[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 10, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1599]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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  RECOGNIZING THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONNECTICUT AUDUBON SOCIETY

 Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, I rise today to recognize the 
Connecticut Audubon Society as it celebrates 125 years of dedication to 
the protection and preservation of Connecticut's birds, other wildlife, 
and their habitats.
  The Connecticut Audubon Society was founded in 1898 in Fairfield, CT, 
by a group including the noted author and conservationist Mabel Osgood 
Wright. In its first year, the group rapidly expanded into a statewide 
organization, with members in towns and cities across Connecticut, 
including Bristol, Ivoryton, Bridgeport, Brooklyn, New Haven, Hartford, 
Roxbury, Farmington, and Greenwich. On June 4, 1898, the organization 
ratified its first by-laws and outlined its purpose: ``to discourage 
the destruction of birds and their eggs, and to promote the study of 
nature.'' Connecticut Audubon Society remains true to this purpose 
today, while also having expanded the scope of their work to 
conservation efforts more broadly.
  For more than a century, the Connecticut Audubon Society has provided 
refuges for birds and other wildlife and important opportunities for 
people to enjoy nature at its sanctuaries and preserves. Today, the 
organization manages 22 sanctuaries totaling more than 3,400 acres, 
including the oldest private songbird sanctuary in the United States, 
Birdcraft, established in 1914. The organization now has regional 
centers in Fairfield, Milford, Old Lyme, Pomfret, Hampton, and Sherman, 
an educational program in Hartford, and an EcoTravel office in Essex--a 
truly statewide presence, bringing their important work to all corners 
of Connecticut.
  One hundred and twenty-five years after its founding, the Connecticut 
Audubon Society continues its vital mission through conservation, 
education, and advocacy. The organization boasts 5,600 member-families 
in every town in the State, and its outdoor conservation, science, and 
education programs reach more than 100,000 students and adults each 
year.
  Dedicated to preserving our natural heritage and advocating for a 
more sustainable future, the Connecticut Audubon Society is a positive 
model for environmental education and wildlife conservation. I applaud 
its many accomplishments and hope my colleagues will join me in 
congratulating the Connecticut Audubon Society on 125 years of 
unceasing commitment to ecological and environmental 
excellence.

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