1: A Holistic Organization

The early Audubon movement arose a century ago from the concerns of two diverse groups of people: well-to-do women appalled by the slaughter of wading birds and other species for the millinery market, and sportsmen alarmed about the future of game species on which they depended for their recreation and sometimes for their livelihood.

This keen interest in birds both for esthetic enjoyment and outdoor recreation continues among the Audubon leadership and staff to this day. Audubon is not a humane society. It exists to protect populations of animals and intervenes only against policies and practices which scientific evidence indicates may threaten those populations.

A focus on wetlands is an inevitable consequence of the concern for waterfowl populations. Audubon's work in this field antedate that of any other national organization or agency, including the U. S. Government. By hiring wardens to protect birds and eventually acquiring wetlands as sanctuaries, the Society's involvement was never abstract. Its staff has maintained hands-on contact with America's watery worlds.

White-faced ibis
by Tupper Blake

Although recognized internationally for its protection of birds, Audubon campaigns with many tools. The word "compartmentalize'' is not in the Society's vocabulary. Historically, this many-pronged approach has allowed Audubon staff to work easily with diverse individuals or organizations involved in the protection and propagation of waterfowl.

A century in the field, as wardens, biologists, land managers, hunters, and birders, has given staff members unusual perspective. Whether arguing for realistic bag limits or equitable water rights, for restrictions on development in fragile places or more funding to support land acquisition, the National Audubon Society has maintained defensible positions in waterfowl conservation.