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Audubon

The National Audubon Society (Audubon; /ˈɔːdəbɒn/) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and 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 and Connecticut Audubon Society.

National Audubon Society
Formation1905
TypeNon-profit organization
PurposeConservation of birds, other wildlife and healthy ecosystems
HeadquartersManhattan, New York
Coordinates40°43′45″N 74°0′19″W / 40.72917°N 74.00528°W / 40.72917; -74.00528
Region served
United States
Interim CEO
Elizabeth Gray
Main organ
Board of Directors
Websiteaudubon.org

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 organize birdwatching field trips and conservation-related activities. It also coordinates the Christmas Bird Count held each December in the U.S., a model of citizen science, in partnership with Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the Great Backyard Bird Count each February. Together with Cornell, Audubon created eBird, 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, including BirdLife International based in Great Britain, Bird Studies Canada, American Bird Conservancy, and many partners in Latin America and in the Caribbean.[1] 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 700 Broadway in Manhattan, New York City

Development of Audubon societies

In 1886, Forest and Stream editor George Bird Grinnell was appalled by the negligent mass slaughter of birds that he saw taking place. As a boy, Grinnell had avidly read Ornithological Biography,[2] a work by the bird painter John James Audubon; he also attended a school for boys conducted by Lucy Audubon. So when Grinnell decided to create an organization devoted to the protection of wild birds and their eggs, he did not have to go far for its namesake.

Within a year of its foundation, the early Audubon Society claimed 39,000 members. Eventually, it attained a membership of 48,862.[3] Each member signed a pledge to "not molest birds." Prominent members included jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., abolitionist minister Henry Ward Beecher, and poet John Greenleaf Whittier. This society was later discontinued, but the name and plan survived.[3]

Organizations for the protection of birds were not a wholly new idea. Even before Grinnell's Audubon Society was organized, the American 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 the District of Columbia Audubon Society stating that "I do not protect birds. I kill them."[4]

 
Los Angeles Audubon Society members studying the marsh wren in the Dominguez Slough, 1918

In 1895, the first Audubon Society was created.[5] Cousins and Boston socialites, Harriet Hemenway and Minna 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."[6] Later that same year, they founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society.[6] Over 900 women came together with Hemenway and Hall, and across the country, many others were doing the same.[7] 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.[6] In 1896, Pennsylvania created their Audubon Society,[8] 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.[9] 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 Dutcher was 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.[3]

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 author Florence Merriam claimed 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 warden Guy Bradley on 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 socialite Harriet Hemenway, President Theodore Roosevelt, an avowed Audubon Society sympathizer, 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.[3]

Refuges

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

In 1918, the NAS actively lobbied for the Federal 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 a National Wildlife Refuge system.

The association also acquired land through purchases and donation. The Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center in Oyster Bay, New York was donated to New York Audubon in 1923 by Emlen Roosevelt and Christine Roosevelt in memory of their cousin, who is buried in the adjacent Youngs Memorial Cemetery.[10] The Audubon Center of Greenwich, Connecticut was founded in 1943. The Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary in 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, including Brooklyn, New York; East Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Seattle, Washington.

Field guides

In 1934, with membership at a low of 3,500, and with the nation in the Great 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-length field guides on major forms of bird and mammal life. Soon, in association with New York publisher Alfred A. Knopf, the Audubon Field Guides became a staple of every artist's and environmentalist's library. Today, many Audubon field guides have been adapted for mobile phone apps.[11] This field guide series covers a wide range of nature-related topics, including the night sky, rocks and minerals, wildflowers, and many animals.[12] This series has sold 18 million copies[12] and uses photographs instead of the commissioned paintings or other drawings that many other field guides possess, such as the Peterson Field Guides.

