A Brief History:

The Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland has a long and proud history of service to the Greater Cleveland Community and its members. It is one of Cleveland’s oldest continuously operating environmental organizations. The elements of its mission have remained consistent since our founding in 1923 as the Susan Louise Patteson Memorial Association: protection of wildlife habitat, making educational programs available to members and the public through a lecture series, field trips using our sanctuaries and other resources, and environmental advocacy. We work to create a “culture of conservation” in the greater Cleveland community.

The Society has existed under several names. In 1928 the original name was changed to “The Cleveland Bird Club”. During its early decades, the Society was closely affiliated with the leadership of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Cleveland Metroparks. We remain an affiliated Society of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. In 1951 the Cleveland Bird Club voted to affiliate itself with the National Audubon Society, and our name changed to “The Cleveland Audubon Society”. The name changed to “The Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland” when we became a full chapter of the National Audubon Society in 1985. There are currently over 1200 members of ASGC.

From its early years the Society has been interested in holding land as wildlife habitat and for educational purposes. In 1941 The Cleveland Bird Club purchased the 165-acre Aurora Sanctuary. Between 1944 and 1947 two contiguous properties in Willoughby Hills were donated to The Cleveland Bird Club, forming the 87-acre Hach-Otis Sanctuary. In 1991 William Novak of Aurora donated the 152-acre Blanche Katherine Novak Sanctuary in memory of his wife. Most recently, in 2000, the 113 acre Michael and Lenore Molnar Sanctuary was donated, raising the Society’s acreage in Aurora to 430 and its total owned acreage to 517.

Three of the four Audubon sanctuaries are also protected as dedicated State Nature Preserves by the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, although Audubon retains full responsibility for their ownership and management. The Hach-Otis Sanctuary was dedicated by the Division in 1977, and the Novak and Aurora Sanctuaries were dedicated in 1999.

In 1994 the Society’s Board of Trustees voted that the organization should function as a land trust and begin to accept conservation easements to protect further lands with value for wildlife habitat. To date, Audubon is the trustee of four easements, all in the Chagrin River Watershed, protecting a total of approximately 32 additional acres of habitat.
In addition to the Society’s ownership and maintenance of its four sanctuaries, we are committed to an educational mission that is annually expressed in our sponsorship of a lecture series currently held at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and our granting of several annual scholarships for nature educators. We are also the primary sponsor of the Spring Migration Bird Walks which have been ongoing since 1933 in the greater Cleveland area.

Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland Leadership:

Officers

Penny Orr: President. MS in Ecology, CWRU; AB Harvard; biology and field ecology teacher, Hawken School
Nancy Adams: Vice President. PhD Ohio University, MA U of Houston, BA U of Michigan; clinical neuropsychologist, Cleveland Dept. of Veteran Affairs Medical Center (retired)
Diann Rucki: Secretary. MBA Weatherhead/CWRU, BA and BEd University of Toledo; business advisor, Evergreen Strategies LLC
Stephen Zabor: Treasurer. PhD Economics, Northwestern, BA Economics Carleton College; prof of economics & environmental studies; director, integrated entrepreneurship, Hiram College

Trustees

Barbara Andreas: PhD Systematic Botany, Kent State University; BA Biology, Kent State; professor of biology, Kent State University
Earl Biederman: MS Purdue Univ., BS Miami Univ.; VP NESC Williams, Inc. (retired) president, Rotary Club of Aurora
Sandra Buckles: MS Biology, John Carroll University; laboratory coordinator & adjunct instructor, John Carroll University (retired)
Patricia Church: Chair, Education Committee. MA CWRU, BS Purdue; educator, volunteer at Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Darhl Foreman: PhD in Biology University of Chicago; CWRU Biology Professor (emerita)
Jonathan Hull: JD CWRU; attorney with Hull & Hull
Andy Jones: PhD in Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, U MN, BS Biology, U TN; curator of ornithology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Max Lammers: Chair, Development/Publicity/Membership Committee. BS Xavier University; investment banker
Andy Lihani: BA Ohio Wesleyan; GM Personnel Director (retired), owner of Wild Birds Unlimited, Mayfield Heights
John Lillich: Chair, Sanctuary Committee. Lubrizol Systems Analyst (retired), president Chagrin River Citizens Advisory Council.
Martin Mangano: Business Degree, U of PA; regional adjuster, Nationwide Insurance
Mary Salomon: Chair, Important Birding Area Committee. PhD in Chemistry, MBA; research manager, physical and analytical sciences, Lubrizol Corp
Bud Shaw: PhD, University of Cincinnati, Chemistry
Rob Swaney: BS, Business Administration, Miami University (Oxford); sales manager, Duramax/Johnson Rubber Company (retired)
Jim Tomko: Chair, Field Trips Committee & Spring Birdwalk Leader. OD (Optometry) OSU, MS OSU, BA Miami Univ.; Chair Aurora Tree Commission, private practioner of optometry
Harvey Webster: BS Cornell Univ.; director of wildlife resources, Cleveland Museum of Natural HistoryTom Whitehouse: BS MIT, AB Harvard; VP manufacturing, Stanley Air Tools (retired)

The Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland (ASGC) promotes the conservation and appreciation of birds and other wildlife through habitat preservation and educational activities. ASGC, a chapter of the National Audubon Society, has over 1,200 member households throughout the Greater Cleveland area, owns over 500 acres of protected land, and is one of northeast Ohio’s oldest continuously operating environmental organizations. If you are interested in learning more about how to become involved with
The Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland as a volunteer or trustee
please contact
Penny Orr, Board President, at 216-556-5441.