwich, Connecticutwas founded in 1943. ThePaul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuaryin Louisiana was acquired in 1924, and at 26,000 acres (110 km²) it is still the largest.

In the late 20th century, the organization began to place a new emphasis on the development of Centers in urban locations, includingBrooklyn, New York;East Los Angeles,California;Phoenix, Arizona;andSeattle, Washington.

Field guides

In 1934, with membership at a low of 3,500, and with the nation in theGreat Depression,John H. Baker became the NAS president. He was a World War I aviator and ardent bird lover, and also a businessman, and he set about to invigorate the society and bolster its budget prosperity through publication. Baker began publishing book-lengthfield guideson major forms of bird and mammal life. Soon, in association with New York publisherAlfred A. Knopf,theAudubon Field Guides became a staple of every artist's and environmentalist's library. Today, many Audubon field guides have been adapted formobile phone apps.This field guide series covers a wide range of nature-related topics, including thenight sky,rocksandminerals,wildflowers,and many animals.This series has sold 18 million copiesand usesphotographsinstead of the commissioned paintings or other drawings that many other field guides possess, such as thePeterson Field Guides.

DDT, whaling, and politics

During the post-World War II period, the NAS was consumed by the battle over the pesticideDDT.As early as 1960, the society circulated draft legislation to establish pesticide control agencies at the state level. In 1962 the publication ofSilent Springby long-time Audubon memberRachel Carsongave the campaign against "persistent pesticides" a huge national forum. Following her death in 1964, the NAS established a fund devoted strictly to the various legal fights in the war against DDT.

Today, Audubon selects outstanding women in conservation to receive its prestigiousRachel Carson Award.Honorees includeBette Midler,singer, actress, and founder of the New York Restoration Project; Dr. Sylvia Earle, oceanographer and founder of Deep Search International; Majora Carter, Founder and Executive Director ofSustainable South Bronx;actress and conservation activist Sigourney Weaver, and NRDC President Frances Beinecke.

Through the 1960s and 1970s, the society began to use its influence to focus attention on a wider range of environmental issues and became involved in developing major new environmental protection policies and laws. Audubon staff and members helped legislators pass theClean Air,Clean Water,Wild and Scenic Rivers,andEndangered Speciesacts. In 1969, the society opened an office in Washington, D.C., in an effort to keep legislators informed of Audubon's priorities.

By the 1970s, NAS had also extended to global interests. One area that NAS became actively involved with was whaling. Between 1973 and 1974 alone, the poorly regulated whaling industry had succeeded in harvesting 30,000 whales. But by 1985, following the 37th annual meeting of theInternational Whaling Commissionin Bournemouth, England, which was attended by officials from the National Audubon Society and other U.S.-based environmental organizations, a worldwide moratorium on whaling was declared. So successful has this moratorium been in restoring populations of many whales, that "non-consumptive uses of whales" may once again be permitted in some areas.

Television specials

During the 1980s and 1990s, the National Audubon Society produced a notable series ofnature documentarytelevision specials, many of which were entitledThe World of Audubon.These included specials on many animals other than birds (the traditional focus of this organization) and on natural areas such as theGreat Lakes.This series included a special documenting the rescue efforts to save theblack-footed ferretfrom extinction.Arthur Unger of theChristian Science Monitorreviewed this special very favorably and wrote that this special was "further proof that the Audubon series deserves a place in television's splendid wildlife triumvirate alongsideNatureandNational GeographicSpecials".

Audubon Medal

The Audubon Medal is given in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of conservation and environmental protection. 52 people have received the honor in Audubon's 108-year history.

