Red-headed Woodpecker. Photo by Steve Rushing.
What's In A NAme?
Georgia Audubon is Now Birds Georgia
In November 2023, after a rigorous assessment process, the Georgia Audubon Board of Directors unanimously voted to officially change the name of Georgia Audubon to Birds Georgia to better represent the work that we do, to embody our organizational values, and to be welcoming and inclusive to all Georgians.
This decision comes in response to troublesome revelations about the organization’s namesake – John James Audubon – which prompted the board to empanel a Name Task Force to explore what the “Audubon” name means in light of the organization’s work, mission, and constituency and how it might impact their ability to attract younger, diverse audiences in the years to come.
“Our work was not to sit in judgment of the man, but to understand how the Audubon name was either enabling or frustrating our ability to fulfill our mission of building places where birds and people thrive,” says Marc Goncher, vice-chair of the Board of Directors and chair of the Name Task Force. “From the process, we learned that there are fellow bird conservationists and prospective bird lovers who feel unwelcome when we use the Audubon name. As our state continues to diversify and new generations join the birding community, we foresee a declining awareness of the Audubon brand and reduction in positive association with what it was intended to represent. We also heard clearly that our name needs to reflect what our organization is all about … birds.”
The task force spent six months researching, discussing, and seeking to understand all points of view before forming a recommendation to present to the board. Read more about our process below.
“Our new name, Birds Georgia, states clearly what our work is all about, and it better reflects our values of inclusivity and openness to all people. There are many threats facing Georgia birds and their habitats, and it will take all of us working together to overcome these challenges. Birds Georgia looks forward to building upon the successes we achieved as Atlanta Audubon Society and, later, as Georgia Audubon, to achieve our vision of building a conservation-minded and fully-engaged Georgia where birds prosper, habitats flourish, and understanding grows. As we seek to engage the next generation of birders in the critical fight against conservation challenges, we must broaden and diversify the communities we work with across the state. We will be better able to do that as Birds Georgia,” says Executive Director Jared Teutsch.
“While we may be changing our name to Birds Georgia, we are not changing our mission or the critical work we do to protect birds across the state,” says Board Chair Paige Martin. “The Board of Directors listened to the feedback we received and felt that Birds Georgia more intuitively states who we are and what we do. The new name is also more welcoming to people from all backgrounds. At a time when birds need our help more than ever, we do not want our name to be a barrier for anyone who would like to join in our work building places where birds and people thrive.”
This decision comes in response to troublesome revelations about the organization’s namesake – John James Audubon – which prompted the board to empanel a Name Task Force to explore what the “Audubon” name means in light of the organization’s work, mission, and constituency and how it might impact their ability to attract younger, diverse audiences in the years to come.
“Our work was not to sit in judgment of the man, but to understand how the Audubon name was either enabling or frustrating our ability to fulfill our mission of building places where birds and people thrive,” says Marc Goncher, vice-chair of the Board of Directors and chair of the Name Task Force. “From the process, we learned that there are fellow bird conservationists and prospective bird lovers who feel unwelcome when we use the Audubon name. As our state continues to diversify and new generations join the birding community, we foresee a declining awareness of the Audubon brand and reduction in positive association with what it was intended to represent. We also heard clearly that our name needs to reflect what our organization is all about … birds.”
The task force spent six months researching, discussing, and seeking to understand all points of view before forming a recommendation to present to the board. Read more about our process below.
“Our new name, Birds Georgia, states clearly what our work is all about, and it better reflects our values of inclusivity and openness to all people. There are many threats facing Georgia birds and their habitats, and it will take all of us working together to overcome these challenges. Birds Georgia looks forward to building upon the successes we achieved as Atlanta Audubon Society and, later, as Georgia Audubon, to achieve our vision of building a conservation-minded and fully-engaged Georgia where birds prosper, habitats flourish, and understanding grows. As we seek to engage the next generation of birders in the critical fight against conservation challenges, we must broaden and diversify the communities we work with across the state. We will be better able to do that as Birds Georgia,” says Executive Director Jared Teutsch.
“While we may be changing our name to Birds Georgia, we are not changing our mission or the critical work we do to protect birds across the state,” says Board Chair Paige Martin. “The Board of Directors listened to the feedback we received and felt that Birds Georgia more intuitively states who we are and what we do. The new name is also more welcoming to people from all backgrounds. At a time when birds need our help more than ever, we do not want our name to be a barrier for anyone who would like to join in our work building places where birds and people thrive.”
Birds Georgia and the Audubon Network
The organization has not always borne the Audubon name. The organization that is today known as Birds Georgia was founded in 1926 as the Atlanta Bird Club, a name that was maintained for 47 years. In 1973, the Board of Directors made the decision to become part of the Audubon network and changed the organization’s name to Atlanta Audubon Society. In 2020, the organization changed its name again to Georgia Audubon to better reflect the mission of building places where birds and people thrive across Georgia. With the decision to rename the organization Birds Georgia in 2023, the organization is looking forward to celebrating the Centennial Anniversary of our founding in 2026 as the oldest bird-focused conservation organization in Georgia.
