A central Illinois chapter of the Audubon Society is distancing itself from the name of a founder of the national bird watching movement. The John Wesley Powell Chapter of the National Audubon Society has changed its name to the Grand Prairie Bird Alliance.
It’s one of many chapters around the nation to move away from the name of a founder because of his complicated history. John James Audubon was a wildlife artist who inspired people to love birds. He also killed birds so he could paint them. He bought and sold slaves. He expressed racist views. He was accused of plagiarism.
The Alliance said the name Grand Prairie matches what the organization is trying to do.
“The goal of the bird alliance is to promote a love of nature through an appreciation for birds. We wanted a name that reflected the natural area that birds need here in central Illinois," said Bill Davison, a member of the steering committee of the chapter board. "That's the Grand Prairie, which historically was a vast stretch of grasslands and marshes throughout a large swath of the Midwest.”
The board researched trends across the country and found almost all Audubon or Bird Alliance chapters use a geographic name rather than a human name.
“Of all the potential geographic names that would be appropriate, Grand Prairie is the most beautiful and aspirational,” said Davison.
The Alliance said bird watching is one of the fastest-growing hobbies in the country and is one of the best ways for people to fall in love with nature.
“We want to capitalize on this momentum and reach more people with our mission," he said. "Unfortunately, the history of bird watching in America and the legacy of John James Audubon have not generated a welcoming environment for many people. We believe that the new name will be much more inclusive and will more clearly tell people what we do — we are allies for the birds!”
The chapter said even the once-famous name of Audubon, based on his landmark Illustrated work "Birds of America," may no longer resonate in U.S. popular culture.
“Many people I meet have no idea what the name Audubon means. In fact, most of the time they think I'm talking about the highway in Germany ... the autobahn,” said Davison.
Some chapters have decided to keep the Audubon name and the National Audubon Society last year declined to abandon the legacy, though it promised to do more on equity, inclusion, and diversity. The Grand Prairie Bird Alliance said it will remain a chapter of the national society. The Alliance steering committee said it expects some chapter members to be unhappy with the change.
“We trust our members to remain steadfast in their support of this chapter and what we can accomplish together. The disappointment some may feel in laying down 'JWP Audubon' is real; we expect some members will need time to process that. While giving those members space to adapt, we will confidently move ahead using the enthusiasm and support of not just this board, but the many members eager to see this change,” the committee said in communications to its members.
The change also abandons the John Wesley Powell name. Powell was an explorer who mapped and photographed the Grand Canyon during a three-month expedition in 1869. He also was a geology professor at Bloomington's Illinois Wesleyan University. The Powell name was associated with the group for several decades. Before that it was the Cardinal Bird Club. The Alliance said it chose to look to the future instead of to a legacy, and reintroduce itself to central Illinois.
“We, Grand Prairie Bird Alliance: love birds, and we believe everyone is a bird watcher; love the land and seek to both restore and conserve natural habitat for people and wildlife; are curious and willing to share our love of learning with a diverse alliance; and enthusiastically encourage everyone to join us in supporting birds!” wrote the board.
The group conducts bird walks and seasonal bird counts, restores natural areas on public lands, has a variety of other education programs, builds bird houses, and plans a bird sanctuary next to the Constitution Trail.
“Birds bring people of diverse backgrounds together to focus on things we have in common. The world needs that right now,” said the chapter.
