Organization: Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic
Mission: ANS inspires residents of the DC region to appreciate, understand, and protect their natural environment through outdoor experiences, education and advocacy. ANS seeks to create a larger and more diverse community of people who treasure the natural world and work to preserve it.
Activities: Environmental Education the Audubon Naturalist Societys (ANS) educational mission is to nurture a lifetime of outdoor discovery, exploration and celebration of nature for people in the Washington, DC metro region. ANS connects with individuals and groups of all ages to create a community of people who actively care for the natural world. Through our children and youth programs we reach more than 14,000 children each year. Our school field trip, afterschool, summer camp and naturalist in the classroom programs reach more than 4,000 area children. ANS partners with 22 DC schools to provide environmental education. Our GreenKids partnership with Montgomery County, MD, Loudoun County, VA and Fairfax County, VA Public Schools educates more than 10,000 school children annually about environmental stewardship.
Sanctuaries The Audubon Naturalist Society maintains two nature sanctuaries: our headquarters 40-acre Woodend Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD and our 68-acre Rust Sanctuary in Leesburg, VA. Visitors are invited to visit our sanctuaries and walk on trails free of charge 365 days a year from dawn to dusk. The sanctuaries protect critical wildlife habitats in the DC metro region and provide opportunities for people to discover and appreciate the natural world through self-guided and naturalist-led experiences. ANS sanctuaries educate people of all ages about environmental stewardship, serve as gathering places for environmental classes and provide a hub for organizations working to preserve the quality of the environment in the Washington, DC area. ANS actively works to restore the habitats at its nature sanctuaries.
Membership and Volunteer Programs Audubon Naturalist Society has the annual support of more than 4,500 member households representing approximately 10,000 individuals in the DC metro region. Members participate in ANS environmental education programs, support conservation programs through grassroots advocacy and environmental stewardship, and provide volunteer support in many capacities. Annually, more than 550 people volunteer for the society by serving on the Board of Directors and its committees, monitoring the water quality of local streams, maintaining and restoring ANS nature sanctuaries, leading nature education programs, working in our Audubon Naturalist Shop, representing ANS at community events, supporting office functions, and testifying at public hearings.
NTEE category: Environment
Secondary category: Animal-Related