Portland Audubon Turns into Most Current Audubon Group to Drop Audubon Title

John James Audubon was a wildlife artist who is legendary for portray America’s birds in addition to being a significant participant within the emergence of naturalism within the nineteenth century. Audubon has turn out to be akin to a people hero, particularly amongst birders, and is usually imagined as a kind of bird-watching pilgrim, touring the nation, observing its wildlife, after which rendering lovely life-like work which proceed to be loved to today. Audubon’s affiliation with birds is absolute. Right this moment, many extra individuals probably acknowledge his identify because the namesake of the Audubon Society, a United States hen conservation group populated by devoted birdwatchers and with chapters all around the nation.

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The ever-present Audubon society does numerous good below this identify. The society is answerable for a variety of conservation-focused actions in addition to training and community-building. “Citizen science” has been a preferred buzzword these days, however Audubon members and followers aren’t any strangers to the idea, which has all the time been a significant side of the birdwatching interest.

So why is it that a number of Audubon-affiliated organizations have rejected John James Audubon and his surname in current months? Starting with the Seattle chapter, Audubon societies across the nation, together with the group previously often called “Audubon for All” have begun the method of renaming. Typically, a brand new identify has but to be chosen. Audubon for All has turn out to be the “Chicken Union.” Most just lately, the Portland chapter has introduced its intent to drop the Audubon identify.

In every case, the motive for the change lies within the much less well-known facets of John James Audubon’s historical past. Audubon was a slave-owner. He was born on his father’s plantation in 1785, and died in 1851, over a decade earlier than the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Audubon was vocally against abolition. He has additionally been accused of educational dishonesty with reference to an unverified species of eagle, “Falco Washingtonii,” which Audubon claimed to have found. The intent and extent of the dishonesty in query is a hotly debated matter. Different complaints exist in opposition to Audubon, together with a morbid incident wherein Audubon writes about gathering skulls from Native American gravesites for examine.

These startling blemishes on the non-public historical past of John James Audubon have been the main catalyst for Audubon Society identify modifications all through the nation. As birdwatching experiences a post-pandemic interval of progress and curiosity amongst the broader inhabitants, many really feel that persevering with to carry onto the Audubon identify is certain to result in emotions of exclusion.

There’s, nonetheless, a contingent of birders who take into account the Audubon identify to be bigger than John James Audubon’s private historical past. For these on this camp, the identify change raises issues. The Audubon identify is well known and is used for training and outreach all through the nation. Obscuring that might damage the mission of the Audubon Society, a mission which is way bigger and better than its namesake.

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