The Audubon Society is a conservation organization based in the United States of America. It is registered as a non-profit, and is one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the world. Americans of all ages and levels of ability can contribute to the aims of the Audubon Society, and are encouraged to do so. The organization hopes to preserve habitats and biodiversity in the United States, keeping the natural heritage of the country living and healthy while preserving it for future generations.
The Society is named for John James Audubon, a French naturalist who published a famous and exhaustive survey of North American avians called Birds of America in the 1800s. His name was familiar and iconic in 1905, when the Society was founded, and it was believed that the name would make a good figurehead for the Society. This belief was proved true, as many people contributed to the Audubon Society in memory of the famous naturalist.
While the Audubon Society logo includes a bird and is named for a famous ornithologist, the organization works with much more than birds. The early work of the organization had a heavy focus on birds, as the Audubon Society is the force behind the annual Christmas Bird Count, along with large amounts of protective legislature designed to promote healthy bird populations. However, the organization's aim has shifted to conservation in general, rather than birds specifically, in response to the knowledge that everything is interconnected.
Nature preserves, education programs, public awareness campaigns, and breeding facilities are all part of the Audubon Society's work. The Society has played an extensive role in habitat restoration as well as preservation, and contributes to both national and privately held parks all over the United States. Audubon preserves also have a focus on breeding, retaining native bird populations, and educational opportunities, with Audubon naturalists studying animals in their native environment to learn more about how to preserve them. Members of the public are also welcome at Audubon preserves, since the Society wants to sponsor a love for and connection with nature among Americans.
Along with numerous similar organizations, the Audubon Society believes that the natural heritage of the United States is very important. In addition to shaping American life, the natural environment also contributes untold benefits to American society. Wetlands, forests, meadows, and everything in between play import roles in American ecology. An imbalance in these systems could be catastrophic, and the Audubon Society aims to prevent this.