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A Brief History of the Audubon Wildlife Society The Audubon Wildlife Society was founded by Frank McLaughlin, who later became the Executive Director of New Jersey Audubon Society. McLaughlin met in December 1948 with a group of others interested in nature and planned the new organization. Officers were elected, and the club's philosophy was formulated as follows:
The group discussed its first conservation project - to preserve, as a sanctuary, a piece of trash-strewn land known as "the gully" along the railroad cut in Audubon. As a result of the publicity generated by the new club, the property was cleaned up. Later it was purchased by Public Service. By the end of 1949, the Audubon Wildlife Society had 30 members. The club was incorporated in 1950 as The Audubon Wildlife Society, Inc. of Audubon, New Jersey. Another of the club's projects was 'Operation Bluebird," started by Frank McLaughlin. Bluebird boxes were built by Audubon High School students from materials donated by Audubon Wildlife Society. The Lost Towns tours were also begun in 1949. The tours were led by Henry Beck, an authority on New Jersey folklore. The tours were one of the club's main sources of income for a number of years. Through the years, the Audubon Wildlife Society has been involved in a number of conservation projects, including helping to save the 400-year-old Clement Oak at Big Timber Creek, helping convince Runnemede to preserve the Hirsch Lake Trust from development, and joining with other organizations to fight the building of a jetport in the pine barrens. Club members also prepared a slide program on pollution, which was made available to other organizations. Spring bird walks were conducted, and the club soon had a full schedule of field trips and programs. In addition to birding and wildflower trips, the club has offered outings to historic sites, Longwood Gardens, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the State Museum in Trenton, to name just a few. In 1966, scholarships to teachers were implemented. Each year one or two teachers were sent to a National Audubon Society camp in Maine or Connecticut. These scholarships were presented for many years, until the cost became prohibitive. The club then began presenting an annual scholarship to an Audubon High School student. The first Battersby Conservative Award was presented in 1967 to club member Bill Leap. The award honors an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to conservation in New Jersey. The first Flea Market and Antiques Show at Barclay Farms began in 1967 and continued through 1981. This event was an excellent fund-raiser for the club. The club's finances received a significant boost in 1993, with the receipt of a bequest from Dorothy K. Ingersoll. A special Dorothy K. Ingersoll Memorial Fund Committee was set up. The committee used interest from the fund to make donations and grants to such organizations as New Jersey Audubon Society, the Marine Mammal Standing Center, Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, the Wetlands Institute, and the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. The Audubon Wildlife Society entered a team in New Jersey Audubon's World Series of Birding in 1994. The event raises money for various conservation organizations. In 1995 the Ingersoll Committee proposed that the club purchase a 112-acre tract of land on Hawkin Road in Medford and Southampton Townships. The land would be turned over to the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust. The committee applied for Green Acres funding to help pay for the land, and received a grant in 1996. Settlement was made on the property in 1998, and a dedication ceremony was held on June 7 of that year. In 1998 the Ingersoll Committee recommended that Audubon Wildlife Society also purchase the 228-acre property on Hawkin Road, across the road from the property purchased in 1998. The board of trustees approved the purchase, and settlement was made later in 1998. The Audubon Wildlife Society has accomplished a great deal in its first 50 years. We look forward to another 50 years of achievement.
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