Author: Site Owner

NRCS Soil Conservation Technician Allen Hughes mailed longleaf pine needles from his backyard to Oregon to be used to weave baskets, a Native American tradition across the U.S. Photo: Justin Fritscher, NRCS.

The 567 federally-recognized Native American Tribes are unique in their own way—from their languages and family structure, to their clothing and food. Tribes are working hard to revive their roots to help reconnect their heritage to the land, rekindle their spiritual bonds and cultural traditions, and raise awareness amongst future generations; especially tribal youth in line to inherit the land.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works with the tribes like the Choctaw Indians, comprised of nearly 10,000 members across the United States, to farm and harvest hickory king corn and other heirloom white varieties, and process them to make hominy. Hominy is made from dried corn kernels, but it is expensive to purchase. NRCS provides the tribe with technical assistance to help transform idle land into a hominy-making enterprise–enabling the tribe to provide their own locally-grown, fresh produce, and cut their expenses by growing the corn.

NRCS continues its commitment to help revive important tribal traditions with the Puget Salish Tribe, using overlooked resources rooted in the longleaf pine ecosystem. Two NRCS employees, Oregon District Conservationist Andrea Mann and Mississippi Soil Conservation Technician Allen Hughes, coordinated a collection of longleaf pine needles on the Golf Coast, to be mailed for basket weaving on the West Coast. After Mann read about Hughes’ history and dedication to longleaf pine forests, she requested that he mail her and the Salish Tribe the 7- to 18-inch-long pine straws from his backyard.

Basket weaving is one of the oldest Native American traditions, and a tribe’s individuality is shown in the different materials used, weaving methods, and even the basket shapes. Each basket takes 8 to 12 hours to craft. Today’s weaved baskets are used mainly for décor. However, what Mann calls historical “Tupperware,”—valuable to tribes for holding food, water, or personal items—is reappearing.

NRCS District Conservationist Andrea Mann, in Oregon, wove these baskets with longleaf pine needles from Mississippi. Photo: Justin Fritscher, NRCS.

Fearful that an ancient tradition would be lost because of the shortage and limited access to wild river cane used for weaving, the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana asked NRCS for assistance. The Chitimacha, a tribe of about 1,300 members, is now planting and harvesting river cane on their reservation to ensure current and future generations of basket weavers have access to their ancestor’s resources.

Committed to supporting Native American Tribes in keeping their cultural traditions alive, NRCS provides conservation programs and technical services to American Indians, Alaska Natives and tribal governments through a network of field offices located on and off tribal lands. Working with the Intertribal Agricultural Council (IAC) and Indian Nations Conservation Alliance (INCA), NRCS has assisted with the establishment of 33 Tribal Conservation Districts.

For more information on conservation opportunities for American Indians, Alaska Natives and tribal governments, please visit NRCS’ Tribal Assistance page.

A member of the Choctaw Indians removes kernels from a corncob, one step in the hominy-making process. Photo: Tim Oakes, NRCS Mississippi.

NRCS Soil Conservation Technician Allen Hughes mailed longleaf pine needles from his backyard to Oregon to be used to weave baskets, a Native American tradition across the U.S. Photo: Justin Fritscher, NRCS.

The 566 federally-recognized Native American Tribes are unique in their own way—from their languages and family structure, to their clothing and food. Tribes are working hard to revive their roots to help reconnect their heritage to the land, rekindle their spiritual bonds and cultural traditions, and raise awareness amongst future generations; especially tribal youth in line to inherit the land.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works with the tribes like the Choctaw Indians, comprised of nearly 10,000 members across the United States, to farm and harvest hickory king corn and other heirloom white varieties, and process them to make hominy. Hominy is made from dried corn kernels, but it is expensive to purchase. NRCS provides the tribe with technical assistance to help transform idle land into a hominy-making enterprise–enabling the tribe to provide their own locally-grown, fresh produce, and cut their expenses by growing the corn.

NRCS continues its commitment to help revive important tribal traditions with the Puget Salish Tribe, using overlooked resources rooted in the longleaf pine ecosystem. Two NRCS employees, Oregon District Conservationist Andrea Mann and Mississippi Soil Conservation Technician Allen Hughes, coordinated a collection of longleaf pine needles on the Golf Coast, to be mailed for basket weaving on the West Coast. After Mann read about Hughes’ history and dedication to longleaf pine forests, she requested that he mail her and the Salish Tribe the 7- to 18-inch-long pine straws from his backyard.

