National Bobwhite and Grassland Initiative - NBGI

HOT OFF THE PRESSES!!! Managing Longleaf Pine Forests for our Future, a Climate-Smart Guide. Managed longleaf pine represents enormous opportunity for bobwhites. This guide offers management options for climate resiliency and habitat.

americaslongleaf.org

Make your plans to attend the Eastern Native Grasslands Symposium. https://www.engsymposium.org/

Good afternoon bobwhite and grassland community!

NBGI RCPP team including MO, OH, GA, and MS is excited to offer these two job opportunities to our community and beyond. These jobs will support our customer-centric model for private lands conservation delivery focused on outcomes. We will measure conservation outcomes (birds and habitat) through deployment of the CIP Landscape (to be critically reviewed in a few weeks in MS) and produce a pre and post social and economic study. This is an exciting time for the NBGI!

We are announcing two positions today: National RCPP Coordinator and Administrative Assistant (to apply go to https://nbgif.org/nbgif-jobs/). We hope to start these positions in August if strong candidates apply promptly. Please solicit far and wide. Thanks so much and have a great weekend!

PS – A Communications Coordinator will follow soon!!

June 16 - 22 is National Forage Week. Grazing Gone Native podcast produced a special issue promoting the Grasslands Partnership and positive impacts of perennial native warm-season forages. Take a listen.

Episode 16--Grassland Partnerships with Dr. Pat Keyser by AFGC--Grazing Gone Native Episode 16 - In observance of National Forage Week, Dr. Pat Keyser introduces the Grasslands Partnership and discusses unprecedented cost-share rates for establishing native warm-season grass forages and the value of perennial grass forages as carbon storage pools.

As a member of the Longleaf Partnership Council, we are happy to share the Longleaf 2023 Accomplishments Report.

americaslongleaf.org

$800 one-time incentive stipend plus $754 up to $940 per acre to convert tall fescue to native warm-season forages. $710 per acre for field borders. Folks, the incentives don't get any better than this!!!

Sobering article regarding the Green Glacier. Eastern grasslands are so far gone they don't even get any reference. Immediate and aggressive action is needed to save the central North American grasslands if they are to be saved.

A ‘Green Glacier’ of trees and shrubs is burying prairies, threatening ranchers and wildlife A juggernaut unleashed by humans is grinding slowly across the Great Plains, burying some of the most threatened habitat on the planet beneath dense junipers and shrubland.

Shared by the National Grazing Lands Coalition. Worth an hour of your time!

General Plenary with Meredith Ellis Meredith Ellis was one of the keynote speakers for the 8NGLC conference.December 7th, 2021

US is Losing 2.5 million Acres of Grasslands Annually

Aprill 11, 2024 – Grassland habitat and their associated wildlife species have been declining for decades. Today, the Cornell Lab or Ornithology released a new mapping tool that demonstrates the extent of these losses from 1992 to present. On average, our nation is losing 2.5 million acres of grasslands annually.
“The Map for Grasslands is a call to action for state fish and wildlife agencies, producers, private landowners, and conservation organizations to come together to restore these important habitats and species before further losses warrant reducing hunting opportunities or increasing regulatory measures,” said John Morgan, the Executive Director of the National Bobwhite & Grassland Initiative. “The Northern bobwhite has declined by 81% over the last 50 years like many other species that are associated with the Northern bobwhite and grasslands. The Map for Grasslands demonstrates just how dire the situation is, but by working together we can restore grasslands and the Northern bobwhite.”
We thank the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Center for Conservation Media for developing this stunning conservation mapping tool that demonstrates what the NBGI and its state fish and wildlife agency members have witnessed for decades – the drastic decline of our nation’s grassland habitats and their associated wildlife.
“The 15 grassland species highlighted in the Map for Grasslands, including the Northern bobwhite, are in peril, but this mapping tool provides us the opportunity to work should-to-shoulder with working lands and producers on mutually beneficial objectives to voluntarily restore grassland habitat that will assist declining populations of Northern bobwhite and other grassland wildlife species while benefiting grazing and grass-based agricultural operations,” said Jef Hodges, Assistant Director for the National Bobwhite and Grassland Initiative. “By working together, we also can help restore important ecological processes that provide important societal benefits such as clean water, aquifer and groundwater recharge, extended growing and grazing seasons, clean air, and carbon sequestration.”
The NBGI looks forward to working with producers on mutually beneficial conservation outcomes for grassland associated wildlife and with the coalition on the North American Grasslands Conservation Act.
Press Release Contact: Jen Mock, NBGIF National Policy Liaison, [email protected]

Monumental moment for the PA Game Commission and their great team of partners as they bring back BOB to the Keystone State. Once gone, but a second chance to hear the whistle!

LEAD environmental division postures installation for northern bobwhite quail reintroduction On March 19, 2024, employees from Letterkenny Army Depot’s Environmental Management Division, alongside the Pennsylvania Game Commission, released 50 northern bobwhite quail in an unpopulated region of the installation, totaling 76 in the past few weeks. Northern bobwhite quail are an indigenous u...

The Benefits of Grazing in Grassland Restoration

Prior to European settlement, native grasslands were heavily influenced by fire and the subsequent herbivory of many native grazers including elk and bison. Today, only a small fraction of these once pervasive grasslands exist, leading to a considerable interest in their restoration. Reintroducing a grazing regime to these restored grasslands is essential to capitalizing on the true ecological treasures that prairies possess. As many of these grasslands are working lands, Rick will describe the “conservation grazing” methodology, an approach that falls at the intersection of restoration ecology and ranching, and is of equal value to practitioners of both.

Rick Rath is a District Supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) overseeing both public land management and Private Land Conservationists in Southwest Missouri.

Thursday, April 4, 2024 | 3:00 - 4:15 PM ET
Registration is open and recording is viewable for 3 months after the live date.

