This year marks the bicentennial anniversary of John James Audubon’s life and work in West Feliciana Parish. As part of the celebration, the Friends of West Feliciana Tourism are hosting the inaugural John James Audubon International Symposium on April 1–2, 2022. This will be the only annual symposium dedicated to the life and work of John James Audubon.
Two hundred years ago, the young businessman, artist, and ornithologist arrived onto the riverbank at Bayou Sara, where he been hired to tutor the daughter of a wealthy landowner. "The rich magnolias covered with its odiferous blossoms, the holly, the beech, the tall yellow poplar, the hilly ground," he wrote in his journal upon his arrival at Oakley Plantation, enumerating the wonders that greeted him. "Even the red clay I looked at with amazement."
Audubon's time at Oakley—the estate lived and worked during his time in West Feliciana—only lasted three months, but the hilly, lush countryside and its wildlife helped to define his legacy as a pioneering artist and naturalist. Of the 435 images that comprise his famous “Birds of America,” portfolio, thirty-two were completed at Oakley. The woods and waterways around Oakley and throughout the Felicianas proved fertile hunting ground for his subjects, and these mixed media watercolor paintings are today considered to form the preeminent collection of wildlife illustrations that, many would later argue, launched the American conservation movement.
The symposium's goal is to honor Audubon's legacy by immersing attendees in Audubon's world, in order to see the landscape through his eyes. Bird watchers, artists, plant lovers, and history buffs were all kept in mind when designing the symposium's offerings, which include guided bird watching tours, historic home tours, and presentations from acclaimed Audubon experts.
On Friday, participants will take part in special birding tours led by ornithologists on the grounds at Audubon Historic Site and Mary Brown Nature Preserve, before touring Oakley House and Beechwood Cemetery. Saturday will feature the Speaker Symposium, bringing respected experts to speak on Audubon's life and work, including Danny Heitman, Ben Forkner, Randy Harrelson, John Miles, and Daniel Patterson. Saturday evening, Oakley Plantation will host "Audubon Under the Oaks," an elegant evening gala of Louisiana cuisine and refreshments under the property's century-old oaks.
For single-day tickets or a weekend pass, visit bontempstix.com. For more information on the inaugural symposium, including a full schedule of daily activities, go to auduboncountry.com.
Sponsored by the West Feliciana Tourist Commission
