130 years ago today, a group of passionate bird advocates gathered in a Boston townhouse to call to order the very first meeting of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. This newly formed organization, now the oldest and longest running Audubon in the country, was founded thanks to two Boston women who decided to speak up against the use of birds in fashion.
Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall did more than transform the millinery trade industry, they launched the beginning of a global environmental conservation movement that changed the course of history.
As the 11th president of Mass Audubon, I honor our past and the immense contributions of the staff and volunteers who have built our legacy as the leading conservation organization in Massachusetts.
So, today, on our 130th birthday, I share without hesitation Mass Audubon’s unwavering commitment to addressing the three greatest challenges the environment faces: loss of biodiversity, climate change, and access to nature. We are devoted to this agenda for all wildlife and people. Here’s how we’re doing it.
We continue to speak up for legislation that protects wildlife, land, and water, like our Rescue Raptors campaign and the Nature for Massachusetts ballot initiative, while building a dynamic and durable movement for nature that ensures our priorities are supported and executed.
We continue to protect and restore the most biodiverse landscapes at rates never seen in our history, such as Palmer Brook in Becket, by leveraging the $75 million 30x30 Catalyst Fund because we know that nature is our best and most inexpensive defense against climate change and for the intrinsic benefits it provides us all.
We continue to teach about the wonders of nature to children and adults, at our wildlife sanctuaries and in communities, to ensure we are growing a love of nature and encouraging the public to care for nature around them.
And we will do all of this by working with our partners and community members, elevating and lifting others. I hope you, as our dedicated members and supporters, will continue to motivate and propel us forward into the next 130 years, regardless of whatever comes our way.
Your partnership, your actions, and your support lift us. Thank you for being a part of Mass Audubon.
Onward,
David O'Neill
President & CEO