Minneapolis, St. Paul birders drop 'Audubon' from chapter names
Next comes culture change to welcome more people of color and LGBTQ citizen scientists
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The St. Paul and Minneapolis Audubon chapters have dropped the contentious naturalist’s namesake from their titles, rebranding their organizations as the St. Paul Bird Alliance and Land of Lakes Bird Alliance, respectively.
It follows an evolving, countrywide trend after the National Audubon Society leadership voted down removing the association with John James Audubon from its name last year. Born in 1785, Audubon was a groundbreaking artist, naturalist and ornithologist whose work is still widely used today, but was funded by the slave trade. He’s also accused of plagiarism, academic fraud and other “despicable things,” the society says.
“The name might not have been a barrier for the current members, but as an organization that wants to grow and really serve the birds and protect the habitat, we needed to incorporate more people into the organization,” Latina photographer Monica Bryand, who joined the St. Paul Bird Alliance’s board about a year ago and identifies as queer, told MPR News. “In Minnesota, with the growing number of BIPOC and LGBTQ folks, we needed something different… [to] grow the organization.”
Currently its co-chair, Bryand has served on the alliance’s conservation committee for a decade. But it took the National Audubon Society rejecting a name change and a nudge from St. Paul’s chapter president for her to accept a spot on the board and to be part of a local solution.
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President Greg Burnes “knew and understood that it was more than just a name change, that we had to work inside the organization to make it more welcoming and inclusive, and I wanted to be in there. And if I wanted this, I needed to be in it with them,” Bryand said.
Black, Native and queer people have long felt like there was no place in such societies or out in nature for them, according to Bryand. A birder now for more than 20 years, she long felt like she didn’t see herself reflected in the organization. Six years ago, she decided to change that and create a safe space for people of color and LGBTQ+ people with the Urban Bird Collective. The group helps these communities get out and explore nature while redefining who is considered an expert in birding and conservation.
“And what I tell people, what I tell outdoor organizations — and organizations like Audubon — is that while I created this space, BIPOC and LGBT folks shouldn't need to find me. They might not find the Urban Bird Collective, and they shouldn't have to,” Bryand said. Organizations like nature centers and Audubon “have all the resources. And I want BIPOC folks to feel comfortable and welcomed in all of those spaces.”
Meanwhile, there’s an effort underway by the American Ornithological Society to change the names of bird species associated with people, racism and colonialism. That, too, has gotten pushback similar to that experienced by Audubon.
Bryand believes it’s a step in the right direction. She also hopes those who didn't support a societal name change understand why some members wanted it and are willing to learn why, thus opening the door for more people of various backgrounds and demographics to be welcomed into organizations like the St. Paul Bird Alliance.