List of awardees

• 1947 –Hugh Hammond Bennett
• 1949 –Ira Noel Gabrielson
• 1950 –John D. Rockefeller Jr.
• 1952 –Louis Bromfield
• 1955 –Walt Disney
• 1956 –Ludlow Griscom
• 1959 –Olaus Murie
• 1960 –J.N. "Ding" Darling
• 1961 – Clarence Cottam
• 1962 –William O. Douglas
• 1963 –Rachel Carson
• 1964 –Laurance Rockefeller
• 1966 –A. Starker Leopold
• 1967 –Stewart Udall
• 1968 –Henry Fairfield Osborn Jr.
• 1969 –Horace M. Albright
• 1971 –Roger Tory Peterson
• 1973 –Barbara Ward (Lady Jackson, D.B.E.)
• 1974 –Tom McCall
• 1975 –Maurice F. Strong
• 1976 –John B. Oakes
• 1977 –Russell W. Peterson
• 1978 – Charles H. Callison
• 1979 – Thomas L. Kimball
• 1980 –Margaret E. Murie
• 1981 –Richard H. Pough
• 1982 – C.R. "Pink" Gutermuth
• 1983 –Margaret Wentworth Owings
• 1984 –Joseph Hickey
• 1985 –Cecil D. Andrus
• 1986 – John F. Seiberling
• 1987 – Vladimir E. Flint
• 1988 –Oscar and Marguerita Arias
• 1989 –Robert Redford
• 1990 – Durward L. Allen
• 1991 –Ted Turner
• 1992 –John H. Chafee
• 1993 – ChiefOren LyonsandAnita Roddick
• 1994 –Jimmy Carter
• 1995 –Edward O. Wilson
• 1996 –James Parks Morton
• 1997 –Hazel Wolf
• 1998 –Julie Packard
• 1999 –William Conway
• 2000 –Chandler Robbins
• 2001 –Michael Dombeck
• 2002 –Edward H. Harte
• 2004 –Harriet Bullitt
• 2005 – The Rockefeller Family
• 2008 –Richard Louv
• 2010 – Donal C. O'Brien Jr.
• 2013 –Louis Bacon
• 2015 –Jackand Laura Dangermond
• 2016 – Paul Tudor Jones II
• 2017 – Frances Beinecke
• 2018 – SirDavid Attenborough
• 2019 –Johnny Morris & Family

Current activities

Audubon front lobby at its present headquarters in New York City, which earned aLEED Platinumdesignation for its Green features

In 2011, Audubon created a new model for positioning energytransmission linesalong the East Coast to help preserve bird and wildlifehabitat.Audubon PresidentDavid Yarnoldhas made environmentally friendly siting forrenewable energyone of the organization's highest priorities.

Audubon played an important part in bird rescue and Gulf Coast wetlands recovery efforts in the aftermath of the April 20, 2010,BP oil spillin theGulf of Mexico,the largest accidental marineoil spillin the history of thepetroleum industry.Audubon recruited over 34,000 volunteers to assist in rescuing, cleaning and releasing injuredbrown pelicansand other water birds. In addition, Audubon was a leader in pushing for legislation to useBP oil spill penaltiesto rebuild the Gulf Coast.

Audubon's Mississippi River and Louisiana Coastal Initiatives have been helping to restore coastal wetlands and to rebuild Mississippi River delta marshlands. The Mississippi Delta loses an area the size ofManhattanto the sea every year, stripping away coastal protections for both human communities and wildlife habitat.

Audubon'sImportant Bird Areaprogram has been protecting 370 million acres alongmigratory bird flyways in the United Statesand is a key part of Audubon's work withBirdLife Internationaland other conservationists around the globe. Audubon is leading the campaign for U.S. Congressional Reauthorization of theNeotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Actwhich would generate as much as $100 million each year to advance hemispheric bird conservation.

In Wyoming and across the Intermountain west, Audubon's Sagebrush Initiative works with industry, government, ranchers and conservationists to protect 15 million acres ofgreater sage grouseCore habitat. It also helps promote the development of renewable energy projects in the area.

Audubon also helped to secure the preservation of 240,000 acres of wild lands at theTejon Ranch,the largest land conservation area created in California history.

In March 2020, the Arkansas chapter of the Audubon Society announced its plan to spend $80,000 to install solar panels on its grounds, which will make their Little Rock office the state's first nonprofit to utilize 100% solar energy.

Sanctuaries and nature centers

Nature centersandwildlife sanctuariescontinue to be an important part of Audubon's work to educate and inspire the public about the environment and how to conserve it. Some of the Audubon's earliest nature centers are still teaching young and old alike about the natural world. In 2016,Audubon's Hog Island Campin Maine marked its 80th anniversary.Audubon's national network currently includes nearly 500 local chapters, 23 state programs, 41 nature centers.After nearly three-quarters of a century, the National Wildlife Refuge Campaign also remains a key component of overall NAS policy.

