About Us

Huntington Beach Field Trip

New Hope Audubon Society (NHAS) is the chapter of the National Audubon Society that serves Chatham, Durham, Orange and parts of surrounding counties in central North Carolina–including Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Hillsborough, and Pittsboro.

Our Mission

The mission of the New Hope Audubon Society is to promote the conservation and enjoyment of birds, other wildlife, and ecosystems, focusing on Chatham, Durham, Orange and parts of surrounding counties. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a map of our territory.

Our Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Just as biodiversity strengthens natural systems, the diversity of human experience strengthens our conservation efforts for the benefit of nature and all human beings. New Hope Audubon Society must represent and reflect that human diversity, embracing it in all the communities where we work. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our board, volunteers, members, and supporters, in order to achieve our conservation goals, and to “bringing nature home” to all people and all communities. Respect, inclusion and opportunity for people of all backgrounds, lifestyles, and perspectives will attract the best ideas and harness the greatest passion to shape a healthier, more vibrant future for all of us who share our planet.

NHAS Membership Meetings

Our membership meetings are held in the Visitor Education Center at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, on the first Thursday of every month (except June, July, and August).  Everyone, including non-members, is welcome! See you at a meeting soon!

For a list of this year’s speakers and other information on these monthly meetings, click here.

Contact Us

New Hope Audubon is a volunteer organization without an office or an office phone. Please use our email address to contact us, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. You may also use our mailing address, but our response may be slower:

New Hope Audubon Society
PO Box 2693
Chapel Hill, NC, 27515.

Or email us directly at newhopeaudubon@gmail.com

Officers/Committee Chairs

New Hope Audubon Society (NHAS) is governed by a board of directors with duties outlined in the chapter by-laws. Officers are elected at the May membership meeting and serve through the following April. Committee and special project people are appointed by the board–volunteers are always welcome! Below is a list of current officers and committee chairs.

Officers

• President: Barbara Driscoll
• Vice President: David Anderson
• Secretary: Mary George
• Treasurer: Elizabeth Keating
• Director: Sam Wilson
• Director: vacant
• Director: Justin Landwehr
• Immediate Past President: Tommy Richey

Committees

• Advocacy Committee: Chair–Anne Dayer. Includes advocacy for local environmental issues; advocacy for Audubon NC and National Audubon action alerts and priorities; and promotion of Audubon NC’s annual Advocacy Day.
• Bird Friendly Habitat Committee: Co-chairs–Barbara Driscoll, Jim George. Includes the residential Bird Friendly Habitat Certification program; the retail and wholesale garden center program to promote the sale of native plants and stop the sale of invasive plants; the Corporate Bird Friendly Habitat Certification program; and the Bird Friendly Communities program, which works with municipalities to promote bird friendly actions such as planting native plants, removing invasive plants, and sponsoring other bird friendly activities.
• Community Science Committee: Chair–Norm Budnitz. Includes all bird counts (Quarterly Eagle Count, Christmas and Spring Bird Counts, Breeding Bird and Mini-Breeding Bird Surveys), Climate Watch and Stream Watch.
• Conservation Committee: Chair–David Anderson. Includes Important Bird Area positions (Jordan Lake and Eno River) and the Wildlife Observation Platform. This committee addresses conservation activities (other than those covered by the Bird Friendly Habitat Committee) including evaluations of land being developed; Chimney Swift conservation; promotion and donation of bird houses; and support of conservation by other organizations such as Sandy Creek Park, Triangle Land Conservancy, and the North Carolina Botanical Garden.
• Development Committee: Chair–vacant. Includes the current position of Bird Seed Sale Coordinator. This committee will also coordinate sales of bird houses and all fund-raising activities including grant applications.
• Education Committee: Co-chairs–Gail Boyarsky, Anne Geer. Promotes bird watching and bird friendly activities to the public in a number of venues including schools, libraries, and public events. This committee also promotes family bird walks and nature camp activities.
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee: Chair–Marcia Mandel. This committee works with the NHAS Board of Directors and with NHAS committees to advance the goals of equity, diversity, and inclusion within NHAS leadership, volunteers, and activities. This includes building EDI knowledge and skills of chapter members; working to develop and strengthen relationships with diverse groups and partners; helping to integrate EDI values in chapter culture and programs; and tracking the chapter’s progress. The committee also develops programs to further these goals.
• Field Trips Committee: Chair–David Anderson. Includes all field trip activities and all bird walks.
• Media and Communications Committee: Chair–Joe Williams. Includes management of all platforms for communicating with members such as: all social media (Facebook, Twitter, Meetup, etc.), email listservs, newspaper articles, and Google groups for the board and standing committees. Includes Webmaster, Blog Editor, and Archivist positions.
• Membership Committee: Chair–Mary George. Includes Programs; Hospitality; Engagement; Recruitment

Tell us your interests and GET INVOLVED! Fill out our VOLUNTEER FORM today.

Brochure

If you would like to download our New Hope Audubon Society full-color brochure please click here.

Constitution and By-Laws

In 2020, New Hope Audubon Society updated and amended its Constitution and By-Laws. Click here for a PDF version of these documents.

Here’s a map of our New Hope Audubon territory.