News from the Noteworthy from Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society

Advocacy an Important Part of Audubon

The most visible activities of Audubon Chapters include public presentations and bird walks or, as in the case at Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, additional work such as bird counts and research programs that revolve around birds of prey. These efforts can be the impetus for people’s interest in these topics and often lead to greater levels of involvement through membership, financial support or signing up as a volunteer. Programs lead to engagement, and the more engaged people are, the more likely they are to care about and protect our environment.

The Chapter work that often goes unseen is environmental advocacy. The National Audubon Society has its roots in coalescing people around bird conservation and working to support laws that protect birds. The Audubon Society was established in 1905 in response to widespread uncontrolled killing of birds each year for the use of their feathers in fashion-of-the-day attire. (In 1886, the American Ornithologist Union estimated that five million North American birds were killed each year for millinery purposes.). Audubon was the driving force behind creating and passing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918, legislation that has protected birds in the U.S. for more than 100 years.Our own Chapter, Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, has a strong and active history in advocacy work. The organization has exhibited at the Earth Festival in Milford each year, often with materials for letter-writing campaigns to decision-makers. That tradition will continue in 2024 with materials on hand to support the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.