Conservation ranching initiative

Audubon has begun to certify bird-friendly ranching facilities, such as the Blue Nest Beef enterprisein order to provide consumers with a method of determining the environmental credentials of the businesses advertising that they are providing "bird-friendly", "grass-fed", and similar products, as options for beef that is raised sustainably and benefits wildlife habitat.

Native plants database

An online database is provided by Audubon that displays which native plants are important for birds in different areas that is searchable by USA zip code.

Invasive species

Audubon has recently expanded its outreach about the detrimental impact of invasive species like Norway maples, Tatarian honeysuckle and other ecological threats to human health and wildlife.

Drilling for natural gas

The Audubon society opposes drilling for gas onnational reserves.Natural gas has been drilled for and produced at itsPaul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary.The society said it was legally compelled to allow gas and oil drilling at the sanctuary under the terms of the land's donation by its original owners. This explanation, however, has been challenged. The presence of oil and gas drilling on Audubon's sanctuaries has been used to illustrate the difference between private and public decision-making.

An August 26, 2009, an open letter was sent to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee calling for stronger climate protections, including an end to subsidies for drilling companies. This signatories of this letter included the Central New Mexico Audubon Society, Champaign County Audubon Society, Delaware Audubon Society,Elisha MitchellAudubon Society,HuachucaAudubon Society,KalmiopsisAudubon Society, San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, Sequoia Audubon Society, and Audubon South Carolina.

Dan W. Lufkin Prize for Environmental Leadership

The Dan W. Lufkin Prize for Environmental Leadership is a new award that recognizes Dan W. Lufkin's lifetime commitment to the environment and honors individuals who have dedicated their lives to on-the-ground conservation. As part of this award, the recipient receives a $100,000 cash prize, made through an endowment established by Dan's family and friends, to help further his or her conservation efforts. This award will become a signature prize in the field of conservation innovation. George Archibald was the inaugural Dan W. Lufkin Prize recipient for his tireless efforts to protect all species of cranes and their habitats throughout the world. The Wall Street Journal featured Dan W. Lufkin as the Donor of the Day,for the creation of this new Audubon prize.

Women in Conservation Program

TheRachel CarsonAward is part of a broader Audubon initiative called Women in Conservation Project. Their mission statement is "To recognize outstanding women leaders in today's conservation movement; to support environmental opportunities for girls and young women; and to educate women on important issues related to conservation and the environment."Audubon New York created the Rachel Carson Field Internship in 2012, which is given to young women seeking experience in the fields of "habitat-stewardship and wildlife-management".There is also the Women in Conservation Fellowship. These internships are given to women who wish to learn about areas such as public relations, management, and event planning.

Climate change report

In September 2014, the Audubon Society released itsAudubon Birds and Climate Changereport which found that expected changes to North American climate will have a major, detrimental impact on birds in the United States. The scope of the report includes 588 species of birds and found that 314 of those species could lose up to half of their climatic range during the 21st-century.

Namesake controversy

The society was named in honor ofJohn James Audubon,aFranco-Americanornithologistand naturalist who painted, cataloged, and described thebirds of North Americain his famousBirds of Americabook (1827–1838). Despite these accolades, John James Audubon's legacy has been tarnished by numerous accusations ofplagiarismandscientific fraud,which his biographers (and Audubon's leadership) have routinely dismissed or minimized, even while admitting to his history of racism and slavery.John James Audubon wasalso abody snatcherwho collected human skulls to assist thescientific racismwork ofSamuel G. Morton.In the wake of theprotestsfollowing themurder of George Floyd,there have been public appeals to strip the name Audubon from the society and change the names of species that honor him.The Audubon Society has publicly supported theremoval of Confederate monuments,including acknowledging that "it's not just an issue of physical monuments".

