Bob Caveny, of Carlinville, Illinois, is the Land of Lincoln’s new agriculture and grassland wildlife program manager in the state’s Department of Natural Resources. In that role he will also serve as the state’s “quail coordinator” in the state’s support of the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI), a strategic, unified effort by 25 state wildlife agencies to restore wild bobwhite quail.
Caveny joins the state’s wildlife program after serving as agricultural lands manager within the Office of Lands. Prior to that he worked as the conservation stewardship program manager in the Private Lands program, the Illinois Recreational Access Program coordinator for the Sangamon Soil and Water Conservation District, and as a regional wildlife biologist and Farm Bill biologist for Pheasants Forever in Indiana and eastern Illinois, respectively.
Caveny has a BS degree from Eastern Illinois University in Environmental Biology and a MS degree from Texas A&M University in Wildlife Biology. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and managing habitat.
“State quail coordinators are an integral part of implementing the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, serving as a liaison between our range-wide efforts and their respective state agency. The coordinator also keeps us aware of issues specific to the state”, said Interim NBCI Director Dr. Pat Keyser. “Illinois’ history as a tallgrass prairie state and the ongoing native grassland restoration activities in Illinois hold much promise for benefitting bobwhites and many associated grassland wildlife and pollinator species. “We’re excited the position has been filled with an individual with a strong background in private lands management and Farm Bill programs. Public lands alone will not bridge the gap if we are to achieve landscape-scale restoration goals.”
For more information on key NBCI strategies, visit https://bit.ly/2wsT74d
