Chapters & Centers

About Audubon in Arkansas

In Arkansas it can get confusing when people talk about ‘the Audubon Society’, as there are a number of Audubon groups. 

1.  Audubon Delta was originally founded in 2000 as Audubon Arkansas, a state office of the National Audubon Society (NAS). In 2020, Audubon offices in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi merged to form the regional office, Audubon Delta. In Arkansas, staff are based at the Little Rock Audubon Center. Staff are engaged in the restoration and protection of watersheds and other habitats important to birds and other wildlife, community involvement in science and habitat protection, environmental education for young people, and public outreach related to policy initiatives including climate change and water issues. A donation of at least $20 directly to Audubon Delta also maintains your membership with NAS while contributing directly to conservation and education in Arkansas. You are on our website. Our homepage is http://ar.audubon.org
 

2.  Audubon Chapters are the grassroots arm of the National Audubon Society. Most are run solely by volunteer birders. Chapters enable Audubon members and others to meet and share an appreciation of their common interests, creating a culture of conservation in their community through education and advocacy focusing on the conservation and restoration of birds, other wildlife and their habitats. Each Chapter functions in a designated geographic area and maintains its own nonprofit 501(c)3 status with its own Chapter-only membership dues. Most Chapters hold regular meetings and field trips, in addition to following state and local environmental issues. NAS supports Chapters through services such as project funding, leadership services, education and advocacy resources, and ways to get involved in conservation and citizen science programs. There are currently 7 Chapters in Arkansas. The list is at http://ar.audubon.org/find-a-chapter

3.  Arkansas Audubon Society (AAS), established in 1955, is a statewide, group of recreational birders, not affiliated with National Audubon. AAS is a volunteer group with no paid staff. It provides services for birders such as the official state checklist, bird records database, week-long Halberg Ecology Camp for kids, bird-friendly yard certification, and small grants to researchers and educators (through the AAS Trust). AAS members meet for an entire weekend in the spring and again in the fall. Meetings are held all around the state to give attendees the chance to both bird and learn about parts of Arkansas they may not be familiar with. The web site is http://arbirds.org

ASCA Gillam Park
Audubon Society of Central Arkansas birding Gillam Park. Photo: Dan Scheiman

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