The Lane County Audubon Society is changing its name as part of a nationwide effort to reevaluate the legacy of John James Audubon.
Audubon, a founding father of American birding, was a French-American naturalist who tried to create a complete pictorial record of all the birds in North America in the early 19th century. He also held anti-abolitionist views and participated in the American slave trade.
The conservation organization will now be called “Coast to Cascades Bird Alliance.” The new name was picked following conversations between members, volunteers, and partners about what was important to the organization. According to the Alliance, their new name honors the landscapes and birds who inspire their advocacy work.
Debbie Schlenoff, a Conservation Chair at the Coast to Cascades Bird Alliance, told KLCC the name change is an effort to make the organization more inclusive to everybody.
“We felt that that was an unwelcoming legacy to have as the name of our organization,” said Schlenoff. “(We wanted) to invite more people in, because we need everybody on board to help the environment.”
Schlenoff said after the National Audubon Society chose to not change its name, birding chapters around the country continued their own conversations around a potential name change. In Oregon, the birding chapters decided to follow a similar moniker in order to stay recognizable and show their alliance.
Currently, five out of the organization’s 12 chapters in Oregon have changed their names.
For the Coast to Cascades Bird Alliance, a name change does not change their goals or advocacy work.
“We still have a group of incredibly dedicated volunteers who are passionate about wildlife and environmental protections, and that will continue no matter what our name is,” said Schlenoff.