Details & registration: https://learning.ndal.org/courses/grazing-grassland-2024

Exciting announcement from USDA this past Saturday at Pheasant Fest/Quail Classic in Sioux Falls, SD.

USDA Launches New Bobwhite Conservation Pilot and Announces General Conservation Reserve Program Signup Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

NBGI is thrilled to unveil our annual report, the "State of the Bobwhite, Bobwhite Almanac 2023." This comprehensive document, crafted by our team of experts, provides a detailed analysis of the current status and trends of the bobwhite population. From habitat conservation efforts to population dynamics, the report delves into key insights that contribute to our understanding of the bobwhite quail's ecological significance. As stewards of wildlife conservation, NBGI is proud to share this invaluable resource with the public, fostering awareness and inspiring collective action for the preservation of these iconic birds.
National Bobwhite and Grassland Initiative
https://nbgi.org
https://www.facebook.com/bringbackbobwhites/

Grazing Gone Native Episode 14 - Trey Davis, Davis Cattle Company, North Carolina cow-calf operator talks about using native forages in their strip grazing system and hay production.
https://www.afgc.org/resources/nwsf-resource-center/

Big News!!!

Can goats and sheep graze native forages?

Grazing Gone Native Episode 13 - Kirsten Robertson, South Carolina small ruminant producer shares her journey with grazing small ruminants and native warm-season forages. As a result of her grazing management, which includes native grasses, has eliminated the need for deworming.
https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/AKeHRyYkBDb

Happy Halloween this Tuesday!

Cody Rhoden, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, recognized with the Chuck Kowaleski Leadership Award in Harrisburg, PA at the annual meeting of the National Bobwhite and Grassland Initiative Technical Committee. Congratulations Cody.

Marc Puckett, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and Don McKenzie, former Director of the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative were inducted into the NBGI Hall of Fame during an awards ceremony at the recent NBGI Technical Committee annual meeting held in Harrisburg, PA. Congratulations to Marc and Don!

Grazing Gone Native podcast Episode 12 posted last week while we were at the annual National Bobwhite and Grassland Initiative Technical Committee meeting in Harrisburg, PA. Jason provides some interesting and valuable insight garnered from the survey. Give it a listen.

Grazing Gone Native Episode 12 by AFGC--Grazing Gone Native Jason Smith with North Carolina Wildlife Resources Agency shares the results of a survey conducted of North Carolina producers who average 10 years experience haying or grazing native warm-season forages.

One of NBGI's own, Jef Hodges, leading the way on the revolution towards native forages!!! Good for cattle, good for quail and grassland birds, and good for the environment!!

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://vimeo.com/839091027/ada817df30?share=copy&fbclid=IwAR037OkO_xXyZR790q40kIfEZNSq4jlOoGwTlFBQs7aFOcor6y1LGH-wW7o_aem_AS7DrlB4kJIdHxuHL_-SlP2KLFny3thyHdJLYsqkc3h0uxjrqMJkRvhBxZYXo1PBSEg__;!!PTd7Sdtyuw!RiebHb9YC6wWBRev7z9j5oY4NLDPVn3xN5EtMgCRB2zGpnwTCxgoknijafFKm7H0ra9U871l3YOlf1o$

Proofpoint Targeted Attack Protection Sorry, we are unable to reach the page you were trying to access. It appears that the link you clicked on is missing some key information. The link may have been broken because the message has been modified, forwarded, or otherwise changed from its original form.

Have you heard BOB??

Have you heard any bobwhite quail recently? Keep your ears open, and when you do record it on the BOBSCAPES app! Download it here: http://www.bobscapes.org

Learn more at the 🔗 link below!

https://tinyurl.com/Bobscapes

National Bobwhite and Grassland Foundation, Inc. (NBGIF) is pleased to announce the position of Habitat Management Specialist. The selected candidate will work closely and in tandem with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) staff to manage northern bobwhite habitats on the Wolf River WMA.

We are seeking a qualified individual with a background and/or interest in wildlife management. Preferred experience should include tractor and equipment operation (tractors, ATV/UTV), herbicide application, prescribed burning, using/operating power and hand tools, knowledge of early successional habitat management, and trapping.

The application deadline is open until the position is filled. Application evaluations and interviews will be conducted on an ongoing basis.

To apply, please visit our website at https://nbgif.org/nbgif-jobs/ and review the position details by clicking on the "Habitat Management Specialist" text. Click the "Apply Now" button to begin the application process. During the application process, you will not be required to upload any requested documents initially. We will review your basic details first. If we need more information, we may contact you via email and ask you to return to https://nbgif.org/nbgif-jobs/ using the "Returning users click here" button (highlighted in yellow above).
Please be prepared to upload the following required documents at that stage: Driver's License, High School Diploma, Letters of Reference, Resume, Social Security Card, and Vehicle Insurance Card.

If you have any additional questions regarding this position, please feel free to contact Penny Barnhart ([email protected]) or Brandon Gilbert ([email protected]).
Help us spread the word by sharing this job announcement with students, colleagues, family, and friends. Your support is greatly appreciated!

NBGI Foundation Job Board – NBGI Foundation NBGI Foundation is working with our partners & National Bobwhite and Grassland Initiative to fill open positions in the habitat restoration arena.

The April 13th National Grazing Lands Coalition, Graze on Over quarterly Zoom meeting featured a presentation on integrating grazing and bobwhites. You can view it here.

Managing for Bobwhites with Jeff Hodges- April Graze on Over

Michael Hook, South Carolina DNR, NBGI TC Chairman recognized at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources conference by Quail Forever for leading partnership efforts in South Carolina.

(Pictured below): Marilyn Vetter, PF/QF CEO, Michael Hook, SCDNR.