A momentum shift for early successional wildlife
By Jared Wiklund
In late July, nearly 250 private landowners, agency biologists, and resource professionals packed a meeting room at the National Wildlife Visitor Center in Laurel, Maryland, to provide education, networking, and inspiration to facilitate early successional habitat improvements on the East Coast.
The expectations for the symposium were greatly surpassed with plans for new projects and partnerships already gaining traction.
“Our goal was simple – make a sincere effort bringing together anyone who wanted to learn about managing for early successional habitat types,” said Eddie Beck, president of the Chesapeake Bay Quail Forever Chapter and a key organizer for the symposium. “In the weeks following, we’re already seeing benefits of the event through landowner contacts and private-public partners who want to increase wildlife habitat in Maryland and beyond.”
Luke Macaulay, Wildlife Management Specialist with the University of Maryland Extension, also played a major role in organizing the event and acknowledged a momentum shift for early successional wildlife. “The northern bobwhite has been the number one declining species in Maryland at an annual rate of 9.7% per year over the past 60 years. The fact that they still exist on our northern fringe is a testament to the bird,” he said. “There’s plenty of opportunity to manage for early successional habitat in places like Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. Mid-Atlantic quail populations are responding in a positive manner where quality restorations are taking place, we just need to complete work on a larger scale. This meeting was a great catalyst for those efforts.”
Although the Maryland quail season is currently closed on public lands (open on private lands) in the state’s eastern region due to historically low numbers, presenter Bob Long, the Wild Turkey and Upland Game Bird Project Manager for the Maryland DNR, provided examples of quality restoration work currently ongoing throughout the state’s network of Wildlife Management Areas. He spoke with Quail Forever staff regarding a particular project at Millington Wildlife Management Area funded by Chesapeake Bay Quail Forever – an 80-acre native grass/forb planting.
“It’s these types of projects and partnerships that are helping agencies ‘hold the line’ on the northern fringe of the bobwhite range. We do have significant bobwhite quail populations in some of our management units, but more early successional habitat work is needed to connect and expand populations,” said Long.
Like surrounding states, Macaulay also commented on statistics regarding “working landscapes” in Maryland and why the state can support bobwhite quail and other early successional species for the future. Forests (33%), agriculture (18%) and grassland/hay/pasture (12%) cover types represent 63% of the state’s total land area – important habitat for wildlife and key to conservation successes if managed correctly. For example, a disproportionate amount of forest cover consists of 60- to 100-year-old trees; not an ideal age for northern bobwhite or species dependent on early successional habitat.
Symposium attendees were provided with these types of scenarios as well as programs/initiatives/tools at their disposal to implement landscapes disturbances.
The Early Successional Habitat Symposium speaks directly to the spirit and formation of Chesapeake Bay Quail Forever. The volunteer committee saw the need to do more for habitat conservation efforts in Maryland and begged the question, “what can we do to influence habitat and where can we do it?” Since 2019, the chapter was bestowed the QF National Membership Award, provided financial backing for two quail biologists in Maryland and Delaware, doubled the number of members throughout the state, contributed to public lands habitat projects in partnership the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and deployed Learn to Hunt programming for upcoming quail hunters.
Thanks to Chesapeake Bay Quail Forever and the University of Maryland Extension for hosting an incredible event, along with the numerous partners/speakers who made the day possible!
Jared Wiklund is the Public Relations Manager at Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever.