Welcome to the Lane Audubon!

The votes are in and we have a winner.  Welcome to the Lane Audubon! We now have a new name that communicates our mission and feels welcoming and inviting. Our name identifies the partnerships essential to our work and creates a sense of unity. It describes the geographic reach of Lane County. And it aligns us with a nationwide network of organizations that are also adopting the Bird Alliance name.

We join approximately 50 chapters nationwide and five chapters within Oregon that have changed or plan to change their name. The Lane Audubon remains an active chapter of the National Audubon Society. We will continue to collaborate with other chapters nationwide and in Oregon as well as with other local, state, and national organizations to advance our conservation and engagement objectives.

Why the name change?

John James Audubon was a slave holder and slave trader, who advocated against abolitionists and desecrated Native graves. He also committed scientific fraud. While these details of Audubon’s life were not well-known in the past, they have become widely known in the last few years and have tarnished his legacy. We did not feel this reflected the values of our chapter.

In addition, data from surveys revealed that although older participants associated the name “Audubon” with birds, it was not recognized by younger participants who did not know that Audubon organizations were associated with birds or with conservation.

We respect the opinions of those who did not favor the name change, but multiple communications with our members clearly indicated that a large majority were in favor of making a change.

What has not changed?

We remain proud of the work that has been accomplished by our organization under the name Lane Audubon Society. With our new name, we will continue to be a group of people who work passionately to protect birds, wildlife, and their habitats, to connect people with nature, and to promote healthy environments. Our offerings of bird outings, presentations, educational programs, Bird Counts, and outreach will remain unchanged.

Are you participating in cancel culture?

We can recognize and value John James Audubon’s contributions as an artist and naturalist without bearing his name as part of our organizational identity. By changing our name, we are not erasing history. Audubon’s positive contributions remain regardless of our name.

Membership

We’re grateful that you’re a member, and all your member benefits will continue uninterrupted, just under a new name. You can make your check payable to either Lane Audubon or Lane Audubon Society for your membership renewal, initial membership, donation, Habitat Haven fee or donation, and Audubon Adventures sponsorship. Our bank will accept either name.

Thank you for your support!

All the changes involved with rolling out the new name will take time. Thank you for your patience.