Shawnee Hills, Illinois is home to a new Quail Forever chapter. Bobwhite quail hunters, conservationists and youth educators in the southern Illinois region formed the local conservation group to make a difference for quail habitat while creating outdoor opportunities for area youth.
As a Quail Forever chapter, the Shawnee Hills Quail Forever chapter will utilize Quail Forever's local approach to wildlife habitat conservation. Unlike other national conservation organizations, Quail Forever gives local Quail Forever chapters the ability to decide how 100 percent of their fundraised dollars are spent. This local control provides chapters and members the ability to make things happen for wildlife in their communities, while belonging to a national organization that gives wildlife and conservation a voice in Washington, D.C.
"The folks who formed this chapter truly understand the importance of getting kids unplugged, and getting them back outdoors with nature. Not only do they have the knowledge and skills to shape area youth into becoming future conservationist, but they are also located next to the state's largest tract of public land - The Shawnee National Forest,” says Tim Caughran, Quail Forever east region field manager.
Helping lead Shawnee Hills Quail Forever's charge is Curt Carter, a longtime Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever volunteer and outdoor educator. Carter is a former Leopold Education Project coordinator, and currently runs his own wildlife interpretation school known as Land for Learning Institute. The school provides environmental education opportunities for youth and adult through excursions based in the Cache River wetlands area of extreme Southern Illinois and the spring fed rivers of southeast Missouri.
Recently, Carter organized and led Pheasants Forever’s first T.U.N.E camp in Illinois. The “ultimate nature experience,” this camp helps youth learn about outdoor recreation, wildlife and careers in the great outdoors.
Shawnee Hills Quail Forever
• Chapter leaders include Teresa Vaughn as treasurer, Alan Shearer as youth/habitat chair. • For more information, please contact Curt Carter at (618) 697-3510 or land4learning@yahoo.com.
Illinois is home to 43 Pheasants Forever chapters, 18 Quail Forever chapters and a combined 10,400 PF/QF members. For more information on “The Habitat Organization” in Illinois, please contact Tim Caughran at (618) 791-3909 or email Tim.
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 135,000 members and 745 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.
Rehan Nana, Quail Forever public relations specialist, (651) 209-4973 or email Rehan