The Burroughs Audubon Nature Club was the first organization in Rochester with an explicit environmental mission characterized by a shared love of nature, a passion to protect it, and a desire to educate others via field outings and educational programs. Inspired by the great naturalist and writer John Burroughs, the activities of this eclectic group of people foreshadowed the environmental awakenings spurred by Rachel Carson and others in the latter decades of the last century.