Creating a Culture of Conservation

The Audubon Society's roots in North Carolina date back nearly 100 years when the Audubon Society of North Carolina was formed in 1902. The State organization was the voice for the conservation of birds, especially our magnificent wading birds and seabirds. These birds were being slaughtered by the thousands at the hands of market hunters.

Early in this century, Audubon hired wardens to enforce game laws and protect colonies of wading birds and seabirds. Audubon also served as the first game commission of any southern state. The Society purchased critical habitats for birds and protected these sanctuaries so that birds would have safe havens to nest and raise their young. Audubon staff worked closely with state legislators to pass laws that protected the birds of our state and educated all North Carolinians, young and old, about the importance of birds in our lives. As the first conservation organization of its kind, the work of the Audubon Society of North Carolina paved the way for modern wildlife conservation in the Tarheel State.

Today, as we enter the 21^st century, Audubon faces new challenges. The practice of killing birds for feathers is no longer a concern, but new pressures threaten our birds, other wildlife and their habitats. Loss and degradation of habitats are now among the greatest threats facing the wild creatures of our state. These threats are diverse and more complicated than those of a century ago. Nevertheless, Audubon faces these new challenges with the same unyielding determination that saved plumed wading birds and seabirds from almost certain extirpation.

The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and habitat, for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. Audubon's vision for the future includes a culture in which conservation values are an automatic part of our lives; a culture in which conservation values are the rule rather than the exception.

National Audubon Society
North Carolina State Office-Chapel Hill
123 Kingston Drive, Suite 206A
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-1651
(919) 929-3899

National Audubon Society
North Carolina Coast Office-- Wilmington
7741 Market Street, Unit D
Wilmington, NC 28411
(910) 686-7527