Eddie Beck making a difference for Quail in Maryland and Delaware
This year, for the first time, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever recognized a national “Volunteer of the Year.”
The award celebrates the very best the organization has to offer — the members and volunteers who optimize the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever mission, who seek to protect and grow our wildlife habitat, and who help ensure our heritage continues for generations to come.
Out of over 140,000 members and volunteers, Pheasants Forever chose four finalists. While each has made a tremendous impact on not only habitat conservation, but all of the founding principles of the Pheasants Forever mission — one name rose to the top.
During National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic on March 1-3, Maryland native Eddie Beck became the first ever Quail Forever National Volunteer of the Year.
“Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are dynamic conservation organizations, fueled by the dedication of volunteers,” said Tom Fuller, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s vice president of chapter and volunteer services. “The Volunteer of the Year award seeks to honor individuals who have made a profound impact on our mission. I truly admire Eddie’s love for the outdoors and his incredible success in bringing people together for a common goal, making him the ideal candidate for this award.”
In Beck’s tenure of less than three years, The Chesapeake Bay Chapter of Quail Forever has grown exponentially, as has banquet attendance and the amount of money raised for local habitat. The chapter is contributing to two Farm Bill biologist positions (MD & DE) and were recently able to provide $20,000 in native seed to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for the establishment of a new Wildlife Management Area in the quail focus region.
Last July, in cooperation with the University of Maryland Wildlife Extension, Beck organized and conducted a symposium on early successional habitat and public/private land connectivity at the National Wildlife Visitor Center in Laurel, Maryland. The event was attended by more than 200 landowners. Beck is currently planning another meeting of public/private landowners and managers to discuss and implement on-the-ground habitat development on Maryland’s western shore.
“I don't expect that I will hunt wild bobwhite in Maryland or Delaware anytime soon,” Beck said. “However, I do sincerely believe with continued momentum and effort, the bobwhite will regain sustaining populations that will one day provide hunting opportunities. The bobwhite can come back — if we do our work. I have a vision of taking my grandchildren quail hunting in the region one day and will continue to work to make that dream a reality. Being supported by the chapter and the “Habitat Organization” makes the effort worth it, and I’m truly honored to have been selected as the recipient of this award.”