Chapter's habitat work to aid southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri;
fundraiser at Claythorne Lodge May 23
JOPLIN, Mo. -- Quail hunting enthusiasts along the Missouri-Kansas state line have formed the newest chapter of Quail Forever (QF), known as the MO-KAN Chapter of QF. The chapter will focus its work on quail habitat creation and restoration in Crawford and Cherokee Counties in southeast Kansas and Jasper and Newton Counties in southwest Missouri.

The chapter has elected a father-son duo with roughly 120 years of combined quail hunting and conservation experience as its inaugural leaders. Wilbur Beatty, 81, and his son Kevin, 49, both of Carl Junction, Mo., have been elected vice-president and president, respectively.

The federal Conservation Practice 33 (CP-33) will be a primary focus for the chapter. Commonly referred to as Bobwhite Buffers, CP-33 is a conservation practice targeted at improving bobwhite quail habitat through the creation of habitat buffers along row crops. These transitional, or edge, areas provide important habitat for quail, grassland birds, and other wildlife.

Youth education is the chapter's other main purpose. "We also plan to focus on the youngsters because we realize they will be the ones to carry QF into the future," Kevin Beatty said, "We want to teach them a general understanding and appreciation of quail hunting and good conservation practices. When our children are our age, we'd like the quail population to be like it was when we were young. That's our mission."

The chapter will hold a pair of events on Wednesday, May 23, at the Claythorne Lodge, near Columbus, Kan. At 6:30 p.m., the chapter will hold a sporting clays shoot, and the chapter will conduct a meeting immediately following.

The media and public are invited to attend. For more information regarding the chapter and its upcoming events, contact Kevin Beatty at 417-437-4523 or email kbeatty@fastfreedom.net.

For information on joining a QF chapter or to starting a new one, contact Elsa Gallagher, QF regional wildlife biologist, at 573-455-2565 or e-mail egallagher@quailforever.org.
-30-

Back to 5/17/07 News