The Fox Sparrow Rebecca Sentner Fri, 03/17/2023 - 14:43 Popular Stories How to Tell a Raven From a Crow How to Make Hummingbird Nectar What Should Be Done About Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl Loose in New York? 13 Fun Facts About Owls Get to Know These 20 Common Birds Birds Tell Us to Act on Climate Pledge to stand with Audubon to call on elected officials to listen to science and work towards climate solutions. Sign the Pledge March 20 is the first day of spring in North America; it is also World Sparrow Day. To celebrate, I want to highlight a sparrow that is a favorite among many birders, the Fox Sparrow (passerella iliaca). Fox Sparrows are diverse, with at least four different identifiable forms: red, sooty, slate-colored, and thick-billed. Each differs in coloration, structure, genetics, and song. The "Red" Fox Sparrow is the most widespread form, breeding across much of Boreal Forest in Canada and Alaska, while the other groups have more restricted ranges in western North America. For anyone who has ever seen or heard one, it is easy to understand why they are so beloved. The "Red" Fox Sparrow is among my own favorites. As you might expect, this form has reddish upperparts, complemented by large rufous spots across the breast. This reddish coloration, together with the species' large size, makes it easy to distinguish from the many other sometimes seemingly indistinguishable sparrows, often referred to affectionately by birders as "little brown jobs" or "LBJs.". Fox Sparrows have a beautiful song, described by David Sibley as the "richest and most melodious of all sparrows." In the Boreal Forest of Quebec, their loud, ringing songs are a signature of the landscape, as I learned when traveling there several years back. I'll never forget when I heard my first "Red" Fox Sparrow song and then located the individual belting it out from the top of a shrub. Overall, 58% of the entire Fox Sparrow population breeds in the Boreal, but the "Red" Fox Sparrow is particularly dependent on the region, with its breeding range almost perfectly matching a map of North America's Boreal Forest region. The "Red" Fox Sparrow winters in the southeastern U.S. and migrates northward through much of the eastern half of the country, so it is a bird that many people can see. While it sometimes appears at birdfeeders (or more accurately, under birdfeeders) during migration, this Boreal beauty is typically found on the ground in brushy areas, where it can often be located by its vigorous double-scratching feeding technique. Fox Sparrows can also be heard singing on migration, so be sure to keep an ear out over the coming weeks for one passing by. Perhaps you, too, will become a member of the "Fox Sparrow Fan Club." Happy #WorldSparrowDay! How you can help, right now Get Audubon in Your Inbox Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. Email address Find Audubon Near You Visit your local Audubon center, join a chapter, or help save birds with your state program. Explore the Network Become an Audubon Member Membership benefits include one year of Audubon magazine and the latest on birds and their habitats. Your support helps secure a future for birds at risk. Join Today Spread the word. It's the least you can do.

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National Audubon Society Announces Decision to Retain Current Name Martha Harbison Thu, 03/16/2023 - 12:56 Popular Stories How to Tell a Raven From a Crow How to Make Hummingbird Nectar What Should Be Done About Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl Loose in New York? 13 Fun Facts About Owls Get to Know These 20 Common Birds New York, NY - The Board of Directors of the National Audubon Society (NAS) today announced that it has decided to retain the name of the organization, after a lengthy process to examine its name in light of the personal history of its namesake, John James Audubon. The decision was made taking into consideration many factors, including the complexity of John James Audubon's legacy and how the decision would impact NAS's mission to protect birds and the places they need long into the future. The organization will continue its non-partisan commitment to habitat conservation and climate action, its agenda-setting policy work, and community-building efforts to advance its mission. As the organization looks to maximize its impact and live its values, NAS announced a new $25 million commitment to fund the expansion of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) specific work in both internal and conservation initiatives over the next five years. NAS recognizes that its most critical EDIB work lies in empowering and resourcing work to actualize our values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. The Board's decision enables the organization to focus its time, resources, and capacity on the organization's new Strategic Plan and putting its EDIB commitments into action. The Board's naming decision follows a robust and inclusive evaluation process, which spanned more than 12 months and included input from more than 2,300 people from across the NAS network and beyond--including survey responses from more than 1,700 NAS staff, members, volunteers, donors, chapters, campus chapter members, and partners and more than 600 people across the country with a focus on reaching people of color and younger people. NAS also commissioned historical research that examined John James Audubon's life, views, and how they did--and did not--reflect his time. North America has lost three billion birds since 1970. Birds act as early-warning systems about the health of our planet, and they are telling us that birds--and our planet--are in crisis. Based on the critical threats to birds that NAS must urgently address and the need to remain a non-partisan force for conservation, the Board determined that retaining the name would enable NAS to direct key resources and focus towards enacting the organization's mission. Susan Bell, Chair of the National Audubon Society's Board of Directors, commented, "This is an important time for birds and our shared planet, and this decision positions the organization to focus our equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging efforts and our conservation work where it is most urgently needed. After careful consideration, the Board elected to retain our name. The name has come to represent so much more than the work of one person, but a broader love of birds and nature, and a non-partisan approach to conservation. We must reckon with the racist legacy of John James Audubon and embody our EDIB values in all that we