This article appears in the summer 2023 issue of The Urban Audubon publication.

By Jessica G. Wilson, NYC Audubon Executive Director

Since I joined NYC Audubon last year, I’ve been inspired by the organization’s legacy of conservation success, and by its forward-looking perspective on protecting the future’s birds of tomorrow and engaging tomorrow’s New Yorkers.

And so the decision of the NYC Audubon Board of Directors in March to change the organization’s name, dropping “Audubon” and beginning a process to develop a new name to better represent our work and our values, was the logical next step in that effort. This challenging but important change will strengthen our work to protect wild birds and their habitat throughout the city. There’s much more about the board’s decision, as well as stories about the change from across the organization, on our Syrinx blog.

Changing the organization’s name is a visible representation of our commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA)—but it is only one of many steps we are taking. For several years, the organization has centered EDIA in our conservation and science work, engagement and education programs, and advocacy efforts as we have worked to engage all New Yorkers in taking action to protect wild birds. This spring, we’re leading multilingual bird outings, launching a program on public housing campuses, publishing the city’s first Spanish-English field guide to birds, surveying wildlife along the Bronx River, and advocating for green roofs in environmentally-vulnerable communities. Read more about these programs online at nycaudubon.org/EDIA.

Our vision to create a more sustainable city for wildlife and people requires us to be a conservation organization for the future, one that relies on the voices of many to achieve powerful change for birds. We recognize there will be those who disagree with our decision to change the organization’s name. But we hope that our unswerving commitment to this mission and our shared joy for birds will keep us moving forward together in this important work.

--Jessica G. Wilson, 
NYC Audubon Executive Director