Quail Forever is proud to announce a new Florida chapter. The Central Florida Quail Forever Chapter #3328 will become the sixth chapter in the Sunshine State, and will be based in Winter Park, Florida, just north of Orlando.
The chapter was initially formed in early 2020, but was put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic. New leadership reinvigorated Central Florida QF early this year, and they held their first meeting in Mid-March. Chapter President John Good said the large amount of public land in Florida gives his chapter a good opportunity to make a difference.
“Florida has a higher density of public land than most other states in the southeastern quail range, which allows us to help with more habitat creation and land management than might be possible elsewhere,” he said. “We have a really unique opportunity here to make an impact on habitat and try to bolster what was once a thriving quail population.”
Like everywhere across the American south, the Florida quail population has declined steadily in recent decades. Nationwide, quail numbers decreased 83 percent between 1966-2017, something Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s
Call of the Uplands national campaign is trying to address by investing $500 million to help cultivate the next generation of conservationists. Chapters like Central Florida QF are in a prime position to help make this goal a reality.
"I'm really excited to work with the Central Florida Chapter of Quail Forever,” said Kenny Barker, Quail Forever’s regional representative in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. “They’re a young group of professionals that are poised to have a great impact on quail habitat in the Sunshine State and I can't wait to help them get started."
The chapter will be holding regular monthly meetings the first Wednesday of the month and have a kick off banquet tentatively scheduled for August. Hunters and conservationists interested in joining the chapter as volunteers are encouraged to attend. For more information about the chapter or to become involved, please contact Central Florida chapter president John Good at
jgood727@gmail.com.
For more information about Quail Forever in Florida, to join a chapter or inquire about starting a chapter, contact regional representative Kenny Barker at (850)-251-0638/
kbarker@pheasantsforever.org.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever and
Quail Forever make up the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. This community of more than 400,000 members, supporters and partners is dedicated to the protection of our uplands through habitat improvement, public access, education and advocacy. A network of 754 local chapters spread across North America determine how 100 percent of their locally raised funds are spent — the only national conservation organization that operates through this grassroots structure. Since its creation in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to 567,500 habitat projects benefiting 22 million acres.
Media contact
Casey Sill
(402)-657-4143
csill@pheasantsforever.org