THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



WINTER, 1919 



Published by the 



ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 



(For the protection of wild birds) 



The President of the Illinois Audubon Society Writes: 



CONSERVATION is an old word. When Theodore Roosevelt con- 

 nected with it the words. OF NATURAL RESOURCES, he 

 gave the word a new meaning destined to go with it to all peoples 

 for all time to come. The underlying principles of conservation as enun- 

 ciated at that time were that the natural resources of the earth belong to 

 posterity quite as much as to us and that it is our sacred duty both to use 

 and to save them that our requirements may he met and that those for 

 whose bringing forth we are responsible may live in peace and plenty. The 

 ending of the world war gives still greater significance to the word, the 

 duty to use without wasting and to save that our starving, stricken con- 

 temporaries may be fed and clothed and housed. 



The purpose of the Illinois Audubon Society is The Conserva- 

 tion of Bird Life. Years of strife, which we hope are gone forever, have 

 made conservation a very common but all important word in our every- 

 day life. The world situation makes it imperative that we conserve the 

 necessities of life to the limit of our ability. That means we must conserve 

 in every way possible, however small or however great that may be. To 

 do less than the most we can is to fail grossly in our duty to humanity and 

 to ourselves. We must seize opportunities to direct conservation efforts 

 according to our varied abilities and means. Food was one of the most 

 important factors in winning the war for democracy. Food will be the 

 greatest factor in saving the world for democracy. There are no more 

 effective food conservationists in the world than the birds, a fact too 

 little known and appreciated. It happens that the Illinois Audubon Society 

 is fitted to serve in this reconstruction period not only by making known 

 and appreciated the vast economic importance of bird life to food conser- 

 vation, but also by putting into practice its stated purpose, the protection 

 of bird life in Illinois. This Society cannot justify its continuance if it 

 permits to pass unheeded the opportunity of today to become an active. 

 effective conservation force. It must be in the vanguard of the recon- 

 struction hosts. 



The world has entered upon a new era — so has the Illinois 

 Audubon Society. With conservation the watchword of the hour 

 throughout the world, the Society felt it necessary to take steps to become 

 more aggressive in the protection of bird life for the saving not only of 

 birds but also of food. As an earnest of its policy of action, it has recently 

 elected to the offices of secretary and treasurer a young man of enthusiasm 



