Natural History Wanderings

from Golden Gate Audubon

Over the past several years, Audubon members and leaders throughout the country have been taking a hard look at the name of our organization—in specific, our identification with John James Audubon.

Audubon was a leading naturalist of the early 1800s. His artwork in Birds of North America introduced Europeans to the wildlife of this continent and helped generations of Americans learn about the birds around them.

But Audubon also owned and sold enslaved people. In fact, he financed some of his birding expeditions through the sale of Black people. He opposed the abolition of slavery at a time when there was a growing abolition movement. He robbed Native American graves to collect skulls for himself and his friends.

So a growing number of Audubon chapters are deciding to change their names—

Read more at  The Audubon Name Issue Heats Up – Golden Gate Audubon Society