Photo by Danuta Otfinowski

We Americans often trace our nation's heritage to 1620, when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. At Audubon we trace our heritage to 1803, when John James Audubon arrived in this country from France to manage his father's Mill Grove Farm in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Barely 19 years old on his arrival, the young Audubon preferred birds and painting to farming. Rich with dreams and techniques developed at Mill Grove, Audubon traveled about the American frontier for most of his adult life, discovering the spectacular birdlife of the New World and capturing its beauty in watercolor paintings. His goal was to paint the birds of America for a European audience. The paintings were sent to Europe, where carefully crafted reprints were sold to people who had never seen these birds.

Today Audubon bird prints rank among the most valuable wildlife art in the world.

John James Audubon's work was more than just great art. His exceptionally vivid depictions became a powerful vehicle for educating people about birds and wildlife, connecting people to nature, and inspiring people to care about their environment. Two centuries later we at Audubon carry on this legacy through our science, education, and public policy programs.

Meanwhile, Mill Grove Plantation—175 acres of wooded rolling hills overlooking Perkiomen Creek, up the Schuylkill River from Philadelphia—is owned by Montgomery County and managed as a historic site. The original manor house and a giant stone barn are still standing. The property also includes an extensive collection of original Audubon art, most of which the county is unable to display adequately because of a lack of space and money.

Montgomery County and the National Audubon Society have now agreed to establish the Audubon Center at Mill Grove Farm. This new center will provide outdoor education experiences for children and adults, as do our other Audubon Centers around the country. But the Mill Grove Audubon Center will have a special focus as the first home in America of John James Audubon. We will also establish additional facilities to display a broad collection of Audubon prints, along with other high-quality wildlife art. We believe that the power of Audubon's art to inspire and motivate people to care about birds is as strong today as ever. And what better place to display it than where it all began, at the home of John James Audubon himself?

If you want to support the Mill Grove Audubon Center, or visit any of our other Audubon Centers, log on to www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary.