Habitat & Conservation  |  09/06/2022

Be There, Answer the Call


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Learn how you can answer the Call of the Uplands

By Jordan L.K. Martincich, Director of Development

Tomorrow morning after you climb out of bed, I want you to do something. Do it before or maybe as you let Fido out for his morning duty. Before you begin scrolling through your never-ending social media feed. Before you grab your first cup of java. Take one moment to step outside to breathe in God’s creation and say to yourself, “We are there.”


 
  • Each morning when the sun rises over the Atlantic Ocean with its radiance warming the longleaf pines of the Southeast, we are there.
  • As its rays hit the Washington Monument, casting a giant obelisk shadow across the National Mall, we are there.
  • When it creeps slowly to high noon, inspiring the dinner siren to wail like “The Queen of Soul,” we are there.
  • As its heat motivates a cloud to break and release its thunder, lighting and rain on both wheat field and prairie grass in the heartland, quenching the thirst of the landscape, we are there.
  • When it is sinking in the western sky, creating mountain glow across the Rockies and pushing pheasants to the gravel before they head to roost, we are there.
  • And as it dips slowing out of sight into the Pacific, ending another joyful day in North America, we are there.
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  • We are there as thousands of chapter volunteers dedicate time to preserve the upland hunting tradition.
  • We are there as professional wildlife biologists conduct crow counts and help landowners improve upland habitat.
  • We are there in suits, meeting with elected officials in Washington D.C. and state capitols across this great nation.
  • We are there teaching young people and adults how to handle a firearm while instilling a conservation ethic.
  • We are there removing junipers and executing prescribed burns for the benefit of fragile ecosystems and the ranching community.
  • We are there in cafés and banquet halls across the country, raising funds and toasting the long-tailed bird.
  • We are there in hunter orange gripping the leash tight as bird dogs dance with anticipation.
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From north to south, east to west, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, Pheasants Forever is there. But our work is never done.

We are the only national organization dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public access, education and conservation advocacy. And it’s up to us to make sure the uplands remain forever.

The pressures on wild places, wildlife habitat, public lands and the hunting tradition are relentless. We are at a crossroads where we can choose which road to take, and how we want the future to look. Will it be a future of diverse grasslands filled with upland birds and brimming with excitement? Or will it be another “no hunting” tire hung on the fencepost of progress as the last remaining wildlife habitat is scrapped from existence?

This won’t be easy, but nothing easy is worth doing. The choice is ours. The time is now. Please be there for the uplands by activating with Pheasants Forever at a higher level than ever before. We need you as volunteers, members, supporters, donors and partners to help us ensure the uplands remain forever.

Be there for the uplands. Visit calloftheuplands.org today and learn how you can Answer the Call.


 

This story originally appeared in the 2022 Summer Issue of the Pheasants Forever Journal. If you enjoyed it and would like to be the first to read more great upland content like this, become a Pheasants Forever member today!