Famous Immigrant of the Week

Audubon

This week's famous immigrant is ornithologist Jean-Jacques Audubon (or John  James Audubon).  Audubon was born to a French merchant in 1785, in Les Cayes, West Indies.  Audubon came to the US with a false passport in 1803 to avoid conscription into the Napoleonic Wars.  From the Audubon Society website:

John James Audubon was a daring and colorful character renowned for his adventurous nature, his artistic genius, and his obsessive interest in birds. Learn about his life by reading "John James Audubon -The American Woodsman: Our Namesake and Inspiration". He explored the Audubon Roseate Spoonbillnatural history of much of the central  and eastern United States, painted almost 500 species of the 700 or so regularly occurring North American species, worked tirelessly to promote his project, and set a new standard for artistry and printing. Perhaps above all else, Audubon was a lover and observer of birds and nature.

Politically speaking, I am not an environmentalist and I disagree with the Audubon society on a number of issues; however, I thoroughly enjoy their field guides while I'm out and about enjoying nature.  If you're interested in observing and identifying wildlife, plants, rocks and minerals or fungi, these books are a wonderful and easy to use resource.  I am thankful that Audubon came to America and that his books have taught me so much about the world around me.

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