New Chapter, Same Mission: Volunteers “Covey Up” for Quail Forever in Topeka

Upland hunters in northeast Kansas are striving to conserve and promote habitat for bobwhite quail, pheasants, and other wildlife with the formation of the Kaw Valley Chapter of Quail Forever in Shawnee and Wabaunsee counties. Committee volunteers are focusing their efforts on public/private land habitat improvements throughout the region, with an overarching goal to provide future generations an opportunity to experience Kansas’ legendary upland bird pursuits.
 
“Creating wildlife habitat, providing outdoor opportunities for the next generation, and highlighting wingshooting opportunities in our state is the inspiration for establishing this motivated group of volunteers,” stated Brady Hoffman, newly elected president for the Kaw Valley Chapter of Quail Forever. “My son is only two years of age right now, but I want him to enjoy the outdoors as much as I did while growing up - our chapter wants to provide that opportunity for every child in the region.”
 
Through a series of chapter expenditures and state partnerships, volunteers of “The Habitat Organization” are making positive impacts for wildlife habitat conservation in Kansas. In fact, Kansas’ 10 Quail Forever chapters and 36 Pheasants Forever chapters have spent over $5.2 million to complete 9,379 habitat projects, improving more than 270,000 acres for upland gamebirds and other wildlife. These accomplishments can be attributed to the incredible support of more than 7,000 Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever members statewide.
 
“We’ve had some history in the Topeka area and now, with a new group of energetic volunteers, Quail Forever is able to jump in and have an immediate impact for conservation and youth initiatives in northeast Kansas,” said Marc Glades, south regional manager for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “As upland birds continue to rebound after a prolonged drought, local committees like the Kaw Valley Chapter of Quail Forever have jumped at the chance to be part of big picture conservation efforts. These are exciting times for ‘The Habitat Organization’ in Kansas and it's great to see a new group of volunteers harnessing the energy behind upland bird conservation in our state." 
 
Kaw Valley Chapter of Quail Forever
  • The Kaw Valley Chapter of Quail Forever has elected Brady Hoffman of Topeka as president, Jeff Reamer of Silver Lake as treasurer, Holly Shutt of Centralia as habitat chair, and Mark Hewitt of Topeka as banquet chair.
  • The chapter is hosting their next committee meeting on September 14, followed by a sporting clays tournament open to the general public on October 15, starting at 9 a.m. at Cokeley Farms in Delia, Kansas.
  • For more information about the chapter, attending an upcoming meeting, or taking part in the sporting clays event, please contact chapter president, Brady Hoffman, at (785) 817-2498 / btrain4112@yahoo.com.
 For more information about starting a chapter of Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever in Kansas, or becoming a volunteer within an existing chapter, contact Marc Glades at (620) 218-0557 / mglades@quailforever.org

About Quail Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 149,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent; the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $634 million on 502,000 habitat projects benefiting 14.1 million acres nationwide.

Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@quailforever.org