An internal Board of Directors vote in 2023 resulted in a decision to retain the Audubon name for the national organization, with the subsequent resignation of three of its 26 board members.In February 2023, the union representing Audubon employees renamed itself The Bird Union.Seven months earlier, in July 2022, theSeattlechapter of Audubon announced they would change the name, and later announced the new name would be Birds Connect Seattle, effective June 2023.Shortly after the Seattle chapter's announcement in February, theChicagochapter also announced they will change their name.In March 2023, theNew York Citychapter announced that after studying the issue for eight months, it will change its name; Jessica Wilson, executive director of the NYC chapter, stated that the current name "served as a barrier to getting all New Yorkers involved".Chapters in other cities such asWashington, D.C.,Portland, Oregon,andBuffalo, New York,have made similar announcements.

Audubon organizations that have changed their name (or plan to change their name)

Original name	Changed name	Date of change announcement	Ref.
NYC Audubon	New York City Bird Alliance	March 20, 2023
Chicago Audubon Society	Chicago Bird Alliance	October 20, 2023
Madison Audubon	Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance	February 1, 2024
Buffalo Audubon Society	TBD	June 30, 2023
Portland Audubon (Oregon)	Bird Alliance of Oregon	February 28, 2023
Seattle Audubon	Birds Connect Seattle	July 21, 2022
Audubon Naturalist Society (Washington, DC)	Nature Forward	October 20, 2022
Golden Gate Audubon (San Francisco area)	Golden Gate Bird Alliance	August 13, 2023
Sacramento Audubon Society	TBD	July 20, 2023
Detroit Audubon	Detroit Bird Alliance	October 20, 2023
San Diego Audubon	TBD	August 24, 2023
Washtenaw Audubon Society (Michigan)	TBD	October 18, 2023
Georgia Audubon	Birds Georgia	November 29, 2023
Jayhawk Audubon Society (Lawrence, Kansas)	Lawrence Bird Alliance	December 26, 2023
Tahoma Audubon Society (Washington State)	Tahoma Bird Alliance	December 28, 2023
Wintu Audubon Society (California)	Shasta Birding Society	January 1, 2024
John Wesley Powell Audubon Society (Illinois)	Grand Prairie Bird Alliance	January 2, 2024
Mount Diablo Audubon Society (California)	Mount Diablo Bird Alliance	November 3, 2023
Audubon Society of Northern Virginia	TBD	January 31, 2024
South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society (Indiana)	TBD	January 30, 2024
Audubon Vermont UVM Chapter	UVM Birding Club	April 5, 2024
DC Audubon Society (Washington, DC)	DC Bird Alliance	April 26, 2024
New Hope Audubon (Chapel Hill, NC)	New Hope Bird Alliance	May 2, 2024
Vashon-Maury Island Audubon Society (Washington state)	Vashon Bird Alliance	April 15, 2024
Tucson Audubon Society	TBD	May 28, 2024
Bitterroot Audubon (Montana)	Bitterroot Bird Alliance	May 29, 2024

Leadership

David Yarnold became Audubon's 10th president in September 2010, expressing a commitment to build on the organization's strong conservation legacy and expand its commitment to improving the quality of life for both birds and people by aligning Audubon's conservation work along the migratory flyways that millions of birds travel each spring and fall.Following layoffs and complaints aboutdiversity and inclusionprograms, an Audubon union organizing drive went public in March 2021 with about 400 workers.Yarnold stepped down the next month following an internal audit into Audubon's workplace culture andtoxic workplacecomplaints.Elizabeth Gray was named Audubon's CEO in November, 2021.

Audubonmagazine

Main article:Audubon (magazine)

The National Audubon Society publishes a bi-monthly magazine calledAudubon.

See also

• List of environmental awards
• NatureShare(2009)
• Environmental history of the United States

References

Further reading

• Frank Graham Jr.,The Audubon Ark: A History of the National Audubon Society(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990)ISBN0-394-58164-4
• Carolyn Merchant.Spare the Birds! George Bird Grinnell and the First Audubon Society(Yale University Press, 2016). xiv, 327pp

External links

Media related toAudubon Societyat Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Audubon MagazinewebsiteArchived2010-02-05 at theWayback Machine
• Great Backyard Bird Count websiteArchived2014-01-28 at theWayback Machine
• Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History: "The Feather Trade and the American Conservation Movement"—online exhibition.