You may have noticed in the last few issues of the Insider that the New Hampshire Audubon is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Well, the big day finally arrived officially Feb. 26, and the Audubon celebrated at the McLane Center. What’s more Gov. Maggie Hassan attended and proclaimed Feb. 26, 2014 to be New Hampshire Audubon Day in New Hampshire.
We’d briefly like to point out that the Insider will turn 8 in October, and we haven’t had a day named after us yet. Just sayin,’ keep Halloween 2014 open, Gov. Hassan.
“As my mother might have said ‘if you have healthy birds you have healthy people, if you have healthy birds you have a healthy environment, if you have healthy birds you have a healthy natural resources,’” Hassan said at the Feb. 26 celebration. “For 100 years, New Hampshire Audubon has been protecting birds and their habitat, reminding us of how important conservation is to our state.”
The program also featured a historical reenactment of Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall (that’s them in the funny hats) who were instrumental in rallying folks in New England against women wearing birds, and bird feathers, on their hats – a fashion trend of the late 1800s and early 1900s. This movement eventually gained momentum, and on Nov. 25, 1913, several men and women interested in bird protection met at the Unitarian parsonage in Nashua. A second meeting was held at the First Unitarian Congregational Church on Feb. 26, 1914. At this time, a constitution and by-laws were adopted and a slate of officers was elected. The Audubon Society of New Hampshire (now New Hampshire Audubon) was born.
Over the course of 2014, the Audubon will celebrate the centennial with a variety of programs, events, products and activities. To learn more about those events planned throughout the year visit nhaudubon.org/about/centennial or call 224-9909.
