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Helping Landowners Bring Back the Bobwhite

Search for Excellence in Environmental Quality, Forestry and Natural Resources

Anthony Savereno
Extension Agent
Clemson Extension
Bishopville

Team Members: Savereno, A1, Heaton, W2, Barnes, J3, Johnson, P4, Phinney, D5, Carmichael, D6, Grimes, P7, Krieg, A8, Hook, M9, Sullivan, S10, Nanney, J11
  1. Extension Agent, Clemson Extension, Bishopville, South Carolina, 29010
  2. State Wildlife Specialist, Clemson Cooperative Extension, Columbia, South Carolina, 29229
  3. Senior County Extension Agent - Distinguished, Clemson Cooperative Extension, Ehrhart, South Carolina, 29081
  4. Extension Agent, Clemson Cooperative Extension, St. George, South Carolina, 29477
  5. Team Leader, Clemson Cooperative Extension, St. George, South Carolina, 29477
  6. Certified Wildlife Biologist, SC Department of Natural Resources, Columbia, South Carolina, 29202
  7. Regional Game Bird Biologist, Tall Timbers, Tallahassee, Florida, 32312
  8. Wildlife Biologist, SC Department of Natural Resources, Bishopville, South Carolina, 29010
  9. Small Game Project Leader, SC Department of Natural Resources, Columbia, South Carolina, 29202
  10. Wildlife Biologist, SC Department of Natural Resources, St. Matthews, South Carolina, 29135
  11. Quail Focus Area Coordinator, Quail Forever, Whitmire, South Carolina, 29178

Abstract

Populations of North American grassland bird species, including northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), have declined approximately 35-40% over the past 50 years.  Most of this decline is directly attributed to loss of habitat through conversion of grasslands to agriculture and other uses, and also to changes in farming and land-management practices that leave little early successional habitat for nesting and rearing broods.  There is great desire to bring back the bobwhite, but education is needed to help landowners understand how to create and restore critical habitat.  In November 2017 and May 2018, Clemson Cooperative Extension Agents collaborated with SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), SC Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, Quail Forever, and Tall Timbers Research Station to conduct 4 workshops focused on managing habitat for bobwhites.  We presented the workshops in Hampton, Darlington, Orangeburg, and Edgefield Counties.  Each workshop consisted of morning classroom instruction on topics including bobwhite biology and ecology, incorporating bobwhite management with agriculture and forest management, supplemental feeding, cost-share programs, use of prescribed fire, native vegetation management, and the SC Bobwhite Conservation Initiative.  After lunch, participants and instructors traveled to nearby properties where agricultural and forest management practices beneficial to bobwhite quail were being conducted.  Instructors identified native plant species important to bobwhites and discussed why they are important as well as management techniques that support habitat establishment and increase.  A total of 109 registrants took part in the 4 workshops, including landowners, land managers, agency personnel, educators, and other interested stakeholders.  We sent electronic surveys to attendees following the workshops to gather demographic information, evaluate the effectiveness of the instruction presented in terms of knowledge gained as well as the likelihood of participants applying or incorporating that knowledge, and to determine how future workshops could be improved.  All responding participants reported gaining knowledge as a result of having attended the workshops, and 95% indicated that they planned to implement the knowledge and skills gained.  The combined acreage owned and/or managed by respondents was 14,719 (13,051 forest/1,668 cropland).  As a result of the success of these workshops, we are planning 4 additional workshops in new areas for 2019.

Years of CES Service: 0

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