The Hawaiʻi Audubon Society, one of the oldest conservation groups in the islands, is gearing up for its annual conference next month.
Six months ago, the national organization decided not to drop Audubon from its name after founder John James Audubon's slaveowner history came under scrutiny. The local hui decided to follow their lead.
Some groups in Chicago, Portland and Washington, D.C., dropped his name last year. The National Audubon Society felt the name has come to represent "so much more than the work of one person… though it must reckon with the racist legacy."
The Conversation spoke with Hawaiʻi Audubon Society President Susan Scott about the local board's decision, and the annual dinner at Bishop Museum on Nov. 5. The event will feature a presentation by Patrick Hart, a UH Hilo professor and the host of HPR's Manu Minute.
There is also a Bird Festival in Hilo on Saturday, Oct. 21. Local conservation groups will talk about the challenges and successes of their collective work.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Oct. 20, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