DDT, whaling, and politics

During the post-World War II period, the NAS was consumed by the battle over the pesticide DDT. As early as 1960, the society circulated draft legislation to establish pesticide control agencies at the state level. In 1962 the publication of Silent Spring by long-time Audubon member Rachel Carson gave 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 prestigious Rachel Carson Award. Honorees include Bette Midler, founder of the New York Restoration Project; Dr. Sylvia Earle, oceanographer and founder of Deep Search International; Majora Carter, Founder and Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx; actress and conservation activist Sigourney Weaver, and NRDC President Frances Beinecke.[13]

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 the Clean Air, Clean Water, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and Endangered Species acts. 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 the International Whaling Commission in 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 of nature documentary television specials, many of which were entitled The World of Audubon. These included specials on many animals other than birds (the traditional focus of this organization) and on natural areas such as the Great Lakes.[14] This series included a special documenting the rescue efforts to save the black-footed ferret from extinction.[15] Arthur Unger of the Christian Science Monitor reviewed 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 alongside Nature and National Geographic Specials."[15]

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

Source: Audubon Society

Current activities

 
Audubon Center at Bent of the River, landscape, 2016
 
Audubon front lobby at its present headquarters in New York City, which earned a LEED Platinum designation for its Green features

In 2011, Audubon created a new model for positioning energy transmission lines along the East Coast to help preserve bird and wildlife habitat. Audubon President David Yarnold has made environmentally friendly siting for renewable energy one 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 spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. Audubon recruited over 34,000 volunteers to assist in rescuing, cleaning and releasing injured brown pelicans and other water birds. In addition, Audubon was a leader in pushing for legislation to use BP oil spill penalties to 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 of Manhattan to the sea every year, stripping away coastal protections for both human communities and wildlife habitat.

Audubon's Important Bird Area program has been protecting 370 million acres along migratory bird flyways in the United States and is a key part of Audubon's work with BirdLife International and other conservationists around the globe. Audubon is leading the campaign for U.S. Congressional Reauthorization of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act which 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 of greater sage grouse Core 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 the Tejon 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.[17]

Sanctuaries and nature centers

Nature centers and wildlife sanctuaries continue 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 August 2011, Audubon's Hog Island Camp in Maine marked its 75th anniversary.[citation needed] Audubon's national network currently includes nearly 500 local chapters, 23 state programs, 41 nature centers.[18] 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 enterprise [19] in 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.[20]

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.[21]

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.[22]

Drilling for natural gas

The Audubon society opposes drilling for gas on national reserves. Natural gas has been drilled for and produced at its Paul 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.[23]

An August 26, 2009, letter[clarification needed] included the Central New Mexico Audubon Society, Champaign County Audubon Society, Delaware Audubon Society, Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society, Huachuca Audubon Society, Kalmiopsis Audubon Society, San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, Sequoia Audubon Society, and Audubon South Carolina.[24]

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,[25] for the creation of this new Audubon prize.

Women in Conservation Program

The Rachel Carson Award 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."[26] 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."[27] 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.[27]

Climate change report

In September 2014, the Audubon Society released its Audubon Birds and Climate Change report 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.[28]

Namesake controversy

The society was named in honor of John James Audubon, a Franco-American ornithologist and naturalist who painted, cataloged, and described the birds of North America in his famous Birds of America book (1827–1838). Despite these accolades, John James Audubon's legacy has been tarnished by numerous accusations of plagiarism and scientific fraud,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35] which his biographers (and Audubon's leadership) have routinely dismissed or minimized, even while admitting to his history of racism and slavery.[36][37] John James Audubon was also a body snatcher who collected human skulls to assist the race supremacist work of Samuel G. Morton.[38][39] In the wake of the protests following the murder 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.[40][41][42] The Audubon Society has publicly supported the removal of Confederate monuments, including acknowledging that "it's not just an issue of physical monuments", the organization has not commented about its plans to remove (or retain) the name Audubon as its namesake.[37][43] The Seattle chapter of Audubon has initiated a process to change the name and will announce the new one in June 2023. [44]

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.[citation needed] Following layoffs and complaints about diversity and inclusion programs, an Audubon union organizing drive went public in March 2021 with about 400 workers.[45] Yarnold stepped down the next month following an internal audit into Audubon's workplace culture and toxic workplace complaints. Elizabeth Gray is serving as interim CEO.[46]