do. In doing so, we will ensure that Audubon stands for an inclusive future in which we unite diverse coalitions to protect birds and the places they need." Dr. Elizabeth Gray, CEO of the National Audubon Society, commented, "We are at a pivotal moment as an organization and as a conservation movement. The urgency of our climate and biodiversity crises compels us to marshal our resources toward the areas of greatest impact for birds and people. This means centering equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging values into our programmatic work, as well as our internal operations, and implementing our new five-year Strategic Plan. Regardless of the name we use, this organization must and will address the inequalities and injustices that have historically existed within the conservation movement. I am confident that, like birds, the Audubon of tomorrow can be a powerful unifier and force for conservation." The National Audubon Society was founded in 1905 and named after John James Audubon, fifty years after his death. Audubon was a naturalist and illustrator whose work was an important contribution to the field of ornithology in the mid-19th century. He was also an enslaver, whose racism and harmful attitudes toward Black and Indigenous people are now well-understood. NAS has committed to ensuring that it continues to promote an awareness and understanding of the problematic legacy of John James Audubon, the man, and the inequalities that have been inherent in the conservation movement. With its increased funding for EDIB work, NAS will continue to expand efforts to co-develop solutions with communities of color hit hardest by the impacts of climate change, grow educational programs that reach students of color through its campus chapters focused on HBCU and MSI institutions, invest in centers that serve diverse and urban communities through conservation, science, and community programming, and increase the diversity of NAS staff. In addition to these key actions that the organization will implement, the Board has committed to formalizing its EDIB values in its work, including increasing the diversity of its Directors, continuing EDIB education, and collaborating with the new Chief EDIB Officer on a Board committee. # # # About Audubon The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @audubonsociety. How you can help, right now Get Audubon in Your Inbox Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. Email address Find Audubon Near You Visit your local Audubon center, join a chapter, or help save birds with your state program. Explore the Network Become an Audubon Member Membership benefits include one year of Audubon magazine and the latest on birds and their habitats. Your support helps secure a future for birds at risk. Join Today Spread the word. It's the least you can do.

Open Letter from the CEO on Audubon's Name Martha Harbison Thu, 03/16/2023 - 11:42 Popular Stories How to Tell a Raven From a Crow How to Make Hummingbird Nectar What Should Be Done About Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl Loose in New York? 13 Fun Facts About Owls Get to Know These 20 Common Birds Dear Flock, This past year, the National Audubon Society embarked on a process to reexamine the name of our organization, in light of the personal history of the organization's namesake, John James Audubon. Our organization was named after John James Audubon, a naturalist and illustrator, more than 50 years after his death. His work was an important contribution to the field of ornithology in the mid-19th century and there can be no doubt of the impact of his life's work and passion for birds. And yet--he was also an enslaver whose racist views and treatment of Black and Indigenous people must be reckoned with. Read more about John James Audubon here. Early last year, the Board of Directors of the National Audubon Society began an evaluation process to determine whether our organization should move forward bearing his name. This process was thorough, spanning more than a year and involving extensive feedback from stakeholders within and outside the organization. This is an issue that elicits strong views. I personally heard from many voices across our network with differing opinions on the right path forward, as did the Board, which was factored into their decision-making. In March 2023, the Board of Directors voted to retain the organization's current name--the National Audubon Society. Read more about the Board's decision here. We are at a pivotal moment as an organization and as a conservation movement more broadly. The urgency of our climate and biodiversity crises compels us to marshal our resources toward the areas of greatest impact for birds and people. This means centering equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) values in our programmatic work, as well as our internal operations, and implementing our new five-year Strategic Plan--core to which is our EDIB commitment. Regardless of the name we use, this organization must and will address the inequalities and injustices that have historically existed within the conservation movement. I understand people may be wondering how that is possible if Audubon remains in our name. That is a question the Board has grappled with, and ultimately, they decided that the organization transcends one person's name. "Audubon" has come to symbolize our mission and significant achievements that this organization has made in its long history. As we move forward, we will mindfully craft a new future and strategically marshal resources to maximize impact. In doing so, it is critical to empower and resource work to fully realize our values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We have therefore announced a new $25 million commitment to fund the expansion of EDIB-specific work in both internal and conservation initiatives over the next five years. Our conservation work to protect birds also impacts people and communities as well. We must ensure that our influence is felt in those communities who have historically been excluded by the conservation movement and those who are most affected by the threats of climate change. Our commitment to expanding our funding for our EDIB work will enable the organization to build on its success co-developing solutions with communities of color, as we did with the Little Calumet Marsh Restoration Project, and grow educational programs designed to reach students of color, as we did in our Native Plants program in the Delta region. We will expand our efforts to partner with Indigenous communities, like we have with our Boreal Conservation program. The