Basket weaving is one of the oldest Native American traditions, and a tribe’s individuality is shown in the different materials used, weaving methods, and even the basket shapes. Each basket takes 8 to 12 hours to craft. Today’s weaved baskets are used mainly for décor. However, what Mann calls historical “Tupperware,”—valuable to tribes for holding food, water, or personal items—is reappearing.

NRCS District Conservationist Andrea Mann, in Oregon, wove these baskets with longleaf pine needles from Mississippi. Photo: Justin Fritscher, NRCS.

Fearful that an ancient tradition would be lost because of the shortage and limited access to wild river cane used for weaving, the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana asked NRCS for assistance. The Chitimacha, a tribe of about 1,300 members, is now planting and harvesting river cane on their reservation to ensure current and future generations of basket weavers have access to their ancestor’s resources.

Committed to supporting Native American Tribes in keeping their cultural traditions alive, NRCS provides conservation programs and technical services to American Indians, Alaska Natives and tribal governments through a network of field offices located on and off tribal lands. Working with the Intertribal Agricultural Council (IAC) and Indian Nations Conservation Alliance (INCA), NRCS has assisted with the establishment of 33 Tribal Conservation Districts.

For more information on conservation opportunities for American Indians, Alaska Natives and tribal governments, please visit NRCS’ Tribal Assistance page.

A member of the Choctaw Indians removes kernels from a corncob, one step in the hominy-making process. Photo: Tim Oakes, NRCS Mississippi.

A member of the Buffalo Soldiers of the American Northwest talk to fourth graders about the importance and contribution of black soldiers in the 1800s. Education about natural resources and history is an important part of U.S. Forest Service Every Kid in a Park field trips and events. (Photo courtesy National Parks Trust)

For the second year, the U.S. Forest Service is part of the administration’s Every Kid in a Park program, an initiative to provide American fourth graders with a free pass to more than 2,000 federal land and water sites for them, their siblings and up to three adults.

The pass includes access to 153 national forests, 20 grasslands and one tall grass prairie managed for the public by the Forest Service and other lands and waters managed by six other federal agencies. Some state parks also honor the pass.

As an added benefit, the Forest Service offers a free Christmas tree permit on participating national forests to any fourth grader with a valid Every Kid in Park pass. The free permit will come with an ornament specifically designed so the fourth grader can color, sign and hang the ornament on their tree as a reminder of their family’s outdoor adventure.

In the past year, the Forest Service has reached more than 50,000 fourth graders nationwide through one-on-one interaction, group field trips, school visits and special events including last year’s free Christmas tree permits.

Woodsy Owl and kids at Every Kid in a Park Back-to-School Campout at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy National Parks Trust)

“Around 1,300 free trees were given out last year to kids with an Every Kid durable pass or the paper pass they can download from the website,” said Al Remley, the agency’s fee program manager. “The pride we saw on the face of the fourth graders cannot be understated. They knew they could do something special for their families: a family field trip to a national forest to select and cut down their tree, then home to decorate the tree. How could it get any better?”

President Obama announced the Every Kid in a Park initiative in early 2015 as part of the National Park Service’s Centennial celebration. The idea expanded beyond the birthday to include the seven land and water management agencies: the Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The U.S. Department of Education also supports the program.

“We are having a great time connecting to our youth,” said Ellen Shaw, who leads the Forest Service Every Kid in a Park effort. “Getting kids outdoors to experience camping, hiking, fishing and other outdoor adventures is an important part of our work at the Forest Service. Making that connection is key to the future of our country’s natural heritage.”

Every Kid in a Park logo

Lesser prairie-chickens benefit from lands where a rancher is using prescribed grazing, according to a new report. Photo courtesy of Nick Richter.

Habitat conservation practices make a difference for lesser prairie-chickens. That’s the finding of a recent scientific study – the first part of a multi-year study – described in a new report from the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative (LPCI).

LPCI, led by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), works with partner organizations and ranchers to improve habitat and address threats to the bird. Since 2010, more than 1 million acres of habitat have been restored on working lands.

