Have the past misdeeds of John James Audubon come home to roost?

It was a risk probably not seen in 1886, when George Bird Grinnell, editor-in-chief of Forest and Stream, distraught over the mass slaughter of birds, decided to name his new organization after one of the most well-known artists and naturalists of his day, John James Audubon.

Audubon’s legacy had become intertwined with the scientific study of birds and the ideals of conservation, and within a year Grinnell’s Audubon Society had attracted 39,000 members, each signing a pledge not to “molest birds.”

However, Audubon, who documented the birds of North America in detailed paintings and influenced the ornithology of the study, was not the heroic character he was portrayed. Seen in the harsh light of the modern world, Audubon has been revealed as a slave owner who rejected abolition, and a man who stole the remains of the Native American to offer the absurd theory that the white man was the superior race.

While the National Audubon Society, with its more than 450 independent affiliates, considers continuing with the Audubon name, Seattle has become the first affiliate to announce its drop, although it is still deciding on a replacement. Others, including the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, are considering doing the same.

Matthew Dodder, the group’s executive director, says the full board will discuss the issue at a retreat scheduled for mid-October. Dodder said the association has been getting a lot of questions about the Audubon name, so it will be a “spotlight” during the board retreat.

It’s not as simple as dropping the name and choosing a different one, Dodder says. Civil War statues were taken off the streets and placed in museums, where they could be displayed in context. The name Audubon has been a central part of the bird world for over a century – in ornithology, hobby birdwatching, exploration, education and conservation. It’s not that easy to isolate.

“There is a tremendous amount of equity in that name,” Dodder says. “It’s globally recognizable and it’s been an inspiration. But we have to look at it objectively. Are we alienating a demographic? What would be gained, what would be lost? Would it be worth it? Maybe.”

The Mt. Diablo Audubon Society is aware of discussions and concerns, said Ariana Rickard, vice president of the board of directors.

“The board of Mt. Diablo Audubon has had no discussion about removing Audubon from our name,” said Richard. “We have a committee on equality, diversity, inclusion and inclusion, but the committee has not discussed this.”

Meanwhile, National Audubon Society CEO Elizabeth Gray said the organization is investigating the issue of a name change but has not made a decision.

“Seattle Audubon is an independent branch of the National Audubon Society and we respect their autonomy as they do their important work and represent themselves to the communities they serve,” said Gray. “The National Audubon Society is still conducting an extensive exploration of John James Audubon and has not yet made a decision on our name.”

Audubon isn’t the only name problem in the bird world. In the tumultuous days of exploration and discovery, numerous bird and other animal species were named after the people who first recorded the find or in recognition of benefactors, friends and family.

In 2020, in the midst of social reckoning, a sparrow-sized grassland bird native to the central United States, the McCown’s longspur, became the subject of fierce debate over its name.

The North American Classification Commission was initially reluctant to change the namesake, saying Confederate General John McCown had made legitimate contributions to ornithology. It noted that it was widely known “that judging historical figures by today’s moral standards is problematic, to some extent unfair, and rarely black and white.”

But in the racially charged summer of 2020, with the death of George Floyd and in light of other decisions to remove monuments and rename buildings, the committee conceded and McCown’s longspur is now known as the thick-billed longspur.

Dodder supports such name changes and not just because it turns out some namesakes have less than real pasts. Naming a bird after a person does not help identify the species, which is of utmost importance to bird watchers.

Dodder says if the national organization decides on the name change, it would be easier for member companies to make the change, but he’s not sure if that will happen.

“I have a feeling we’re going to see some chapters that decide to move forward,” Dodder says. “We just have to see what happens. Watching a lot of chapters to see what happens nationally. And we’ll look to see what Seattle does. It was a brave decision and I’m excited to see what name they’ll pick.”

2022 MediaNews Group, Inc.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.