ERE See Dees Nowe ss Clon Lata ak IN 29 
fhere are the IAS 
pulation centers? 
lis new 
yunty-by-county map 
Ils it. 
A brand-new “Illinois Audubon Society Population 
Map” — reproduced on the opposite page — comes 
out of an April ‘67 survey of membership records by 
Mrs. Kenneth W. Fiske, IAS Vice President for Exten- 
sion, and Mrs. Clarence Peterson, in charge of the 
Society’s mailing services. 
Their aim was to help focus attention on both 
the heavy and weak centers of IAS interest, and to 
introduce current members to the amount of partici- 
pation in their particular counties. 
The county-by-county figures become more mean- 
ingful when studied with regard to urban population 
centers. The only Illinois counties with at least one 
city of more than 50,000 are: ST. CLAIR (East St. 
Louis), WILL (Joliet), WINNEBAGO (Rockford), KANE 
(Aurora), MACON (Decatur), SANGAMON (Springfield), 
and, of course, COOK and PEORIA. 
Chapters located in LAKE, McHENRY and KANE 
account for the high number of IAS members in those 
areas, because membership in the Illinois Audubon 
Society itself is required along with local chapter 
membership. It takes only a small group of nature 
and conservation-minded citizens to establish a local 
chapter. As an example, in January, 1961, McHENRY 
County listed only three members of the Illinois 
Audubon Society. The local club was organized in 
May of that year; it grew to 86 members before 
electing to become a chapter. It now boasts 135 
members. 
In January, 1966, KANE had only twelve !AS 
members. Since its organization in September, the 
KANE County chapter has grown to 48, and there 
are 68 members of the Illinois Audubon Society in 
the county. The map shows less because in both 
KANE and McHENRY, a husband and wife can join 
the chapters via a single [AS membership. 
Since the map was prepared, a fourth chapter — 
SOUTHWESTERN ILLINOIS — is being organized. Ac- 
cordingly, a surge of membership from ST. CLAIR, 
JERSEY, CLINTON, and MADISON counties is expected. 
The figures on the map indicate that the Illinois 
Audubon Society is growing from the northeast to 
the west and south. The speed of growth can be 
accelerated. Personal contact with other [AS members 
in each county is still the best way to build local 
Audubon groups. The Illinois Audubon Society will 
be glad to furnish you with the names of its members 
in your area. 