NRCS works with partners to monitor the outcomes, which helps determine if conservation practices are making a difference, but accurately estimating wildlife populations can be challenging with uncommon, widely dispersed species like the lesser prairie-chicken.

A recent study identified a new model for assessing lesser prairie-chicken populations, and it shows encouraging evidence that NRCS-recommended conservation practices through LPCI are working and that large blocks of intact prairie are important to prairie-chicken conservation.

The study assessed one year of data from the annual aerial survey of lesser prairie-chicken lek sites conducted by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and it looked at four factors that might impact site occupancy — patch size of native vegetation, percent of land cover managed with prescribed grazing; percent of land cover enrolled in USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP); and density of primary roads. The research team intends to continue with a multi-year study that assesses additional variables.

As the amount of land enrolled in CRP or using prescribed grazing increases, the likelihood that lesser prairie-chickens will occupy that land also increases.

Lesser prairie-chickens face many threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation from row-crop agriculture, fire suppression, unmanaged grazing, development, and drought. The species currently occupies just 16 percent of its historic range.

But in western Kansas, lesser prairie-chickens have reoccupied portions of their historical range and have even moved into areas outside that historical range. The range expansion coincides with former croplands enrolled and maintained as grasslands through CRP as well as native grasslands managed using LPCI prescribed grazing practices.

A team of researchers tested whether there was a quantifiable link between land where ranchers are implementing LPCI prescribed grazing plans or have enrolled their land in CRP and the likelihood of prairie-chickens occupying a landscape. Their results indicate that these habitat conservation efforts are working.

After developing an expanded model for assessing lesser prairie-chicken populations, the team found that occupancy increases as prairie patch-size increases, as well as in landscapes with ongoing conservation practices. Specifically, the results indicate that when ranchers are using prescribed grazing or enrolling land in CRP, the likelihood of lesser prairie-chickens occupying that habitat increases significantly.

The report’s management recommendations include:

• Enrolling acreage within the lesser prairie-chicken active range in prescribed grazing or CRP.
• Maintaining large blocks of native prairie across the range through sustainable ranching.
• Identifying potential landscapes with willing landowners to develop conservation easements, particularly if combined with prescribed grazing and other proven habitat conservation practices.
• Implementing prescribed grazing on dispersed patches throughout large blocks of rangeland.
• Cultivating diverse stands of CRP-enrolled grasslands that serve as connective tissue to larger patches of native prairie.
• Retaining CRP acreage as grasslands after contract expiration.

NRCS outlined its three-year conservation strategy for lesser prairie-chicken conservation, which encourages adoption of many of the above recommendations on 500,000 additional acres, such as prescribed grazing, using easements to protect key habitat corridors, and providing assistance to convert expiring CRP lands to grazing.

Learn more about these findings by downloading this new report. This report is part of the Science to Solutions series offered through NRCS, LPCI and the Sage Grouse Initiative.

Map of current and historical range of the lesser prairie-chicken, showing sites surveyed during the 2015 range-wide aerial survey. The data from this survey was used to assess the occupancy of lesser prairie-chickens.

November 3rd, 2016|Tags: recreation|0 Comments

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By Lindsay Seventko, American Forests

Fall is a perfect time to get out and explore nature. So, what better time to enjoy some of your favorite outdoor recreation activities than now. For some ideas and destinations, check out our list of some of the country’s best spots for common recreation outings.

Hiking — Acadia National Park

New England is known around the world for iconic fall foliage views. Thus, it’s only natural that the ultimate fall hiking trip should take place in Acadia National Park. With tree-lined unpaved roads to approach your hike on and sweeping mountain views of blushing birch, maple and poplar fall foliage right up to the coastline, exploring Acadia during fall should be on everyone’s autumn bucket list. Trek up Cadillac Mountain in a crisp early morning to catch the first beams of light dancing across the colored treetops, or grab on to iron rungs out of the cliffs on the Beehive Trail for a mid-afternoon climb to the top of the coastline.

Credit: Jim Dollar via Flickr.

