Chapter volunteers will strive to increase community interest in quail habitat restoration and the outdoors
Quail Forever (QF) is proud to announce its newest chapter in the Old Dominion state – the Virginia Piedmont Chapter. Based out of Charlottesville, Virginia, the chapter will cover primarily Albemarle, Nelson, Fluvanna, Lousia, and Orange counties with additional outreach efforts to nearby communities to fuel habitat conservation efforts for quail and other wildlife.
The chapter’s founding came from a QF member of Virginia’s Central Chapter who wanted to extend QF’s mission to the Charlottesville and greater central Virginia area. Through social media outreach, a group of interested quail enthusiasts rallied around the idea, leading to the official formation of the Piedmont Chapter. This chapter aims to build conservation initiatives in central Virginia, raise awareness of quail habitat restoration, and create community-based outdoor opportunities.
“This Piedmont area used to be a quail stronghold,” Andrew Muchnick, chapter president, said. “Hopefully, we can help bring back somewhat of a semblance of a sustainable quail population and part of their native range to an area that has a rich history with the bird itself.”
Unique among national conservation organizations, chapters of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever retain 100 percent decision-making control over fundraising dollars, allowing volunteers to support impactful wildlife habitat projects, public access initiatives, and conservation education programs throughout the upland bird range. Quail Forever’s Virginia regional representative, Kurt Bond, will work closely with the new chapter to support the organization’s vision to sustain abundant populations of wild quail and other wildlife.
“I'm thrilled about our continued Quail Forever chapter growth in the Old Dominion state. Virginia volunteers are enthusiastic and motivated to get habitat work done, which only means great things to come for bobwhite quail. I couldn't be more excited to see our chapter footprint expand into new areas where volunteers can directly impact wildlife populations and bring much-needed public awareness to the loss of habitat.” Kurt Bond, Mid-Atlantic Regional Representative, said.
To kick-off the start of their chapter, the Virginia Piedmont Chapter will host its first event with a meet-and-greet on November 13 at Patch Brewing Company. The gathering aims to introduce the chapter to the community and connect with locals interested in the work of Quail Forever.
To learn more about the Virginia Piedmont Chapter of Quail Forever, contact chapter president Andrew Muchnick at vapiedmontqf@gmail.com or (301)-775-4640. For more information about Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever in Virginia, contact Kurt Bond at kbond@pheasantsforever.org.