Tonight, many of our members came together to successfully and officially vote on our new amended name.
Photo by Monica Hall
Our proposed modified name
An important update for our members
Although the Board is confident in the rigor and integrity of the name selection process we underwent, this is a problem we did not foresee or intend to create, and it is one we do not wish to perpetuate. To ensure that our focus remains on our mission-related work to protect birds, the Board voted in mid-December to amend our name by selecting a new geographic descriptor.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
National Audubon's recent name decision
We are surprised and deeply disappointed in National Audubon’s decision to knowingly bear a name that causes pain and harm to members of our community. Madison Audubon will continue to pursue a name change in the coming months, in cooperation with our membership and in communication with other chapters.
Photo by Mike Budd/USFWS Midwest
Kindness, Love, and Care
I think Madison Audubon's grappling with the John James Audubon legacy and deciding to change the Chapter's name is also motivated by kindness, love, and care. We want to reach out to everyone in our community with care and kindness and share our love of the natural world. We can't share that love and extend a hand of kindness and camaraderie if we ignore the effects of Audubon's cruelty and racism. Madison Audubon’s staff and board have certainly been extraordinarily careful in their consideration of Audubon's history and the pain it still causes today.
Photo by Arlene Koziol