Fishing — Flaming Gorge, Ashley National Forest

For the angler who doesn’t want the hustle and bustle of fighting over a coastline rock in Montauk or wrestling a Marlin under the Caribbean sun for hours, Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Ashley National Forest offers the pristine calm of being within more than 1 million acres of protected forest, but also being known to hold giants within its waters. Flaming Gorge has been the site of previous world record holding brown trout, as well as state record lake and rainbow trout. Take in the fall foliage that lines the banks of the reservoir, from aspen to conifer and juniper, and you may even see the rare wildlife near the water including bear, moose, elk, antelope and mountain lion.

Credit: USFWS Mountain Prairie via Flickr.

Camping — Havasu Canyon, Havasupai Indian Reservation

Looking for the perfect place to pitch your tent under a rainbow of foliage? Visit Havasupai campground on its namesake’s Indian Reservation. The Havasu Canyon is a large tributary river on the southern side of the Colorado River, offering a unique look at the Grand Canyon region and plenty of gem-colored waterfalls to hike to. While this destination will require more effort than your local campground, acquiring a permit, taking the roundabout roads, hiking down the path to this remote section of the Grand Canyon, and of course, pitching a tent in the breathtaking fall landscape will be well-worth the trip.

Credit: Alan English CPA via Flickr.

Paddling — Long Lake, New York

A fall paddling trip on Long Lake is an ideal option because of the flexibility and diversity it has to offer. As the fall foliage reflects on the clear water in front of you, take a moment to rest and let the gentle current carry you, get out to explore miles of coastline hikes and carrying trails or stop to picnic or camp at one of many breathtaking spots. With plenty of coves, coastlines and islands to explore, Long Lake will allow you to stop and experience fall foliage in countless ways, or simply allow you to take it all in as you paddle down the shoreline.

Credit: Decaseconds via Flickr.

Road Trip — Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park

Skyline Drive winds along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains through Shenandoah National Park for more than 100 miles. Not a well-kept secret, many people have a drive through the scenic mountains on their bucket list; however, this road is best traversed during the height of fall foliage. With scenic overlooks nearly every mile exposing the bright array of fall colors and plenty of trails to stop and explore, this road is more of an experience than just a drive. Rent a sports car, bring a picnic and your favorite camera and get ready to experience fall foliage in a whole new light.

Credit: dpbirds via Flickr.

City Stroll — Central Park, New York City

While thousands of people flock to New York City in September for fashion week, the city’s real fall attraction is the foliage found in Central Park. Towering trees overshadow manicured pathways carpeted in red, yellow and orange leaves. Draping branches dripping in autumn foliage paint the foreground, while peaks of towering skyscrapers break above the skyline. NYC even publishes as guide to fall foliage viewing in the park to guide your quest for the most instagrammable view.

Credit: Anthony Quintano via Flickr.

The post The Best Fall Forests For… appeared first on American Forests.

EGVM outreach sign used in Napa County that they can happily now retire, since the invasive pest has been eradicated. Photo by Nelly Castro, Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.

I was thrilled to celebrate with key partners and contributors in Napa County, California, recently at an event to recognize the critical safeguarding accomplishment we achieved together, that of eradicating the invasive European grapevine moth (EGVM) from the United States.

Leaders from the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and the California County Agricultural Commissioners came together with growers and industry representatives, who found and implemented the right tools to safeguard California grapes. In front of these critical partners, I was proud to recognize the extraordinary individual and group contributions that made the eradication of EGVM possible.

The keys to success were early detection, our rapid response, and a strong collaboration between federal, state and local officials, growers, university scientists and extension services. Such partnerships remain critical to our ability to safeguard agriculture and facilitate safe trade.

EGVM was first detected in a Napa Valley vineyard in 2009. Subsequent surveys detected the moth in 11 California counties, seriously threatening California’s $4 billion grape crop, a crop which also generates more than $57 billion annually for the State. The pest also jeopardized valuable export markets for U.S. grapes, as well as for stone fruit, another EGVM host.

Left to right: Osama El-Lissy, APHIS Deputy Administrator; U.S. Representative Mike Thompson; Greg Clark, Napa County Agricultural Commissioner; and Bob Wynn, CDFA’s Statewide Coordinator for Pierce's Disease Control Program. Photo by Tony Pugliani.

