The first Audubon society started in New England when two women, Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall, formed the Massachusetts Audubon Society in 1896. They firmly believed there was power in numbers and inspired neighboring states to form their own organizations.
Today, each New England state has a statewide Audubon organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of birds and wildlife. While almost all remain independent organizations (one is a state program of National Audubon Society), they all work collaboratively together to reach shared conservation goals.