Red-headed Woodpecker. Photo by Shawn Taylor.
What's In A NAme?
Over the past few years, troublesome revelations about our namesake, John James Audubon, have come to light. Recently, several chapters have announced plans to move away from the Audubon name. In March 2023, National Audubon announced their intent to retain the Audubon name. These conversations prompted discussions among Georgia Audubon’s board and staff about what the “Audubon” name means to our work and mission.
With our roots in the Deep South and our headquarters in the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement, we feel it is important that we examine the Audubon name and determine if this is the best name for our organization as we approach the centennial celebration of our chapter’s founding and continue work to fulfill our mission of building places where birds and people thrive. As part of this process, we plan to engage in conversation with people across the state, including members, volunteers, partners, donors, program participants, and potential future partners, about their perceptions of the Audubon name and how it affects our current and future work.
About Us
The organization that is today known as Georgia Audubon was founded in 1926 as the Atlanta Bird Club, a name that was maintained for 47 years. In 1973, the Board of Directors made the decision to become part of the Audubon network and changed the organization’s name to Atlanta Audubon Society. In 2020, the organization changed its name again to Georgia Audubon to better reflect our mission of building places where birds and people thrive across Georgia. We look forward to celebrating the Centennial Anniversary of our organization in 2026.
Georgia Audubon and the Audubon Network
Georgia Audubon is part of a national network of local, independent chapters affiliated with the National Audubon Society, which has recently announced its plan to keep the Audubon name after a year-long deliberation. Many chapters around the country have undergone similar processes to assess the Audubon name; several other chapters, including those in Seattle, Portland, Madison, Chicago, New York City, and Washington D.C., have announced their intentions to change. Regardless of the final outcome, we remain a chapter of National Audubon Society, with whom we share a commitment to bird conservation amid a global climate crisis and habitat degradation.
Our Process
Georgia Audubon’s Board of Directors has empaneled a committee, consisting of board members and staff, to guide this process and help our organization gain a deeper understanding about the history of John James Audubon. The committee is looking at the historical path toward our own organization’s adoption of the Audubon name, how it affects our organization today, and implications for our work across the Audubon network. Georgia Audubon is independent of National Audubon, and, as such, we work closely with other independent Audubon chapters on a range of topics. Already, we’ve achieved a greater awareness of issues surrounding the Audubon name, and we plan to engage in very important internal and external dialogues about our origins and culture. We would also like to raise awareness among our members, volunteers, donors, partners, and program participants about John James Audubon’s personal history.
Timeline
August and September - Survey Period open
Wednesday, September 6 - Survey closes at 12:00 midnight
October - In-person and virtual listening sessions. See information and registration below.
Read more
Learn more about this issue in our FAQ.
Listening Sessions:
Georgia Audubon’s Name Task Force will host two listening sessions, one virtual and one in-person, to continue gathering input on the use of the Audubon name. On Sunday, October 8, there will be an in-person listening session from 3:00 to 4:30 PM at the Georgia Audubon office in the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Treehouse at 825 Warner Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30310. A virtual listening session will be held via Zoom webinar on Thursday, October 12 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Registration for both events is required at the links below.
Both events will open with a short presentation by the Name Task Force followed by an opportunity for participants to share their opinions and feelings around this issue. Registered participants at both sessions will have the opportunity to speak for two minutes about the issue. Participants do not have to plan to speak to register for these sessions.
Those who are unable to attend the listening sessions are invited to submit written comments to feedback@georgiaaudubon.org.
With our roots in the Deep South and our headquarters in the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement, we feel it is important that we examine the Audubon name and determine if this is the best name for our organization as we approach the centennial celebration of our chapter’s founding and continue work to fulfill our mission of building places where birds and people thrive. As part of this process, we plan to engage in conversation with people across the state, including members, volunteers, partners, donors, program participants, and potential future partners, about their perceptions of the Audubon name and how it affects our current and future work.
About Us
The organization that is today known as Georgia Audubon was founded in 1926 as the Atlanta Bird Club, a name that was maintained for 47 years. In 1973, the Board of Directors made the decision to become part of the Audubon network and changed the organization’s name to Atlanta Audubon Society. In 2020, the organization changed its name again to Georgia Audubon to better reflect our mission of building places where birds and people thrive across Georgia. We look forward to celebrating the Centennial Anniversary of our organization in 2026.
Georgia Audubon and the Audubon Network
Georgia Audubon is part of a national network of local, independent chapters affiliated with the National Audubon Society, which has recently announced its plan to keep the Audubon name after a year-long deliberation. Many chapters around the country have undergone similar processes to assess the Audubon name; several other chapters, including those in Seattle, Portland, Madison, Chicago, New York City, and Washington D.C., have announced their intentions to change. Regardless of the final outcome, we remain a chapter of National Audubon Society, with whom we share a commitment to bird conservation amid a global climate crisis and habitat degradation.
Our Process
Georgia Audubon’s Board of Directors has empaneled a committee, consisting of board members and staff, to guide this process and help our organization gain a deeper understanding about the history of John James Audubon. The committee is looking at the historical path toward our own organization’s adoption of the Audubon name, how it affects our organization today, and implications for our work across the Audubon network. Georgia Audubon is independent of National Audubon, and, as such, we work closely with other independent Audubon chapters on a range of topics. Already, we’ve achieved a greater awareness of issues surrounding the Audubon name, and we plan to engage in very important internal and external dialogues about our origins and culture. We would also like to raise awareness among our members, volunteers, donors, partners, and program participants about John James Audubon’s personal history.
Timeline
August and September - Survey Period open
Wednesday, September 6 - Survey closes at 12:00 midnight
October - In-person and virtual listening sessions. See information and registration below.
Read more
Learn more about this issue in our FAQ.
Listening Sessions:
Georgia Audubon’s Name Task Force will host two listening sessions, one virtual and one in-person, to continue gathering input on the use of the Audubon name. On Sunday, October 8, there will be an in-person listening session from 3:00 to 4:30 PM at the Georgia Audubon office in the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Treehouse at 825 Warner Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30310. A virtual listening session will be held via Zoom webinar on Thursday, October 12 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Registration for both events is required at the links below.
Both events will open with a short presentation by the Name Task Force followed by an opportunity for participants to share their opinions and feelings around this issue. Registered participants at both sessions will have the opportunity to speak for two minutes about the issue. Participants do not have to plan to speak to register for these sessions.
Those who are unable to attend the listening sessions are invited to submit written comments to feedback@georgiaaudubon.org.