Audubon magazine

The National Audubon Society publishes a bi-monthly magazine called Audubon, currently[when?] overseen by the organizations's vice president of content, Jennifer Bogo.[47]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ BirdLife International. "ABC joins the flock!". BirdLife. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  2. ^ Catalog Record: Ornithological biography; or An account of... | Hathi Trust Digital Library. Catalog.hathitrust.org. vol. I. A. Black; vol. 2-5, A. & C. Black. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  3. ^ a b c d Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). "Audubon Societies" . Encyclopedia Americana.
  4. ^ Moss, Stephen (2004) A Bird in the Bush: A social history of Birdwatching. Aurum Press. p. 78
  5. ^ "The History of Audubon". Audubon. 9 January 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "How Two Women Ended the Deadly Feather Trade". Smithsonian.
  7. ^ Weeks, Linton (15 July 2015). "Hats Off To Women Who Saved The Birds". NPR.
  8. ^ "Audubon Pennsylvania History". Audubon Pennsylvania. 23 March 2016.
  9. ^ . 13 October 2009. Archived from the original on 13 October 2009.
  10. ^ Lane, Laura. "Major renovations of TR Sanctuary to begin soon". LI Herald Oyster Bay. Long Island Herald. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Audubon Bird Guide App". Audubon Guides. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  12. ^ a b . National Audubon Society Marketplace. 19 October 2010. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
  13. ^ "Audubon Women In Conservation | Audubon". Womeninconservation.org. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  14. ^ "Great Lakes, Bitter Legacy (National Audubon Society Specials): James Earl Jones: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  15. ^ a b "Audubon special tracks down rare ferret. Series now ranks among TV's finest wildlife programs". CSMonitor.com. 1986-06-04. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  16. ^ "The Audubon Gala". The Audubon Society. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  17. ^ "State Audubon Society chapter plans to go solar". Arkansas Online. 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  18. ^ "About Us". The Audubon Society. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  19. ^ https://bluenestbeef.com/audubon-partners/ Audubon partner, Blue Nest Beef
  20. ^ https://www.audubon.org/conservation/ranching Audubon Conservation Ranching
  21. ^ http://www.audubon.org/native-plants/search Audubon native plant database
  22. ^ Gabriella Sotello (February 25, 2022). "What is the Difference Between Native, Non-native, and Invasive Plants?". Audubon. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  23. ^ . Perc.org. 1995-09-07. Archived from the original on 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  24. ^ . Foe.org. Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  25. ^ V.L. Hendrickson (2013-01-16). "Birds of a Feather Honored in Environmental Award - WSJ". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  26. ^ "Audubon Women In Conservation". web4.audubon.org.
  27. ^ a b "Audubon Women In Conservation". web4.audubon.org.
