1
A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.John James Audubon
2
As I grew up I was fervently desirous of becoming acquainted with Nature.John James Audubon
3
But Hopes are Shy Birds flying at a great distance seldom reached by the best of Guns.John James Audubon
4
I looked long and carefully at the picture of a stag painted by Landseer - the style was good, and the brush was handled with fine effect; but he fails in copying Nature, without which the best work will be a failure.John James Audubon
5
During all these years there existed within me a tendency to follow Nature in her walks.John James Audubon
6
Hunting, fishing, drawing, and music occupied my every moment. Cares I knew not, and cared naught about them.John James Audubon
7
There is but one kind of love; God is love, and all his creatures derive theirs from his; only it is modified by the different degrees of intelligence in different beings and creatures.John James Audubon
8
Surrounded by all the members of my dear family, enjoying the affection of numerous friends, who have never abandoned me, and possessing a sufficient share of all that contributes to make life agreeable, I lift my grateful eyes towards the Supreme Being and feel that I am happy.John James Audubon
9
To repay evils with kindness is the religion I was taught to practise, and this will forever be my rule.John James Audubon
10
All trembling, I reached the Falls of Niagara, and oh, what a scene! My blood shudders still, although I am not a coward, at the grandeur of the Creator's power; and I gazed motionless on this new display of the irresistible force of one of His elements.John James Audubon
11
There is the morass, wherein you plunge up to your knees, or the walking over the stubborn, dwarfish shrubbery, whereby one treads down the forests of Labrador; and the unexpected bunting or sylvia which perchance, and indeed as if by chance alone, you now and then see flying before you, or hear singing from the ground creeping plant.John James Audubon
12
I ate no butcher's meat, lived chiefly on fruits, vegetables, and fish, and never drank a glass of spirits or wine until my wedding day. To this I attribute my continual good health, endurance, and an iron constitution.John James Audubon
13
The worse my drawings were, the more beautiful did the originals appear.John James Audubon
14
If I can procure three hundred good substantial names of persons, or bodies, or institutions, I cannot fail to do well for my family, although I must abandon my life to its success, and undergo many sad perplexities and perhaps never see again my own beloved America.John James Audubon
15
Great men show politeness in a particular way; a smile suffices to assure you that you are welcome, and keep about their avocations as if you were a member of the family.John James Audubon
16
The Fur Company may be called the exterminating medium of these wild and almost uninhabitable regions, which cupidity or the love of money alone would induce man to venture into. Where can I now go and find nature undisturbed?John James Audubon