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Please join us for our October lecture by Jacob T GautreauxEdward Avery McIlhenny: The Quintessential Conservationist Sportsman Yet Paradoxical Naturalist
The lecture will begin at 6:00pm at 6330 St Charles Ave. If you have not renewed your membership, or are interested in joining, please visit:
https://louisianahistoricalsociety.org
Lecture Abstract:
Into a world of nature and market stepped a man that although controversial, no doubt positively influenced the future of “wildlife conservation.” Edward Avery McIlhenny,
better known as E.A. in historical reference left a lasting legacy on the flora and fauna of Louisiana. The quintessential conservationist sportsman played a large role in early
wildlife legislation, biological experimentation, and specimen importation. Progressive efforts to rationally manage the natural world often relied on a hierarchal vision of all
biotic species, including humans. Many progressive doctrines did have positive effects on the preservation of the flora and fauna and historical artifacts of North America. E.A. represents evidence of the ecological awakening taking place in North America at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. The naturalist
established a permanent home for migratory wildlife and other animal species while also propagating innumerable rare plant species at his home of Avery Island.
Here lies the paradox of the Progressive Conservationist Movement. E.A. and other elite conservationists, were attributed with foresight and entrusted to present a knowledgeable opinion on how best to manage natural resources. Out of such conservative values of nature emerged an ethic of natural resource management that castigated lower class citizens, often minorities determined by regional ethnic characteristics, and women consumers for damaging the natural world while
simultaneously justifying natural resource exploitation. I argue that a lack of foresight among conservationists, including E.A., inaugurated the Anthropocene, or the proposed
present geologic era marked by undeniable human impact on climate.
(Event Image: Edward Avery McIlhenny. McIlhenny Company, Courtesy of McIlhenny Company Archives, Avery Island, LA.)
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
6330 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118-6144, United States