  28. ^ "The Audubon Birds & Climate Change Report". Climate.audubon.org. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  29. ^ Ord, George (1840). "Minutes from the Stated Meeting, September 18 [1840]". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 1: 272.
  30. ^ Dunlap, William (1834). History of the rise and progress of the arts of design in the United States, Volume 2. New York, NY: George P. Scott & Co., New York.
  31. ^ Hunter, Clark (1983). The Life and Letters of Alexander Wilson. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society.
  32. ^ Halley, Matthew R. (2018-03-30). "Audubon's famous banding experiment: fact or fiction?". Archives of Natural History. 45 (1): 118–121. doi:10.3366/anh.2018.0487. ISSN 0260-9541.
  33. ^ Halley, Matthew R. (June 2020). "Audubon's Bird of Washington: unravelling the fraud that launched The birds of America". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 140 (2): 110–141. doi:10.25226/bboc.v140i2.2020.a3. ISSN 0007-1595.
  34. ^ Woodman, Neal (2016-04-01). "Pranked by Audubon: Constantine S. Rafinesque's description of John James Audubon's imaginary Kentucky mammals". Archives of Natural History. 43 (1): 95–108. doi:10.3366/anh.2016.0349. ISSN 0260-9541.
  35. ^ MARKLE, DOUGLAS F. (2010-07-06). "Audubon's hoax: Ohio River fishes described by Rafinesque". Archives of Natural History. 24 (3): 439–447. doi:10.3366/anh.1997.24.3.439.
  36. ^ "The Myth of John James Audubon". Audubon. 2020-07-31. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  37. ^ a b Yarnold, David (July 31, 2020). "Revealing the Past to Create the Future". Audubon.org.
  38. ^ Michael, John S. (2020). "An "American Humboldt"?: Memorializing Philadelphia Physician and Race Supremacist Samuel George Morton". Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. 87 (2): 279–312. doi:10.5325/pennhistory.87.2.0279. ISSN 0031-4528. JSTOR 10.5325/pennhistory.87.2.0279. S2CID 216351445.
  39. ^ Morton, Samuel George; Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences of (1840). Catalogue of skulls of man and the inferior animals in the collection of Samuel George Morton. Philadelphia: Printed by Turner & Fisher.
  40. ^ Foley, G., and J. Rutter (August 4, 2020). "[opinion] The stench of colonialism mars these bird names. They must be changed". The Washington Post.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  41. ^ Elbein, Asher (July 2, 2020). "The Bird World Is Grappling With Its Own Confederate Relic: McCown's Longspur". Audubon.org.
  42. ^ Berryman, Alex (August 6, 2020). "What is the real legacy of John James Audubon?". Bird Guides: First For Bird News.
  43. ^ Milman, Oliver (October 25, 2021). "US conservation group to drop Audubon name over 'pain' caused by slaveholder".
  44. ^ "Inclusive Change: Removing 'Audubon'".
  45. ^ Sainato, Michael (April 13, 2021). "US unions not fazed by Amazon setback and vow to keep up the organizing fight". The Guardian. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  46. ^ Colman, Zack (April 20, 2021). "Audubon CEO resigns after complaints of toxic workplace". Politico. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  47. ^ "About Audubon Magazine". Audubon. 2017-03-27. Retrieved 2022-05-18.