National Audubon Society has taken many forms throughout its long and storied history: from the founding women of the Audubon movement who rallied against the bird trade, to activists who helped advocate for the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, to today's expansive and diverse network of more than 450 local chapters and 160 campus chapters across the country. Today, Audubon is committed to uniting people from all walks of life who share a love of birds and a commitment to protecting their environments. As we move forward, we will build on the exceptional accomplishments in conservation that this organization has made since its founding by bringing together communities across the Americas to protect birds and the places they need. Signed, Elizabeth Gray How you can help, right now Get Audubon in Your Inbox Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. Email address Find Audubon Near You Visit your local Audubon center, join a chapter, or help save birds with your state program. Explore the Network Become an Audubon Member Membership benefits include one year of Audubon magazine and the latest on birds and their habitats. Your support helps secure a future for birds at risk. Join Today Spread the word. It's the least you can do.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Audubon Name Martha Harbison Thu, 03/16/2023 - 11:37 Popular Stories How to Tell a Raven From a Crow How to Make Hummingbird Nectar What Should Be Done About Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl Loose in New York? 13 Fun Facts About Owls Get to Know These 20 Common Birds What prompted the Board's process to consider a name change? The National Audubon Society was founded in 1905 and named after John James Audubon, 50 years after his death. Audubon was a naturalist and illustrator whose work was an important contribution to the field of ornithology in the mid-19th century. While there can be no doubt of the impact of his life's work and passion for birds, he was also an enslaver, whose racism and harmful attitudes toward Black and Indigenous people are now well-understood. Today, more than 100 years later, we are called to re-examine John James Audubon's legacy through a different lens. Given his complex legacy, the Board initiated a process to consider whether the organization should change its name. Why did the Board decide to keep the name? Based on the critical threats to birds that Audubon must urgently address and the need to remain a non-partisan force for conservation, the Board determined that retaining the name would enable NAS to direct key resources and focus towards enacting the organization's mission. The Board's decision enables the organization to focus its time, resources, and capacity on the organization's new Strategic Plan and putting its equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) commitments into action. What was the process for reaching this decision? The Board conducted a thorough evaluation process, which spanned more than 12 months and included input from more than 2,300 people from across the NAS network and beyond--including survey responses from more than 1,700 NAS staff, members, volunteers, donors, chapters, campus chapter members, and partners, and more than 600 external individuals across the country with a focus on reaching people of color and younger people. NAS also commissioned historical research that examined John James Audubon's life, views, and how they did--and did not--reflect his time. Will this change Audubon's mission? No. Our mission remains unchanged: protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. We will continue its non-partisan commitment to habitat conservation and climate action, its agenda-setting policy work, and its community-building efforts to advance its mission. We intend to expand further our conservation reach to better engage and serve people and communities whose interests have historically not been meaningfully considered. How will the organization recognize John James Audubon's legacy moving forward? We will continue promoting an awareness and understanding of the problematic legacy of John James Audubon, the man, and the inequalities that have been inherent in the conservation movement. What else are you doing to expand your equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) work as an organization? Our new Strategic Plan has been developed with EDIB as a key driver. In addition to EDIB conservation principles that will guide its programmatic work, we announced a new $25 million commitment to fund the expansion of EDIB-specific work in both internal and conservation initiatives over the next five years, including: Scaling efforts to co-develop solutions with communities of color hit hardest by the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. Growing educational programs that reach students of color through our campus community chapters focused on HBCU / MSI institutions. Investing in Conservation Action Centers that serve diverse, urban communities through conservation, science, and community programming. Increasing the diversity of NAS staff and Board of Directors. Providing staff training to implement EDIB conservation principles in our work. The Board has also committed to formalizing its EDIB values in its work, including continuing EDIB education and collaborating with the new Chief EDIB Officer on a Board committee. We believe that focusing on these efforts both internal and external will drive meaningful impact against our commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive future for all. Will Audubon Chapters also keep Audubon in their names? The Audubon network includes more than 450 chapters and 160 Campus Chapters, which are an essential part of what makes NAS a strong and impactful force for conservation. As independent entities, some chapters have already announced their intention to change their name, while others may elect to keep Audubon in their name. Regardless of their decisions, we plan to work closely with chapter leaders to move forward as one unified community. How you can help, right now Get Audubon in Your Inbox Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. Email address Find Audubon Near You Visit your local Audubon center, join a chapter, or help save birds with your state program. Explore the Network Become an Audubon Member Membership benefits include one year of Audubon magazine and the latest on birds and their habitats. Your support helps secure a future for birds at risk. Join Today Spread the word. It's the least you can do.

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