Name Change
In February, 2023 Portland Audubon announced its decision to drop the name “Audubon” and search for a new name that better reflects our mission and values. You can read our original statement here. We’re thankful to be in good company: Seattle, Madison, New York City, Chicago, Golden Gate, and Washington D.C. chapters have decided to change their names as well.
Now we start the process of seeking input from the community, hiring a firm to help us select a name, and then finally debuting our new name to the world.
While our name will change, our mission remains the same: to inspire people to love and protect birds, wildlife, and the natural environment upon which life depends. With a new name we have the opportunity to better tell our story and communicate our pivotal role within Oregon advancing conservation, education, and land restoration, and creating more equitable access to nature. We also get to help make that mission more easily understood for the public, including the significant number of people who don’t know the name Audubon or associate it with birds, conservation, or nature education. And we get to move away from a name that communities of color have expressed is harmful and a barrier to participating in our work and programs.
Take Our Survey and Help Us Find a New Name
In order to ensure we get the best possible name, we’re asking for your feedback, name suggestions, and what drives you to care about birds, habitat, and the natural world. Use the survey below to share your thoughts on what we should consider when choosing a new name. Many of you have been involved with Portland Audubon for years, or even decades. And some people may be completely new to the organization. We know that in order to find a name that represents our past, present, and future, all of these voices will be absolutely essential.
In addition to the survey, we plan on soliciting feedback from many members of the community, ranging from our own staff members to volunteers to community partners, to people we haven’t yet been able to reach. We’re in the early stages of designing that process but will be excited to share more information with you in the coming months. We’ll then work to understand the feedback and find a name that reflects our deep history of conservation, mission to inspire people to love and protect wildlife, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
We want to create an organization that everyone can believe in. By finding a new name and continuing our work to improve equitable access to nature for all people, we can build a more inclusive movement and make an even bigger difference for native birds, their habitat, and people all across Oregon.
We hope you’ll help us find a name that truly brings us together for nature. Stay tuned as we move through this process with you.