Meadows, Grasslands, Shrublands, and Young Forests
Many farmers remember the familiar call of the Northern Bobwhite (bobwhite quail). Unfortunately, this has become a rare occurrence across most of Maryland. While bobwhite quail have experienced the greatest decline of all birds in Maryland in the last 50 years, they are not alone. Of the top 10 declining bird species in Maryland, nine are associated with early succession habitat – meadows, grassland, shrubland, and young forests – the same kind of habitat that bobwhite quail rely on.
To reverse this trend, we will be holding a workshop for farmers, foresters, landowners, and land managers with a strong interest in creating or managing quail and early succession habitat on a scale of 10 acres or more. The workshop will include talks about the current status of the northern bobwhite quail, habitat requirements, habitat management techniques, and how to take advantage of financial assistance programs and other resources to support this habitat type in Maryland.
The workshop will be held at 9am on June 14, 2021, at Washington College in Chestertown, MD. After morning presentations and discussions, lunch will be available at the cafeteria, and participants are welcome to attend a field visit to nearby Chino Farms, where an active habitat management program has helped maintain a healthy population of northern bobwhite quail.
To attend the meeting please register at go.umd.edu/quailmeeting, or by contacting Luke Macaulay by email at lukemac@umd.edu, by phone at 703-798-8459, or by mail at 124 Wye Narrows Dr., Queenstown, MD 21658.
This workshop is a collaboration between Washington College, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the University of Maryland Extension.
For questions or additional information, please contact Luke Macaulay (lukemac@umd.edu) or Daniel Small (dsmall2@washcoll.edu).
Have you seen quail recently?
If so, we’d love to hear about it so we can focus education and habitat work in that area. You can share information about recent sightings online at go.umd.edu/quail. You can also contact Luke Macaulay by email at lukemac@umd.edu, by phone at 703-798-8459, or by mail at 124 Wye Narrows Dr., Queenstown, MD 21658.