Further reading

  • Frank Graham, Jr., The Audubon Ark: A History of the National Audubon Society (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990) ISBN 0-394-58164-4
  • Carolyn Merchant. Spare the Birds! George Bird Grinnell and the First Audubon Society (Yale University Press, 2016). xiv, 327pp

External links

  Media related to Audubon Society at Wikimedia Commons

  • Official website
  • Audubon Magazine website
  • Great Backyard Bird Count website
  • Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History: "The Feather Trade and the American Conservation Movement" — online exhibition.

audubon, other, uses, disambiguation, national, society, ɔː, american, profit, environmental, organization, dedicated, conservation, birds, their, habitats, located, united, states, incorporated, 1905, oldest, such, organizations, world, there, completely, ind. For other uses see Audubon disambiguation The National Audubon Society Audubon ˈ ɔː d e b ɒ n is an American non profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats Located in the United States and 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 and Connecticut Audubon Society National Audubon SocietyFormation1905TypeNon profit organizationPurposeConservation of birds other wildlife and healthy ecosystemsHeadquartersManhattan New YorkCoordinates40 43 45 N 74 0 19 W 40 72917 N 74 00528 W 40 72917 74 00528Region servedUnited StatesInterim CEOElizabeth GrayMain organBoard of DirectorsWebsiteaudubon wbr orgThe 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 organize birdwatching field trips and conservation related activities It also coordinates the Christmas Bird Count held each December in the U S a model of citizen science in partnership with Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Great Backyard Bird Count each February Together with Cornell Audubon created eBird 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 including BirdLife International based in Great Britain Bird Studies Canada American Bird Conservancy and many partners in Latin America and in the Caribbean 1 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 Contents 1 History 1 1 Development of Audubon societies 1 2 Bird protection 1 3 Refuges 1 4 Field guides 1 5 DDT whaling and politics 1 6 Television specials 1 7 Audubon Medal 2 List of awardees 3 Current activities 3 1 Sanctuaries and nature centers 3 2 Conservation ranching initiative 3 3 Native plants database 3 4 Invasive species 3 5 Drilling for natural gas 3 6 Dan W Lufkin Prize for Environmental Leadership 3 7 Women in Conservation Program 3 8 Climate change report 3 9 Namesake controversy 4 Leadership 5 Audubon magazine 6 See also 7 References 7 1 Notes 7 2 Further reading 8 External linksHistory Edit Audubon House the former headquarters of the National Audubon Society at 700 Broadway in Manhattan New York City Development of Audubon societies Edit In 1886 Forest and Stream editor George Bird Grinnell was appalled by the negligent mass slaughter of birds that he saw taking place As a boy Grinnell had avidly read Ornithological Biography 2 a work by the bird painter John James Audubon he also attended a school for boys conducted by Lucy Audubon So when Grinnell decided to create an organization devoted to the protection of wild birds and their eggs he did not have to go far for its namesake Within a year of its foundation the early Audubon Society claimed 39 000 members Eventually it attained a membership of 48 862 3 Each member signed a pledge to not molest birds Prominent members included jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr abolitionist minister Henry Ward Beecher and poet John Greenleaf Whittier This society was later discontinued but the name and plan survived 3 Organizations for the protection of birds were not a wholly new idea Even before Grinnell s Audubon Society was organized the American 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 the District of Columbia Audubon Society stating that I do not protect birds I kill them 4 Los Angeles Audubon Society members studying the marsh wren in the Dominguez Slough 1918 In 1895 the first Audubon Society was created 5 Cousins and Boston socialites Harriet Hemenway and Minna 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 6 Later that same year they founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society 6 Over 900 women came together with Hemenway and Hall and across the country many others were doing the same 7 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 6 In 1896 Pennsylvania created their Audubon Society 8 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 9 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 Dutcher was 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 3 Bird protection Edit 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 author Florence Merriam claimed 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 warden Guy Bradley on 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 socialite Harriet Hemenway President Theodore Roosevelt an avowed Audubon Society sympathizer 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 3 Refuges Edit Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center Oyster Bay New York In 1918 the NAS actively