We have a great deal of respect for those who engage in conservation efforts, and this is reflected in our annual celebrations of Audubon Day on April 26. In addition to commemorating the birth of John James Audubon, a creative illustrator, conservationist, ornithologist, and naturalist, this day acknowledges The National Audubon Society’s vital contributions.
The background of Audubon Day
This day commemorates the birth of John James Audubon, a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter who conducted extensive research on American birds and their habitats. Audubon was born in Saint Domingue (now Haiti) and was reared by his father and stepmother in France. After moving to America, he began researching and drawing birds; he continued to do so even after moving to Kentucky with his wife, Lucy. After his store went bankrupt, he began devoting more time to his hobby of bird illustration, even sailing down the Mississippi River in a flatboat to locate new birds to paint. His success was so great that he moved his work to England and had it published there. “The Birds of America,” Audubon’s magnum opus, is now widely regarded as one of the most notable examples of wildlife illustration. It established the standard for future illustrations of wildlife; even today, artists are measured against its standards.
George Bird Grinnell, a student of Audubon’s widow, co-founded the National Audubon Society in John Audubon’s memory many years after his death on January 27, 1851. National Audubon Day is sponsored by this organisation, which promotes and protects the habitats that sustain the world’s wildlife. This society, based in the United States, is one of the world’s earliest organisations of its kind. Today, there are numerous branches of the National Audubon Society throughout the United States, eternally linking John Audubon to bird conservation.
Red Hat Society Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities
Sinai Liberation Day (Egypt) 2023: Date, History, Facts about Egypt
World Penguin Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities
FUN FACTS ABOUT AUDUBON DAY
Audubon was the first person in North America to affix a small tag to the wing of a wild bird to facilitate identification.
In 2010, the first edition of Audubon’s book, “The Birds of America,” sold in London for a staggering $11 million.
So that he could draw birds and, if they perished, prepare, fill, and mount them as well.
Charles Darwin, the renowned naturalist, geologist, and biologist, attended one of Audubon’s demonstrations of his methodologies as a student.
Audubon’s primary source of income for the majority of his life was the sale of animal skins, which even funded the publication of his book “The Birds of America.”
AUDUBON DAY DATES
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2023 | April 26 | Wednesday |
2024 | April 26 | Friday |
2025 | April 26 | Saturday |
2026 | April 26 | Sunday |
2027 | April 26 | Monday |