Photo: Common American Swan, Courtesy of the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, Montgomery County Audubon Collection, and Zebra Publishing
The National Audubon Society (NAS) was named after John James Audubon in recognition of his contribution to the natural history of North America. Historical reviews of his legacy have in the past several years shown light on more troubling aspects of his life. What NAS has concluded following its own review of that history is that being a slave owner was only one of Audubon’s many transgressions, noting that he was "a complex and troubling character who did despicable things even by the standards of his day."
Out of concern that continuing the Audubon name could undermine the society’s mission, NAS undertook a year-long process to determine whether to remove Audubon from its name. In March 2023 NAS decided not to change its name but indicated that its chapters were free to do so. At its May meeting, ASNV’s board formed an ad hoc committee to develop and implement a process for making a decision about this important issue. We thank you for your patience as we set about this process.