Forest Management for Northern Bobwhite Quail, an educational webinar by the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI) and NBCI Forestry Coordinator Steve Chapman, is available for free viewing on the Webinar Portal for Forestry and Natural Resources, hosted by Southern Regional Extension Forestry.
“Reconnecting forests with quail is one of NBCI’s primary strategies for landscape scale restoration of bobwhites,” explained NBCI Director Don McKenzie. “The webinar is one of many tactics we are employing to do that, and it’s suitable for not only professionals in the field but also landowners interested in providing habitat for bobwhites, deer, turkey, pollinators and many other wildlife species.
“Our most effective habitat work on behalf of bobwhites could actually occur in the forested landscape from New Jersey to eastern Texas and Oklahoma to Florida,” said McKenzie. “Bobwhites historically thrived in these open pine savannas.
The 55-minute webinar outlines the pine forest management opportunities and practices, including appropriate thinning and prescribed fire applications.
Various continuing education credits are offered for certified wildlife biologists and foresters who view the presentation, but it is also appropriate for any landowners with interest in managing their pine landscape for bobwhites and other wildlife. Nearly 500 individuals have viewed the webinar to date.
The webinar can be accessed at http://www.forestrywebinars.net/webinars/management-for-northern-bobwhite
About NBCI
Headquartered at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, NBCI is an initiative of the National Bobwhite Technical Committee (NBTC) to elevate bobwhite quail recovery from an individual state-by-state proposition to a coordinated, range-wide leadership endeavor. The committee is comprised of representatives of 25 state wildlife agencies, various academic research institutions and private conservation organizations. Support for NBCI is provided by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program, state wildlife agencies, the Joe Crafton Family Endowment for Quail Initiatives, the University of Tennessee, Quail and Upland Game Alliance and Park Cities Quail.
