The Audubon Society of Portland is a non-profit

environmental organization An environmental organization is an organization coming out of the conservation or environmental movements that seeks to protect, analyse or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation from human forces. In this sense the environment ...

dedicated to wildlife conservancy in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, United States. Founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1909, it is one of the oldest such organizations in the world. It is named in honor of

John James Audubon John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin; April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was an American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictoria ...

, an

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

and naturalist who painted, cataloged, and described birds of North America in '' Birds of America'' published in sections between 1827 and 1838. The society owns of woodland adjacent to

Forest Park A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment. Examples Chile * Forest Park, Santiago China *Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai * Mufushan National Fores ...

, managed as a nature sanctuary and features indigenous vegetation and fauna, including a small stand of old growth timber. The sanctuary is open to the public for free. Much of the sanctuary surrounds

Balch Creek Balch Creek is a tributary of the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning at the crest of the Tualatin Mountains (West Hills), the creek flows generally east down a canyon along Northwest Cornell Road in unincorporated Multnomah ...

near its headwaters and contains more than of hiking trails which connect to Forest Park's extensive trail system. Within the sanctuary is a nature center containing classrooms, retail store, wildlife taxidermy exhibits, auditorium, and a wildlife care center. The care center treats injured and orphaned native wildlife utilizing professional staff and more than one hundred volunteers. More than 3,500 animals are brought to the center each year. Peregrine falcon

Displays of live educational birds are adjacent to the care center. Five birds are on display, having injuries or imprinting that prevent them from successful reintroduction to the wild. Currently there is a

Great Horned Owl The great horned owl (''Bubo virginianus''), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air"), or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extrem ...

, male and female American Kestrels, and a

Turkey Vulture The turkey vulture (''Cathartes aura'') is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus ''Cathartes'' of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South ...

. There is also a

Western Painted Turtle The painted turtle (''Chrysemys picta'') is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They have been shown to prefer l ...

that was rescued from a pet store and now lives in a tank inside the Care Center. In 2007, there were 21,615 hours volunteered to the society's efforts, including visitor reception, trail maintenance, tour guides, nature store attendant, clerical, conservation activists, and wildlife caretakers. It is one of the most highly rated charities of its kind, based on operational and organizational efficiency. The society is frequently consulted for expertise related to practical wildlife questions and wildlife management practices.

History

Portland birders created the John Burroughs Club in 1898. In 1901, birders in Astoria—Oregon's second largest city at the time—formed the Oregon Audubon Society. In 1902 the Portland group merged with them as Oregon Audubon Society. The named changed to Audubon Society of Portland in 1966 when members agreed to affiliate with the

National Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organ ...

. The society has long conducted letter writing campaigns to influence legislation. They helped pass the Model Bird Law in 1903, protecting native birds from being shot and sold. A 1925 letter writing campaign to President Calvin Coolidge successfully led to creation of Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge. The society takes credit for helping to establish several national refuges, including William L. Finley NWR, Three Arch Rocks NWR, Klamath NWR, Ankeny NWR, Baskett Slough NWR, and Malheur NWR.

References

External links

Audubon Society of Portland
- official site {{coord, 45.526777, -122.730305, type:landmark_region:US-OR_source:googlemaps, display=title 1902 establishments in Oregon

Clubs and societies in Oregon Nature centers in Oregon Organizations based in Portland, Oregon Parks in Portland, Oregon Tourist attractions in Portland, Oregon

History

See also

References

External links