lobbied for the Federal 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 a National Wildlife Refuge system The association also acquired land through purchases and donation The Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center in Oyster Bay New York was donated to New York Audubon in 1923 by Emlen Roosevelt and Christine Roosevelt in memory of their cousin who is buried in the adjacent Youngs Memorial Cemetery 10 The Audubon Center of Greenwich Connecticut was founded in 1943 The Paul J Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary in 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 including Brooklyn New York East Los Angeles California Phoenix Arizona and Seattle Washington Field guides Edit In 1934 with membership at a low of 3 500 and with the nation in the Great 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 length field guides on major forms of bird and mammal life Soon in association with New York publisher Alfred A Knopf the Audubon Field Guides became a staple of every artist s and environmentalist s library Today many Audubon field guides have been adapted for mobile phone apps 11 This field guide series covers a wide range of nature related topics including the night sky rocks and minerals wildflowers and many animals 12 This series has sold 18 million copies 12 and uses photographs instead of the commissioned paintings or other drawings that many other field guides possess such as the Peterson Field Guides DDT whaling and politics Edit During the post World War II period the NAS was consumed by the battle over the pesticide DDT As early as 1960 the society circulated draft legislation to establish pesticide control agencies at the state level In 1962 the publication of Silent Spring by long time Audubon member Rachel Carson gave 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 prestigious Rachel Carson Award Honorees include Bette Midler founder of the New York Restoration Project Dr Sylvia Earle oceanographer and founder of Deep Search International Majora Carter Founder and Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx actress and conservation activist Sigourney Weaver and NRDC President Frances Beinecke 13 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 the Clean Air Clean Water Wild and Scenic Rivers and Endangered Species acts 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 the International Whaling Commission in 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 Edit During the 1980s and 1990s the National Audubon Society produced a notable series of nature documentary television specials many of which were entitled The World of Audubon These included specials on many animals other than birds the traditional focus of this organization and on natural areas such as the Great Lakes 14 This series included a special documenting the rescue efforts to save the black footed ferret from extinction 15 Arthur Unger of the Christian Science Monitor reviewed 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 alongside Nature and National Geographic Specials 15 Audubon Medal Edit 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 EditSource Audubon Society 2019 Johnny Morris amp Family 2018 Sir David Attenborough 2017 Frances Beinecke 2016 Paul Tudor Jones II 2015 Jack and Laura Dangermond 16 2013 Louis Bacon 2010 Donal C O Brien Jr 2008 Richard Louv 2005 The Rockefeller Family 2004 Harriet Bullitt 2002 Edward H Harte 2001 Michael Dombeck 2000 Chandler Robbins 1999 William Conway 1998 Julie Packard 1997 Hazel Wolf 1996 James Parks Morton 1995 Edward O Wilson 1994 Jimmy Carter 1993 Chief Oren Lyons and Anita Roddick 1992 John H Chafee 1991 Ted Turner 1990 Durward L Allen 1989 Robert Redford 1988 Oscar and Marguerita Arias 1987 Vladimir E Flint 1986 John F Seiberling 1985 Cecil D Andrus 1984 Joseph J Hickey 1983 Margaret Wentworth Owings 1982 C R Pink Gutermuth 1981 Richard H Pough 1980 Margaret E Murie 1979 Thomas L Kimball 1978 Charles H Callison 1977 Russell W Peterson 1976 John B Oakes 1975 Maurice F Strong 1974 Tom McCall 1973 Barbara Ward Lady Jackson D B E 1971 Roger Tory Peterson 1969 Horace M Albright 1968 Henry Fairfield Osborn Jr 1967 Stewart Udall 1966 A Starker Leopold 1964 Laurance Rockefeller 1963 Rachel Carson 1962 William O Douglas 1961 Clarence Cottam 1960 J N Ding Darling 1959 Olaus Murie 1956 Ludlow Griscom 1955 Walt Disney 1952 Louis Bromfield 1950 John D Rockefeller Jr 1949 Ira Noel Gabrielson 1947 Hugh Hammond BennettCurrent activities Edit Audubon Center at Bent of the River landscape 2016 Audubon front lobby at its present headquarters in New York City which earned a LEED Platinum designation for its Green features In 2011 Audubon created a new model for positioning energy transmission lines along the East Coast to help preserve bird and wildlife habitat Audubon President David Yarnold has made environmentally friendly siting for renewable energy one 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 spill in the Gulf of Mexico the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry Audubon recruited over 34 000 volunteers to assist in rescuing cleaning and releasing injured brown pelicans and other water birds In addition Audubon was a leader in pushing for legislation to use BP oil spill penalties