Congressional support and funding was another critical element to EGVM program success. California U.S. Representative Mike Thompson was at the event to thank partners for protecting the grape industry and California’s agricultural economy. “From the $65 million in federal funding that I was proud to help secure, to the extensive surveying and regulatory work done by state officials, to the research and development of the pheromone that kept these moths from mating, to our growers who cooperated with control efforts – the eradication of the European Grapevine moth was a team effort in every sense,” he told the assembled group.

That team included a Technical Working Group of scientific and technical experts from the U.S. government, universities in California, Italy, and Chile, and the California grape industry. With their help, APHIS and its partners had the best available science and data with which to design an eradication program that produced results by closely involving growers and the community.

In fact, CDFA Secretary Karen Ross told us that the growers and their communities deserve the lion’s share of the credit for eradicating the EGVM. She said, “They formed and sustained the cooperative effort with our agencies that ultimately achieved this goal. We are gathering to celebrate this mutual achievement, but perhaps more importantly we are here to say how proud we are of the partnership that got us here – a partnership that remains ready to respond to the next threat to venture into our vineyards.”

And she is right. APHIS, the grape industry, the State of California, county, universities, and our fellow Federal cooperators will remain vigilant by continuing to monitor for EGVM and other grape pests.

The three partners in the EGVM eradication program, USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and County agricultural commissioners are represented by these leaders (left to right): Beth Stone-Smith, APHIS EGVM Field Program Manager; Greg Clark, Napa County Agricultural Commissioner; Dave Whitmer, former Napa County Agricultural Commissioner; Helene Wright, APHIS California Plant Health Director; Karen Ross, California Secretary of Food and Agriculture; Osama El-Lissy, APHIS Deputy Administrator; Elvis Cordova, USDA Acting Under Secretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs; and Mike Gregoire, APHIS Associate Administrator. Photo by Tony Pugliani.

November 2nd, 2016|Tags: global releaf, Global Releaf International, water|0 Comments

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By Lindsay Seventko, Communications Intern

Muskegon River. Credit: Father Hinie via Flickr.

The Muskegon River has been a favorite Great Lakes-area attraction of avid anglers and wildlife fans alike for centuries. Winding through Manistee National Forest to empty into Muskegon Lake right before reaching Lake Michigan, the river offers miles of prime habitat for more than 100 species of fish, which thrive in its cold, swift current. Fourteen invertebrates that are either threatened or of special concern live in the waters along with five threatened or special concern reptiles, but the real draw of the Muskegon are the sturgeon. Despite being a federally designated threatened species, the cold water fish flourish in the waters of the Muskegon, where much like salmon, they travel up the river to spawn. Some of America’s largest giants have been caught in the waters, including a 75-inch sturgeon and a 23-pound salmon.

While the downriver waters get most of the attention from the trophy sturgeon, salmon, northern pike and walleye, none of the incredible catches would be possible without a healthy upstream ecosystem to provide ideal spawning habitat. Here, woody debris and riparian forests offer shade and shelter, and the roots of the streambank trees minimize erosion, all providing ideal spawning conditions.

Therefore, when the emerald ash borer made its way to the riparian habitat in Manistee National Forest, the small insect threatened the health of the entire river ecosystem. The emerald ash borer does its devastating work as a miniscule larvae, eating its way into the tree trunk in order to stay warm in the winter and emerging as an adult in the spring ready to reproduce. Affected trees may die within a two-year cycle, threatening not only ash trees but also the 43 insects that rely on them and the birds, especially woodpeckers, which rely need them in the food chain.

Simultaneously with the emerald ash borer attack, oak decline struck the forest. Oak decline is the process by which outside stressors, like drought, weaken the trees, allowing invasive species that can’t affect healthy trees to inflict damage and ultimately kill the oaks.

As the upstream forest ecosystem began to deteriorate and threaten the health of the entire riparian and aquatic habitat, American Forests partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in order to replant areas destroyed by the emerald ash borer and oak decline and to prevent future destruction.

To accomplish this, 6,500 native conifer seedlings were planted along the banks of important cold water tributaries to the Muskegon River. The streams provide the cold downstream current and ideal spawning conditions for the sturgeon, salmon and northern pike. Replanting these areas helps ensure the health of the entire forest and river ecosystem and will help prevent future deterioration. By planting a diversity of species, like northern white cedar, eastern hemlock and eastern white pine, the forest will no longer have a single species accounting for more than 25 percent of the forest and will be better able to handle invasive threats.

