Protecting the Core in Virginia

Tucked away in Sussex County Virginia is a 10,000-acre wildlife area that is at the heart of the remaining quail population in the state. Much of the surrounding area, and likewise large parts of the southeast part of the state, have seen the natural landscapes that quail need to thrive converted to large scale pine plantations that offer little to no value for bobwhite. Thanks to a $50,000 donation from conservationists Briscoe and Kenan White, alongside matching funds from the National Wild Turkey Federation, Quail Forever has helped the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources establish 55 acres of patch openings throughout the area to help provide local quail populations with the early successional habitat they need to thrive.

The work included thinning overstocked loblolly pine plantings, mulching the remaining stumps, converting the openings to native grasses and forbs and reestablishing longleaf pine. Now that the restoration work is complete, the areas will be burned on a two-year cycle to maintain habitat quality. Both quail and turkey will benefit from the project, as both quail chicks and turkey poults need the cover and increased insect forage that result from having healthy native plants in an opening.  

This project was made possible by the collaboration of multiple partners, including the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). 

"The NWTF volunteers in Virginia were excited to partner with Quail Forever and the state game agency on the Flippo-Gentry WMA project," said Cully McCurdy, NWTF District Biologist for Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. "Quail Forever is the flagship organization for quail restoration and their goals for the project compliments other work the NWTF has been involved with in the region. The forestry mulcher work and planned prescribed fire will promote valuable midstory growth and brood range in close proximity to each other, benefitting wild turkey and quail recruitment. Partnerships that focus on the end result and combine the efforts of membership-based NGO's is a true testament of the great things that can be accomplished if you don't keep score and worry about who gets the most credit!" 

A bigger impact can be achieved when the passion of local chapter members is combined with the resources of partners such as The Nature Conservancy, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Virginia Department of Forestry and others.  

The Flippo-Gentry project is part of the larger effort at putting prescribed fire on the ground in Virginia to reopen closed canopy pine plantations.  

"Every single organization has great leadership and that cohesion has held our fire program together to make sure we're able to keep fire on the ground and ramp up our long-leaf pine restoration. A lot more closed canopy pine plantations are being opened up," says Clay Ferguson of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. 

This latest project may have come to a close, but Quail Forever is still hard at work in Virginia, helping create more grassland habitat for quail, expand public access and empower local communities in Virginia to invest in the future of quail in their state. Quail hunting enthusiasts and conservationists who are looking to connect with like-minded people to help improve wildlife habitat in Virginia are encouraged to find a local Quail Forever chapter. Private landowners who are interested in incorporating quail friendly practices into their land management can contact a Quail Forever biologist here.

Gilbert Randolph is a regional communications specialist at Quail Forever. He can be reached at grandolph@quailforever.org.