to 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 of Manhattan to the sea every year stripping away coastal protections for both human communities and wildlife habitat Audubon s Important Bird Area program has been protecting 370 million acres along migratory bird flyways in the United States and is a key part of Audubon s work with BirdLife International and other conservationists around the globe Audubon is leading the campaign for U S Congressional Reauthorization of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act which 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 of greater sage grouse Core 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 the Tejon 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 17 Sanctuaries and nature centers Edit Nature centers and wildlife sanctuaries continue 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 August 2011 Audubon s Hog Island Camp in Maine marked its 75th anniversary citation needed Audubon s national network currently includes nearly 500 local chapters 23 state programs 41 nature centers 18 After nearly three quarters of a century the National Wildlife Refuge Campaign also remains a key component of overall NAS policy Conservation ranching initiative Edit Audubon has begun to certify bird friendly ranching facilities such as the Blue Nest Beef enterprise 19 in 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 20 Native plants database Edit 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 21 Invasive species Edit 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 22 Drilling for natural gas Edit The Audubon society opposes drilling for gas on national reserves Natural gas has been drilled for and produced at its Paul 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 23 An August 26 2009 letter clarification needed included the Central New Mexico Audubon Society Champaign County Audubon Society Delaware Audubon Society Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society Huachuca Audubon Society Kalmiopsis Audubon Society San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society Sequoia Audubon Society and Audubon South Carolina 24 Dan W Lufkin Prize for Environmental Leadership Edit 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 25 for the creation of this new Audubon prize Women in Conservation Program Edit The Rachel Carson Award 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 26 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 27 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 27 Climate change report Edit In September 2014 the Audubon Society released its Audubon Birds and Climate Change report 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 28 Namesake controversy Edit The society was named in honor of John James Audubon a Franco American ornithologist and naturalist who painted cataloged and described the birds of North America in his famous Birds of America book 1827 1838 Despite these accolades John James Audubon s legacy has been tarnished by numerous accusations of plagiarism and scientific fraud 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 which his biographers and Audubon s leadership have routinely dismissed or minimized even while admitting to his history of racism and slavery 36 37 John James Audubon was also a body snatcher who collected human skulls to assist the race supremacist work of Samuel G Morton 38 39 In the wake of the protests following the murder 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 40 41 42 The Audubon Society has publicly supported the removal of Confederate monuments including acknowledging that it s not just an issue of physical monuments the organization has not commented about its plans to remove or retain the name Audubon as its namesake 37 43 The Seattle chapter of Audubon has initiated a process to change the name and will announce the new one in June 2023 44 Leadership EditDavid 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 citation needed Following layoffs and complaints about diversity and inclusion programs an Audubon union organizing drive went public in March 2021 with about 400 workers 45 Yarnold stepped down the next month following an internal audit into Audubon s workplace culture and toxic workplace complaints Elizabeth Gray is serving as interim CEO 46 Audubon magazine EditMain article Audubon magazine The National Audubon Society publishes a bi monthly magazine called Audubon currently when overseen by the organizations s vice president of content Jennifer Bogo 47 See also EditList of environmental awardsReferences EditNotes Edit BirdLife International ABC joins the flock BirdLife Retrieved 2020 07 18 Catalog Record Ornithological biography or An account of Hathi Trust Digital Library Catalog hathitrust org vol I A Black vol 2 5 A amp C Black Retrieved 2016 10 31 a b c d Rines George Edwin ed 1920 Audubon Societies Encyclopedia Americana Moss Stephen 2004 A Bird in the Bush A social history of Birdwatching Aurum Press p 78 The History of Audubon Audubon 9 January 2015 a b c How Two Women Ended the Deadly Feather Trade Smithsonian Weeks Linton 15 July 2015 Hats Off To Women Who Saved The Birds NPR Audubon Pennsylvania History Audubon Pennsylvania 23 March 2016 St Louis Audubon Society 