As the trees grow over time into a diverse, mature forest, the roots will minimize erosion and ensure that the Muskegon River runs with clear, cold and plentiful water, while the branches of the trees provide shelter and shade for ideal spawning habitat. Downriver, recreationalists and anglers will be able to enjoy the river and the massive fish within its waters for years to come.

The post Global ReLeaf: Muskegon River Restoration appeared first on American Forests.

A chicken infected with low pathogenic avian influenza. Photo courtesy of Dr. Nathaniel Tablante

The December 2014 to June 2015 avian influenza outbreak was the largest animal health emergency in U.S. history. The virus contributed to the death of more than 48 million birds, either due to infection with the virus or depopulation to prevent additional spread.  The virus was introduced into the U.S. by wild migratory waterfowl and then spread from farm to farm in a number of ways.  This included farms sharing equipment, vehicles moving between farms without being cleaned or disinfected, employees moving between infected and non-infected farms, rodents and small wild birds reported inside some poultry houses, and feed stored outside or without appropriate biosecurity measures. The virus spread was also assisted by instances of noncompliance with industry-recommended biosecurity practices.

Fortunately, avian influenza poses little threat to human health and food safety. Human infections with avian influenza are rare and most often occur after direct contact with an infected bird. Avian influenza does, however, adversely affect food availability and the economy. If a single bird became infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus during the 2014-15 outbreak, every bird in the same commercial poultry house – which contains an average of 30,000 birds – was depopulated.

According to a report from the Congressional Research Service, the overall economic impact of that outbreak was $3.3 billion in the United States.

“It’s tempting to blame wildlife for the outbreak,” said Dr. Nathaniel Tablante, a University of Maryland Extension poultry veterinarian, “but people should focus on what we can control on our end. An ounce of prevention can go a long way toward protecting our economy and food security from the introduction and spread of disease-causing organisms in poultry flocks.” This is why it is essential to strictly follow and enforce biosecurity procedures.

Tablante created avian influenza emergency response videos for three different audiences: commercial poultry farmers, technical service personnel, and backyard poultry producers. The videos are available in English with Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese and Spanish subtitles. These videos were funded and made possible through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program, which supports projects that serve public needs in preparation for, during and after local or regional emergency situations.

“Poultry producers are the backbone of the food and agriculture industry,” said Tablante. “It’s my commitment to ensure that we protect them.”

Tablante and other poultry specialists from University of Maryland Extension partner with the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) and its Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response Team to maintain the eXtension Community of Practice on Avian Influenza. EDEN provides a web-based communications network that provides real-time information and research-based educational resources for Extension agents and other stakeholders.

NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education and extension and seeks to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges.

Since 2009, USDA has invested $19 billion in research and development touching the lives of all Americans from farms to the kitchen table and from the air we breathe to the energy that powers our country. Learn more about the many ways USDA scientists are on the cutting edge, helping to protect, secure and improve our food, agricultural and natural resources systems in the USDA Medium Chapter: Facilitating Discovery: Boosting Competiveness through Better Research and Improved Technology.

The northern bobwhite is often referred to as an “edge” species, seeking habitat where crop fields intersect with woodlands, pastures and abandoned lands. NRCS photo by Stephen Kirkpatrick.

If you’re looking to save money around the house, you can find hundreds of helpful videos on a wide variety of “do it yourself” repair and remodeling projects. Social media and other online networking tools can put you in touch with experts to answer your questions along the way.

Well, wildlife habitat can be DIY, too. As a partner biologist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), I work one-on-one with landowners in Virginia to help them make wildlife-friendly improvements to their property, specifically improvements that benefit the northern bobwhite and associated species.

The northern bobwhite, known as the “Prince of Game Birds,” was once a familiar face in rural landscapes through much of North America. Habitat loss and fragmentation have caused the bird’s numbers to dip by about 80 percent over the last 60 years. Bobwhites depend on early successional habitat, such as (old fields and young, shrubby forests).

Landowners have a great opportunity to help this species as much of bird’s potential habitat falls on private lands. The first thing that I tell landowners is creating top-notch habitat for bobwhite isn’t costly or complex.

