Audubon Nature Institute facts for kids
The Audubon Nature Institute is a group of museums and parks in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are all about nature and helping animals.
This amazing group includes places like the Audubon Zoo, the Audubon Aquarium, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Audubon Park, and Woldenberg Riverfront Park. They also have special centers like the Audubon Species Survival Center and the Audubon Coastal Wildlife Network (CWN). Before 2020, about 2 million people visited these places each year!
Contents
History
The 1800s: How it Began
The story of the Audubon Nature Institute started with Audubon Park. This land was once home to Native Americans. Later, New Orleans' first mayor, Étienne de Boré, owned it. He started the first sugar plantation in the United States here.
The land became public in 1850 when someone left it to the city in their will. During the US Civil War, it was used as a military camp and a hospital. In 1866, the famous "Buffalo Soldiers" (9th Cavalry Regiment) started their service here.
In 1884, the land was used for a big event called the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition. This helped turn it into a city park. In 1886, the park was named Audubon Park. This honored John James Audubon, a famous artist and naturalist. He painted many of his "Birds of America" pictures in Louisiana.
By 1894, a group was formed to plan the park's future. A famous landscape architect, John Charles Olmsted, helped design it. His family also designed New York City's Central Park. Soon, New Orleans had its own beautiful park, created from swamp land.
The 1900s: From Tough Times to New Life
In 1914, the Audubon Commission was created to take care of Audubon Park. A bird cage was added in 1916. People loved it and wanted a full zoo! Local leaders formed the New Orleans Zoological Society. They raised money for animal cages. In 1924, Louisiana schoolchildren even bought the zoo's first elephant. By 1929, the zoo had hundreds of animals.
The Great Depression in the 1930s made it hard to get money. But the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a government program, helped build new zoo buildings. In 1938, the Merz Memorial Zoo opened. However, by the 1950s, the zoo started to struggle. It was expensive to run, and donations went down.
Things got better in the 1970s. In 1972, people voted to give nearly $2 million to fix up the zoo. Volunteers formed "Friends of the Zoo." In 1973, Ron Forman joined the team with a big plan. He helped expand the zoo to 58 acres. This allowed for large, natural habitats that looked like wild places, such as the African Savanna.
In 1989, Woldenberg Park opened. That same year, "Friends of the Zoo" became the Audubon Nature Institute. The Audubon Aquarium opened in 1990.
The 2000s: Helping Nature
In the 2000s, the Aquarium added a new section with a theater. Woldenberg Park also grew bigger. The institute started to focus even more on protecting animals and nature.
Effects of Hurricane Katrina
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused a lot of damage in New Orleans. It stopped all of Audubon's income and led to many employees losing their jobs. But the Aquarium staff stayed during the storm and floods. They worked hard to care for all the animals.
Miscellany
The Audubon Nature Institute helped make "Hurricane on the Bayou". This was an IMAX movie released in 2006, one year after Hurricane Katrina.
The institute works with groups like America's Wetland Campaign. This campaign helps protect Louisiana's important wetlands.
Gallery
Some of the areas managed include:
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Audubon Aquarium
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Woldenberg Park
