Ten Years of Success (and counting)

Ten years ago, in a crowded room filled with background noise and big questions, a simple challenge was posed: Is it worth trying to save the bobwhite quail? From that moment, the South Carolina Bobwhite Initiative was born—and a decade later, the answer is ringing loud and clear across the state. What began as a hopeful idea has grown into a coordinated, science-based effort involving dozens of partners, hundreds of landowners, and thousands of acres restored. Through prescribed fire, habitat management, research, and boots-on-the-ground outreach, the once-fading whistle of the bobwhite is being heard again.

This article from the January/February issue of South Carolina Wildlife magazine takes readers behind the scenes of a decade-long effort that brought the bobwhite’s iconic whistle back to the landscape. Through prescribed fire, habitat restoration, innovative research, and boots-on-the-ground outreach, quail numbers are rising—and so are populations of many other at-risk species that depend on the same habitats. It’s a story about collaboration, persistence, and what’s possible when people decide today is better than waiting for yesterday. Click below to read how South Carolina turned conservation hope into measurable success—and why the sound of quail calling again is a win for everyone.

Wildlife on Your Land.pdf

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