REPORT OF T. GILBERT PEARSON, PRESIDENT 



INTRODUCTION 



Some time ago an European naturalist said to me, "If we had the universal 

 public sentiment in favor of bird-protection that you have in America, we, 

 too, might have better laws for the protection of birds." While appreciating 

 the implied compliment to the good sense and judgment of my country- 

 men, I felt forced to advise him that a portion of his major premise was in- 

 correct. While undoubtedly there exists on the statute books of this country 

 as complete a system of laws for the protection of bird-life as exists in any 

 other country of the globe, these laws are not a result of 'universal public 

 sentiment.' They have been enacted because of the insistence of a small 

 but very active minority of the population. Had he been correct in his assump- 

 tion there would apparently be no need of the hundreds of game wardens, 

 both state and Federal that it is found necessary to employ to enforce the 

 laws. Had we universal public sentiment on the subject, there would not 

 have been one thousand prosecutions for illegal bird-killing in the state of 

 New York during the year 1921. 



The Audubon Society was the pioneer in seeking to secure adequate laws 

 for the well-being of non-game birds in the United States, and those respon- 

 sible for its growth and development in the various states and nation have 

 ever kept the banner of the Society in the lead of activities looking to this 

 end. Gradually other organizations have been brought into the field, until 

 today there are many state departments, agricultural colleges, museums, 

 membership societies under a variety of titles, and other institutions all inter- 

 ested more or less actively in the protection and study of wild bird-life. Some 

 of these, probably, do not even recognize the original source of the current 

 of thought which brought their work into operation. The organization of 

 the Audubon Society influence has expanded until today it might very properly 

 be called the 'Audubon Movement.' Great responsibility rests upon this 

 Movement to continue and expand its efforts in arousing and crystallizing 

 public interest in the preservation of wild birds. It is to this end that the 

 National Association of Audubon Societies and its affiliated state and local 

 club workers are now bending their efforts. We must use every legitimate 

 means to secure better law enforcement and to arouse the public to the joy 

 of making friends with the wild birds. Something of the manifold lines along 

 which the Audubon Society efforts have been directed during the past year, 

 it is my purpose and privilege to outline briefly in the following pages. Time 

 will not permit mentioning, however, even in brief manner many interesting 

 happenings and developments that have taken place. 



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