WLFW Stories
The Softball Method
Determining the quality of upland habitat is one of the first steps in making better management decisions. One of the simplest ways to accomplish this is with the Softball Habitat Evaluation Technique (SHET) method. Simply put, it’s using a softball to mimic how quail use the landscape.
Innovative Conservation on the Sid Williams Ranch
“I’m addicted to taking a piece of land that’s worthless and turning it into something,” says Sid Williams, a rancher and landowner whose innovative conservation work in South Texas is making an outsized impact for bobwhite quail.
Kicking Out Cool Season Grasses
Replacing cool season grasses with native warm season grass can be a challenge. Foliar spraying is a cost-effective way to kickstart that conversion.
Meeting the Mestads
When Bruce and Marla Mestad bought thirty acres in northern Missouri, they didn’t expect to find that their fields were home to a seedbank for remnant prairie. With the help of Quail Forever and the USDA-NRCS, the Mestad’s have brought life back to their slice of prairie in north central Missouri.
Grazing Study Brings New Insights for Bobwhite Quail Management
The University of Tennessee, in cooperation with the USDA Workings Lands for Wildlife and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, recently completed a four-year study that aimed to explore how the combination of planting native warm-season grasses and cattle grazing may benefit bobwhite quail and other upland birds.
It's All in the Soil
Do you know your dirt? A local USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) representative can help landowners get up to speed on what sort of ground they’re working with.
Restoring Upland Habitat in Arkansas' Grand Prairie
The Holmes farm, located in Prairie County Arkansas has been in the family for over 100 years and it sits in a quail focal area and right on the border of Arkansas’ Grand Prairie.
Cozying Up for Winter: The Bog Turtle’s Seasonal Slumber
While we sip hot cocoa, these remarkable reptiles tuck themselves away, waiting for the warmth of spring to awaken their vibrant world again.
Building Your Own Conservation Team
Building habitat on private land isn’t easy. That’s why Barb Heyen has built a “conservation team,” to help transform 120 acres of her property in southern Illinois from low quality pasture to quail and monarch-focused habitat.
What to Expect During a Conservation Project: A Landowner’s Perspective
Taking on a conservation project is a meaningful way to improve the health of your land while contributing to the broader environmental good. However, the process can seem complex and unfamiliar at first. Understanding what to expect can help you approach the project with confidence and clarity. This guide walks through each journey stage, offering a detailed look at what happens and how you’ll play a central role.
The Role of Fish Passage Structures in River Health
Barriers disrupt everything from water quality to biodiversity, creating far-reaching consequences for aquatic life and the surrounding environment.
How to Partner with ACF to Make a Difference
Whether you’re part of an organization, a private landowner, or a planner, your involvement is the key to unlocking the full potential of this transformative effort. This guide offers a roadmap to joining forces with ACF and making a lasting impact for future generations.
Three Ways to Combat Woody Encroachment
Woody encroachment is one of the primary threats to upland habitat and grazing land today.
Warm Season Native Grasses for Forage
With many states experiencing record drought, livestock producers may find themselves in a tight spot when trying to provide forage for their cattle. In the long run, native warm season grasses can offer drought resistant forage during the summer slump when many cool season grasses slow in production.
Forests Protect Our Waterways
Healthy waterways are at the heart of thriving landscapes, and as a landowner, you play a crucial role in keeping these waterways clean and vibrant. Streams and rivers do more than carry water; they nourish crops, support livestock and wildlife, and help maintain the health of our communities. One of nature's most effective guardians of these waterways is the riparian buffer—a belt of trees, shrubs, and grasses alongside rivers and streams. These forested buffers are powerful natural solutions that filter pollution, stabilize stream banks, and provide vital habitats for many species—all while adding value to your land.
The Southeast is Perfect for the Aquatic Connectivity Framework
The Southeastern United States is an absolute gem in terms of freshwater diversity. The rivers and streams here are bursting with life, making this region one of the country's most biodiverse places for freshwater species. The Southeast is home to around 600 freshwater fish species, 500 of which are endemic. This region is a global hotspot for freshwater biodiversity, making the Aquatic Connectivity Framework (ACF) an excellent fit for the Southeast. We aim to protect and restore these incredible aquatic habitats through a landscape-scale Working Lands for Wildlife approach.
A New Partnership between the ACF and SARP
The Aquatic Connectivity Framework (ACF) and the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) are excited to announce a new partnership to enhance aquatic habitat connectivity on private lands across the Southeast. This collaboration leverages the unique strengths of both organizations to address barriers that obstruct aquatic organisms from accessing critical habitats.
Addressing Sedimentation Threats
Rivers and streams are the lifeblood of our environment, home to a stunning array of wildlife, from fish and amphibians to the aquatic insects that form the foundation of the food chain. However, these ecosystems are under growing threat from sedimentation and siltation. When excess soil and fine particles wash into waterways, they cloud the water, smother habitats, and disrupt the delicate balance that sustains aquatic life. The consequences ripple throughout the food chain, from the tiniest insects to the largest fish, threatening sensitive species like the Eastern hellbender and endangering fisheries.