13 October 2009 Archived from the original on 13 October 2009 Lane Laura Major renovations of TR Sanctuary to begin soon LI Herald Oyster Bay Long Island Herald Retrieved 30 November 2020 Audubon Bird Guide App Audubon Guides Retrieved 2016 10 31 a b National Audubon Society Field Guides National Audubon Society Marketplace 19 October 2010 Archived from the original on 19 October 2010 Audubon Women In Conservation Audubon Womeninconservation org Retrieved 2016 10 31 Great Lakes Bitter Legacy National Audubon Society Specials James Earl Jones Movies amp TV Amazon com Retrieved 2016 10 31 a b Audubon special tracks down rare ferret Series now ranks among TV s finest wildlife programs CSMonitor com 1986 06 04 Retrieved 2016 10 31 The Audubon Gala The Audubon Society Retrieved 4 September 2015 State Audubon Society chapter plans to go solar Arkansas Online 2020 03 03 Retrieved 2020 03 03 About Us The Audubon Society Retrieved 26 June 2018 https bluenestbeef com audubon partners Audubon partner Blue Nest Beef https www audubon org conservation ranching Audubon Conservation Ranching http www audubon org native plants search Audubon native plant database Gabriella Sotello February 25 2022 What is the Difference Between Native Non native and Invasive Plants Audubon Retrieved February 26 2022 PC Oil Drilling in a Wildlife Refuge PERC The Property and Environment Research Center Perc org 1995 09 07 Archived from the original on 2012 07 17 Retrieved 2016 10 31 Friends of the Earth Foe org Archived from the original on 2009 10 05 Retrieved 2016 10 31 V L Hendrickson 2013 01 16 Birds of a Feather Honored in Environmental Award WSJ Online wsj com Retrieved 2016 10 31 Audubon Women In Conservation web4 audubon org a b Audubon Women In Conservation web4 audubon org The Audubon Birds amp Climate Change Report Climate audubon org Retrieved 2016 10 31 Ord George 1840 Minutes from the Stated Meeting September 18 1840 Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 1 272 Dunlap William 1834 History of the rise and progress of the arts of design in the United States Volume 2 New York NY George P Scott amp Co New York Hunter Clark 1983 The Life and Letters of Alexander Wilson Philadelphia Pennsylvania Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society Halley Matthew R 2018 03 30 Audubon s famous banding experiment fact or fiction Archives of Natural History 45 1 118 121 doi 10 3366 anh 2018 0487 ISSN 0260 9541 Halley Matthew R June 2020 Audubon s Bird of Washington unravelling the fraud that launched The birds of America Bulletin of the British Ornithologists Club 140 2 110 141 doi 10 25226 bboc v140i2 2020 a3 ISSN 0007 1595 Woodman Neal 2016 04 01 Pranked by Audubon Constantine S Rafinesque s description of John James Audubon s imaginary Kentucky mammals Archives of Natural History 43 1 95 108 doi 10 3366 anh 2016 0349 ISSN 0260 9541 MARKLE DOUGLAS F 2010 07 06 Audubon s hoax Ohio River fishes described by Rafinesque Archives of Natural History 24 3 439 447 doi 10 3366 anh 1997 24 3 439 The Myth of John James Audubon Audubon 2020 07 31 Retrieved 2020 08 06 a b Yarnold David July 31 2020 Revealing the Past to Create the Future Audubon org Michael John S 2020 An American Humboldt Memorializing Philadelphia Physician and Race Supremacist Samuel George Morton Pennsylvania History A Journal of Mid Atlantic Studies 87 2 279 312 doi 10 5325 pennhistory 87 2 0279 ISSN 0031 4528 JSTOR 10 5325 pennhistory 87 2 0279 S2CID 216351445 Morton Samuel George Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences of 1840 Catalogue of skulls of man and the inferior animals in the collection of Samuel George Morton Philadelphia Printed by Turner amp Fisher Foley G and J Rutter August 4 2020 opinion The stench of colonialism mars these bird names They must be changed The Washington Post a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Elbein Asher July 2 2020 The Bird World Is Grappling With Its Own Confederate Relic McCown s Longspur Audubon org Berryman Alex August 6 2020 What is the real legacy of John James Audubon Bird Guides First For Bird News Milman Oliver October 25 2021 US conservation group to drop Audubon name over pain caused by slaveholder Inclusive Change Removing Audubon Sainato Michael April 13 2021 US unions not fazed by Amazon setback and vow to keep up the organizing fight The Guardian Retrieved May 31 2021 Colman Zack April 20 2021 Audubon CEO resigns after complaints of toxic workplace Politico Retrieved May 31 2021 About Audubon Magazine Audubon 2017 03 27 Retrieved 2022 05 18 Further reading Edit Frank Graham Jr The Audubon Ark A History of the National Audubon Society New York Alfred A Knopf 1990 ISBN 0 394 58164 4 Carolyn Merchant Spare the Birds George Bird Grinnell and the First Audubon Society Yale University Press 2016 xiv 327ppExternal links Edit Media related to Audubon Society at Wikimedia Commons Official website Audubon Magazine website Great Backyard Bird Count website Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History The Feather Trade and the American Conservation Movement online exhibition Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Audubon amp oldid 1133869125, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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