Jeff Hullstrung, Green Mountain Audubon Society President
Header image: portrait of John James Audubon
As Shakespeare wrote in his play Romeo and Juliet, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This old saying has become relevant to the Audubon family just recently, and I want to share some information about that with our membership, although you may already have heard the news. Last year, the board of directors of the National Audubon Society authorized an evaluation of the positive and negative associations with the “Audubon” name. They did so as a possible precursor, depending on the results of that evaluation, to a name change for the National Audubon Society.
A bit of history may be helpful. John James Audubon was, among other things, a painter in the early 19th century who became famous for his artwork and folios featuring birds. It was this artwork that influenced the founders of the early Audubon chapters in the early 20th century to use the Audubon name in their organizations. These first Audubon chapters were working to protect birds before the United States had established laws for their protection. They also supported the establishment of the foundational legislative protection for birds in the United States and throughout North America. The Audubon name spread throughout the country and today is a well-recognized “brand.” If I travel to another state, I know that looking for an Audubon center will reliably connect me with birding resources.
The fact that John James Audubon was also a slave owner was not openly discussed within the Audubon network throughout the 20th century and even into the early 21st century. However, that changed in July 2020 when the National Audubon Society published an article by Gregory Nobles in Audubon magazine titled, “The Myth of John James Audubon”. The discussion continued with articles by former Audubon President and CEO David Yarnold “Revealing the Past to Create the Future”, and by J. Drew Lanham “What Do We Do About John James Audubon?”. Collectively, the articles laid bare the same issues playing out simultaneously across the United States: namely, how to reckon with and balance history in the context of today’s changed mores.
In parallel with the discussion about the Audubon name, the National Audubon Society began working to improve Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, both at the national level and throughout the network of state and local chapters. The Green Mountain Audubon Society has benefited from the resources provided by the National Audubon Society as we continue our journey and commitment to making birding welcoming to all people.
In early March 2023, after a drawn-out process, the national board of directors of Audubon voted to retain the Audubon name. The decision has been met with mixed reactions, representing the range of opinions within the Audubon family. Three members of the board of directors of the National Audubon Society resigned after the decision was reached to keep the Audubon name. Dr. Elizabeth Gray, Chief Executive Officer and Ex Officio Board Director of the National Audubon Society released an open letter on the board’s decision. Click here for the link to the open letter. Dr. Gray also announced an additional $25 million to fund the expansion of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging work.
The Green Mountain Audubon Society is independent of the National Audubon Society. A number of other independent chapters have already decided to drop the Audubon name. We work closely with our partners at Audubon Vermont, a state program and office of the National Audubon Society. However, we may choose our own path regarding our organizational identity. We welcome the opinions of our membership as we consider the opportunities and challenges that a name change would present.