The organization has not always borne the Audubon name. The organization that is today known as Birds Georgia was founded in 1926 as the Atlanta Bird Club, a name that was maintained for 47 years. In 1973, the Board of Directors made the decision to become part of the Audubon network and changed the organization’s name to Atlanta Audubon Society. In 2020, the organization changed its name again to Georgia Audubon to better reflect the mission of building places where birds and people thrive across Georgia. With the decision to rename the organization Birds Georgia in 2023, the organization is looking forward to celebrating the Centennial Anniversary of our founding in 2026 as the oldest bird-focused conservation organization in Georgia.
Will Birds Georgia Still be Part of the Audubon Network?
Birds Georgia will remain part of the national network of local, independent chapters affiliated with the National Audubon Society, which decided earlier this year announced its plan to keep the Audubon name after a year-long deliberation. Many chapters around the country have undergone similar processes to assess the Audubon name; several other chapters, including those in Seattle, Portland, Madison, Chicago, New York City, Golden Gate, Detroit, and Washington D.C., have announced their intentions to change. Birds Georgia will remain an independent chapter of National Audubon Society, with whom we share a commitment to bird conservation amid a global climate crisis and habitat degradation.
Our Process
In May 2023, Georgia Audubon’s Board of Directors empaneled a committee, consisting of board members and staff, to guide the process and help our organization gain a deeper understanding about the history of John James Audubon and to engage with members, volunteers, donors, and program participants to gain a better understanding of how their perceptions. The committee developed a plan that was submitted to and approved by the Board of Directors at the August 2023 Board Meeting.
The task force spent six months researching, discussing, and seeking to understand all points of view before forming a recommendation to present to the board. In this time, Georgia Audubon hosted a webinar and discussion with Gregory Nobles — biographer of John James Audubon: The Story of an American Woodsman — to better understand the man and his life. The task force also sent a survey to more than 10,000 members, donors, partners, and constituents to gather input on the Audubon name and how it relates to Georgia Audubon’s work, mission, and constituency. Additionally, the task force, leadership, and staff held numerous conversations with stakeholders to gather further feedback including hosting two listening sessions, one in-person and a second virtually, for constituents to share their thoughts. Constituents were also invited to submit feedback via email.
Recommendation and Rationale
After thoroughly reviewing and considering all of the feedback, the Name Task Force recommended that the Board of Directors remove “Audubon” from the organization’s name. The recommendation rested on three rationales: (1) alignment with the organization’s mission, values, and policies; (2) an expanding awareness of the negative aspects of John James Audubon’s legacy that will increasingly frustrate the organization’s ability to engage new members, including communities newer to organized bird conservation and education such as black, indigenous and people of color; and (3) a sense that most positive associations with “Audubon” are held by people who have already been engaged with bird organizations and that brand recognition in Audubon sits largely with an older population, leading to the likelihood of the brand declining.
In November, Georgia Audubon’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Name Task Force and to change the organization’s name to Birds Georgia.
Learn More
We’ve developed an FAQ with more information and answers to many of the questions our members may have about our process and decision. We’ve also provided a reading list with links to articles about conversations taking place across the Audubon network.
Birds Georgia will remain part of the national network of local, independent chapters affiliated with the National Audubon Society, which decided earlier this year announced its plan to keep the Audubon name after a year-long deliberation. Many chapters around the country have undergone similar processes to assess the Audubon name; several other chapters, including those in Seattle, Portland, Madison, Chicago, New York City, Golden Gate, Detroit, and Washington D.C., have announced their intentions to change. Birds Georgia will remain an independent chapter of National Audubon Society, with whom we share a commitment to bird conservation amid a global climate crisis and habitat degradation.
Our Process
In May 2023, Georgia Audubon’s Board of Directors empaneled a committee, consisting of board members and staff, to guide the process and help our organization gain a deeper understanding about the history of John James Audubon and to engage with members, volunteers, donors, and program participants to gain a better understanding of how their perceptions. The committee developed a plan that was submitted to and approved by the Board of Directors at the August 2023 Board Meeting.
The task force spent six months researching, discussing, and seeking to understand all points of view before forming a recommendation to present to the board. In this time, Georgia Audubon hosted a webinar and discussion with Gregory Nobles — biographer of John James Audubon: The Story of an American Woodsman — to better understand the man and his life. The task force also sent a survey to more than 10,000 members, donors, partners, and constituents to gather input on the Audubon name and how it relates to Georgia Audubon’s work, mission, and constituency. Additionally, the task force, leadership, and staff held numerous conversations with stakeholders to gather further feedback including hosting two listening sessions, one in-person and a second virtually, for constituents to share their thoughts. Constituents were also invited to submit feedback via email.
Recommendation and Rationale
After thoroughly reviewing and considering all of the feedback, the Name Task Force recommended that the Board of Directors remove “Audubon” from the organization’s name. The recommendation rested on three rationales: (1) alignment with the organization’s mission, values, and policies; (2) an expanding awareness of the negative aspects of John James Audubon’s legacy that will increasingly frustrate the organization’s ability to engage new members, including communities newer to organized bird conservation and education such as black, indigenous and people of color; and (3) a sense that most positive associations with “Audubon” are held by people who have already been engaged with bird organizations and that brand recognition in Audubon sits largely with an older population, leading to the likelihood of the brand declining.
In November, Georgia Audubon’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Name Task Force and to change the organization’s name to Birds Georgia.
Learn More
We’ve developed an FAQ with more information and answers to many of the questions our members may have about our process and decision. We’ve also provided a reading list with links to articles about conversations taking place across the Audubon network.