Before you hop on the tractor, fire up a chainsaw or fill up a backpack sprayer, you need to have a good understanding of the species’ biology and habitat requirements. Bobwhite quail are a boom-and-bust species.  They pair up in spring and summer but live in groups the rest of the year. They roost in rings on the ground and have an average life expectancy of only six to eight months.

More often than not, landowners have a great native seedbank and just need to add a couple of habitat management practices to get things moving in the right direction. In other cases, they may be actively trying to manage for quail but need to tweak their approach.

This field full of wildflowers not only provides great habitat for bobwhite but for pollinators, too! Photo by Justin Folks.

“Bobs” need three types of interconnected cover: nesting, brooding and escape, and the primary reason for their decline is habitat loss and fragmentation. While the critters might be complex, managing their habitat doesn’t have to be — simple steps like mowing in March instead of October or leaving the edges of a crop field fallow can make your land useable for quail.

I have been on many site visits where I know the landowner has a pretty good idea of what quail need, but he or she may not be the best at reading the land and seeing the opportunities. NRCS and other conservation partners, such as the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Virginia Tech’s Conservation Management Institute, provide technical and financial assistance to landowners to help them recognize these opportunities.

Some of the practices that NRCS and partners are helping landowners implement include field borders, hedgerows, conservation cover, filter strips, prescribed burning, and establishing diminished pine species such as shortleaf and longleaf pine.

Managing for bobwhite benefits many other wildlife species, including songbirds, pollinators, rabbits, wild turkey and deer. It may take a while for quail to respond to your efforts, but the impacts are immediate for these other species.  Enjoy the “fringe benefits” of conservation work!

Remember if we each do a little, it adds up.

If you’re interested in learning more, I encourage you to contact your local USDA service center to learn about assistance available through Farm Bill conservation programs.

Another resource for you to check out is Bargain Basement Bobwhites: An Affordable DIY Approach to Managing Land for Wild Bobwhite Quail that I worked on with the Virginia Quail and Early Succession Species Recovery Initiative.

Thinning pines a little heavier than normal can create great quail cover while still retaining future income from timber. Prescribed fire in the understory every two to three years helps keep it that way. Photo by David Bryan.

A massive column of smoke rises from a forest fire. Today’s rapidly changing conditions present challenges for forest managers when determining what plant species to replant after a disturbance like a wildland fire. Photo credit: US Forest Service

Forests are changing in ways they’ve never experienced before because today’s growing conditions are different from anything in the past. The climate is changing at an unprecedented rate, exotic diseases and pests are present, and landscapes are fragmented by human activity often occurring at the same time and place.

The current drought in California serves as a reminder and example that forests of the 21^st century may not resemble those from the 20^th century. When replanting a forest after disturbances, does it make sense to try to reestablish what was there before? Or, should we find re-plant material that might be more appropriate to current and future conditions of a changing environment?

Restoration efforts on U.S. Forest Service managed lands call for the use of locally adapted and appropriate native seed sources. The science-based process for selecting these seeds varies, but in the past, managers based decisions on the assumption that present site conditions are similar to those of the past.

This may no longer be the case.

Forest managers are already altering the species they use when replanting since species like chestnut, elm, butternut and the ashes have been, and are being, decimated by exotic diseases and pests. We don’t yet know what a changing climate will bring.

Forest Service scientists and geneticists are spearheading efforts to provide tools to adapt reforestation practices for changing conditions. These practices include selecting seed of proper species and location, choosing trees resistant to disease and pests, using the appropriate seedling type, controlling vegetation, and identifying proper spacing to plant tree seedlings.

Making an accurate prediction of which plants will succeed in a new environment is difficult, so geneticists employ a strategy that is not unlike your retirement portfolio: we diversify. By increasing the genetic diversity on a site, either by adding novel species or seed sources within species, we increase the chance that suitable genetic material will exist in the new environment.  But we don’t want to add any ole diversity, we try to add species and seed sources that would have the best chance of thriving in a new environment.

Our forests are confronting challenges from a changing climate, diseases, insects, and human disturbance. While we can’t be sure of what the future will hold, we use science to better understand the future and then try to consider that future when we plant and manage our forests.