John James Audubon made several important contributions to the early conservation movement. He advocated for creating the country’s first natural history museum and establishing bird sanctuaries to provide safe spaces for birds to breed and thrive. Moreover, his work inspired the founders of the early groups that took his name.

But in 2020, John James Audubon’s past became part of public discourse with spreading awareness of Audubon’s ownership, purchase, and sale of enslaved people and his defense of the practice as an anti-abolitionist. With this knowledge, the New York City Audubon, a chapter of the National Audubon Society, began considering what the “Audubon” name means to their strategic work and mission.

After many months of thorough exploration and discussions, NYC Audubon’s board of directors voted in March 2023 to change its name. Their work and their commitment to birds and their conservation are unchanged.

Throughout 2023, hundreds of name suggestions were collected. The Name Change Task Force has narrowed down the choices to these top five names:

• Birds Connect NYC

• Birds for All NYC (or NYC Birds for All)

• Birds NYC (or NYC Birds)

• NYC Bird Alliance

• NYC Bird Conservancy

If you want to know more about the process and share your input, click here.

While the name may be changing, the mission remains constant. And to fulfill their mission, they need good, motivated people to help them. One exciting opportunity to contribute is serving as a 2024 Artist in Residence. This unique and innovative residency offers two local artists space and resources to investigate birds and wildlife conservation in the context of urban natural space and public engagement. Applications are due by March 1, 11:59 p.m. EST; click here today if you are interested.

But the opportunities to help don’t end there. Both paid and volunteer positions are available. Seasonal part-time and full-time positions are available. Join the NYC Audubon team as seasonal staff, engaging Governors Island visitors or conducting cutting-edge science research across the City. Find out more about these positions here.

You can also consider serving as a volunteer. Last year, nearly 1,000 volunteers led after-school bird outings in the Bronx, transported injured birds to rehabs across the City, and engaged New Yorkers at borough festivals. You can join their ranks by clicking here.

For those of you looking to join other birders to explore and appreciate the fowls of NYC, there are plenty of events in the near future. On February 24 at Floyd Bennett Field, Queens, you can choose from shovelers, scoters, and mergansers, which have the most unique bills.

Or, if you are new to birding, Tod Winston can guide you in getting started. His Intro to Birding Webinar is back on March 13. Get ready for spring migration with this free educational session on birding basics, how to pick binoculars, and the best resources for learning more.

For a complete listing of upcoming events, click here. We hope to see you out there!