John James Audubon Quotes

A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.

But the moment a bird was dead, no matter how beautiful it had been in life, the pleasure of possession became blunted for me.

I discover that my friends think only of my apparel, and those upon whom I have conferred acts of kindness prefer to remind me of my errors.

Never give up listening to the sounds of birds.

During all these years there existed within me a tendency to follow Nature in her walks.

Hunting, fishing, drawing, and music occupied my every moment. Cares I knew not, and cared naught about them.

But hopes are shy birds flying at a great distance, seldom reached by the best of guns.

Look at that mallard as he floats on the lake; see his elevated head glittering with emerald green, his amber eyes glancing in the light! Even at this distance, he has marked you, and suspects that you bear no goodwill towards him, for he sees that you have a gun, and he has many a time been frightened by its report, or that of some other. The wary bird draws his feet under his body, springs upon then, opens his wings, and with loud quacks bids you farewell.

Almost every day, instead of going to school when I ought to have gone, I usually made for the fields, where I spent the day.

The fact is I am growing old too fast, alas! I feel it, and yet work I will, and may God grant me life to see the last plate of my mammoth work finished.

As I grew up I was fervently desirous of becoming acquainted with Nature.

Mathematics was hard, dull work, I thought; geography pleased me more. For my other studies, as well as for dancing, I was quite enthusiastic.