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New Hope AudubonThe Triangle chapter of the National Audubon Society bird conservation group changed its name Thursday after a majority vote of its members.
Your new name is the New Hope Bird Alliance.
The name better reflects the group’s focus: “birds, their protection and the joy they bring,” the group’s president, Carol Hamilton, said in a news release. The group has already revised its logo and updated its website with its new name (although its web address remains newhopeaudubon.com as of Friday).
This name change distances the group from its naturalist namesake, a slaveholder who opposed emancipation and desecrated Native American graves.
Across the country, 25 local chapters voted to change their name, with 13 of those opting to include Bird Alliance, according to New Hope.
How the Triangle birdwatching group changed its name
The group asked its members to consider changing the name last monthalthough the National Audubon Society announced last year would keep its century-old name despite its racist origins. (The group committed a $25 million fund to expand diversity, equity and inclusion work both within the organization and in its conservation efforts.)
A subcommittee of the Board of Directors has been meeting for the past year to organize this effort, agree on a new name, plan a vote, and formulate a rebranding strategy.
The New Hope Bird Alliance is so far the only local organization in North Carolina to change its name, the group says. Local chapters in Washington DC, Chicago and Detroit have also dropped “Audubon” from their group names.
The local Triangle chapter will remain affiliated with and receive the same support and connectivity with the National Audubon Society and North Carolina Audubon as it did before its name change, the organization’s news release says.
For frequently asked questions about New Hope’s name change proposal and decision, visit newhopeaudubon.org/blog.
Next steps for North Carolina birding group to change name
Here’s what’s coming up in the group’s rebranding efforts, communications president Theresa Rizzuto told The N&O:
Communicate voting results to members via email and social media.
Update and submit our articles of incorporation (resides with the secretary of state)
Notify all partner organizations we work with and the community at large.
IRS 501(c)(3) Update
Buy a new domain name and drive all direct website traffic to the new URL
Update our logo on all brand collateral, including brochures, pamphlets and posters.
Start working with a designer to create a new logo and products.
The group “will look back in six months to take note of how the new name has driven growth within the organization and how it has strengthened partnerships,” along with any reflections on the journey, Rizzuto said.
What Members of the North Carolina Bird Group Say
The New Hope Bird Alliance published eight quotes of the Triangle conservation community on its Facebook page in April after proposing the group’s name change.
These are some of the quotes that appear in that publication:
“This action is such an honorable and comprehensive way to recognize the dimensions of exclusion and the pain that so many people have experienced throughout our country’s history. We support the need for change. “Nature is so enriching, the sounds of birds evoke peace and being in their presence is healing,” he said. Delfina SellarsExecutive Director of Urban Community AgriNomics
“The collective desire for an inclusive and safe space for all people to connect with nature, birds and each other is only growing. “There is no better time than now to make this change,” he said. Morgan Reisingerco-founder of the Feminist Bird Club Durham
“The rebrand…reflects the priority this organization has on creating a more inclusive space for all who enjoy nature and birds,” he said Lauren D. Pharrco-founder of Field Inclusive Inc.
Efforts to rename birds in North Carolina
The New Hope Bird Alliance’s name change comes amid other birding and conservation groups reconsidering their naming methods.
The American Ornithological Society, the global birding organization that standardizes bird names across the Americas, announced in January that it will rename all bird species named after people.
This will affect at least 10 species of birds that spend all or part of their year in North Carolina, AOS spokesperson David Ringer told The N&O earlier this year.
This decision arose from an AOS committee formed in 2021 to determine harmful names for English birds and consider how to rename birds with lasting impact.
AOS highlighted the bird now known as the Thick-billed Longspur, formerly called McCown’s Longspur. The group renamed this bird in 2020. McCown served as a general in the Confederate Army and “today is perceived by many as a symbol of slavery and racism.” AOS wrote.
Reporter Josh Shaffer contributed to this story.
Some birds are being renamed, including these 10 from North Carolina. This is why