John James Audubon (1785 – 1851) was an American naturalist, ornithologist, and artist. He is widely known for his beautiful paintings of North American bird species. Today there are two kinds of calendars that bear his name. Both are published with the help of the Audubon Society. The first are simply calendars that feature nature photographs. Some have lovely bird shots, others show the grand scenery of North America. The second kind is a more literal tribute to the great painter: sharing some of his artwork for your kitchen wall.
Audubon Songbirds & Other Backyard Birds Picture-A-Day Wall Calendar
For America’s birders, this perennially best-selling calendar celebrates the backyard songsters that enrich our lives with their jewel-like hues and cheerful songs.
Spot a Rufous Hummingbird homing in on a flower. A trio of Barn Swallow chicks, a stunning Pileated Woodpecker, plus jays, tanagers, bobolinks, and a clutch of blue Robin’s eggs.
Like the name suggests, this unique calendar has photographs of songbirds for every day of the year which is very unusual for a monthly calendar.
Within his beautiful scientific illustrations are seeds of some of today’s environmental movements. See telling examples of Audubon’s historic work in this lovely wall calendar.
John James Audubon’s Birds of America Wall Calendar John James Audubon’s watercolors for The Birds of America are recognized as a major accomplishment in American art. Audubon painted directly from his observations in the wild. The New-York Historical Society owns all 435 watercolors preparatory for The Birds of America. Enjoy the selection in this calendar, John James Audubon: the watercolors of The Birds of America.
Fragrant, cheerful, and with a penchant for painting the most unexpected places with splashes of color, wildflowers are a delight to encounter. Showcasing a year of beautifully photographed native North American species, Audubon Wildflowers is a celebration of nature’s prettiest blooms.
Eco tourism (seeing the world in all its fragile beauty while leaving the smallest footprint) is a major initiative for the Audubon Society. Spotlighting a dozen extraordinary destinations, each one rich in geographic and geologic wonders and teeming with flora and fauna, Audubon’s Green World is a brand-new calendar that celebrates the joys of green travel.
This unique calendar has nature images for every day of the year: very unusual for a monthly calendar.
The cornerstone of the Audubon calendar program, this week-at-a-glance planner is a magnificent tribute to the earth’s unspoiled wilderness.
Here is nature—intimate close-ups to grand vistas—captured in dozens of images by the world’s best photographers. With spacious weekly grids, detailed captions, and an elegant recyclable gift box.
Discover North America at its most pristine and most beautiful. A sunset over the Grand Canyon as seen from Pima Point. A tidal salt marsh near Port Royal Sound, South Carolina. Aspens in full fall splendor in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. A powerful display of a dozen natural treasures in gorgeous full-color, this calendar celebrates the power and glory of America’s wilderness.
John James Audubon & the Audubon Society
The website of the National Audubon Society says:
The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.
The history is not what you’d expect. The Audubon Society was started in the late 19th century when it was the fashion for ladies to wear exotic bird feathers on hats and their clothing. George Bird Grinnell decided enough was enough and campaigned for protecting the birds. Hunters of course fought back: it was their livelihood at stake.
But why was this society named after John James Audubon?
John James Audubon was the first American naturalist. He painted birds in a way that was both naturalistic and precise, as well as beautiful. George Bird Grinnell named his society for the protection of birds after this famous man whose work he’d always admired.
Audubon Nature Calendars
The Audubon Society publishes roughly two kinds of calendars:
- Calendars featuring the work of John James Audubon reproduced
- Calendars featuring wildlife photographs