Habitat & Conservation  |  01/19/2024

Dive into the Core of the Habitat Mission


24f326e9-cfdb-4a50-839b-81b343ce8b5c

Habitat Stage At Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic features something for everyone

By Kaitlyn Yoder, Habitat Improvement Program Manager for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever

The Habitat Stage at the 2024 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota March 1, 2 & 3 features an exciting line-up of dynamic speakers addressing a wide variety of habitat topics.

Come to the Habitat Stage to hear the top habitat practitioners from Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever staff, agency partners, university scholars and private sector experts! Speakers will be addressing everything from small parcel habitat management, to pollinators, prescribed fire, and agency habitat programs.

Jump to Stage Schedule


Habitat Stage Highlights

There is something for everyone at the Habitat Stage. Here are just a few highlights:
 

» Habitat: Planning to Implementation - How to Work with programs, Agencies and others to Get the Work Done
Occurs Friday at 2:30PM, Saturday at 10AM & Sunday at 12PM
Duren and his family formed Matt’s Last Tree Stand, LLC and developed an Adaptive Management Plan (AMP) for their fourth-generation legacy farm, located in Southwest Wisconsin. The AMP is based on the family conservation motto, “It’s not ours, it’s just our turn,” which embodies the idea that we learn from and honor the work of the past, as we plan and act in the present, to conserve resources for the future.

The Duren Farm has been enrolled in various conservation programs since the late 1980s. Federal Farm Bill programs include: Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The farm woodlands are enrolled in Wisconsin’s Managed Forest Law Program. Come to the Habitat Stage to hear Doug talk about his experiences with programs and agencies, hear about reasons to enroll into EQIP and CSP, opportunities and challenges of getting the work done, and the work force that is here to help.

» The Future of Farm Bill Conservation Programs - Panel Discussion
Occurs Saturday at 11AM
The Conservation Programs in the Farm Bill are arguably the most important tools out there for creating habitat for pheasants, quail, and other wildlife. This panel discussion will give you a chance to hear from government officials, partners, and the PF & QF team as we look at the next five years of Farm Bill conservation policy and program implementation.

» Challenges of Effective Management on Small Acre Habitats
Occurs Friday at 1PM, Saturday at 2PM & Sunday at 1:30PM
Do you want to manage your acres, but are challenged because of the smaller size of your property? This talk will discuss some of the challenges you may have when trying to manage small acres for wildlife, from pollinator sites to food plots and habitats in-between. Nutrien Ag Solutions, along with Pheasants Forever, will share information on how to establish and manage small-acre habitats. They also have some alternatives and options to the traditional planting methods and are excited to present some new products that are now available to assist you in your efforts to establish and manage these small but important habitats. Presenters: Travis Rogers of Nutrien Ag and Mike Retterer of PF & QF.

» Healthy Pollinator Habitat and How to Create It
Occurs Friday at 2PM, Saturday at 1:30PM & Sunday at 11AM
Have you ever wanted a beautiful, high quality native pollinator project, but weren’t sure how to get started? Come to the Habitat Stage to hear from Catherine of Pheasants Forever and Rae from Xerces as they talk about how to start your pollinator project, provide you with some valuable resources to help you get started, and talk about potential program opportunities. Presenters: Catherine Beall of Pheasants Forever and Rae Powers OF The Xerces Society.


Seminar Schedule

2024 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic:
Habitat Stage Seminar Lineup

Time Topic Speaker(s)
Friday 1:00 Challenges of Effective Management on Small Acre Habitats Travis Rogers and Mike Retterer
1:30 Integrating Pheasant and Waterfowl Conservation Kurt Forman
2:00 Healthy Pollinator Habitat and How to Create It Catherine Beall and Rae Powers
2:30 Habitat: Planning to Implentation - How to Get the Work Done Doug Duren
3:30 Yield Data Guides Conservation Adoption Stephanie Nelson and Hallie Uhlig
4:00 Prescribed Fire in the Great Plains - Panel Pete Bauman, Dirac Twidwell, Sean Kelly, Cody Grewing, Kendall Hettick
Saturday 10:00 Habitat: Planning to Implentation - How to Get the Work Done Doug Duren
11:00 The Future of Farm Bill Conservation Programs PF and Partners Panel
1:00 Integrating Pheasant and Waterfowl Conservation Kurt Forman
1:30 Healthy Pollinator Habitat and How to Create It Catherine Beall and Rae Powers
2:00 Challenges of Effective Management on Small Acre Habitats Travis Rogers and Mike Retterer
2:30 Yield Data Guides Conservation Adoption Stephanie Nelson and Hallie Uhlig
3:00 Prescribed Fire in the Great Plains - Panel Pete Bauman, Dirac Twidwell, Sean Kelly, Cody Grewing, Kendall Hettick
Sunday 10:00 Prescribed Fire in the Great Plains - Panel Pete Bauman, Dirac Twidwell, Sean Kelly, Cody Grewing, Kendall Hettick
11:00 Healthy Pollinator Habitat and How to Create It Catherine Beall and Rae Powers
11:30 Integrating Pheasant and Waterfowl Conservation Kurt Forman
12:00 Habitat: Planning to Implentation - How to Get the Work Done Doug Duren
1:00 Yield Data Guides Conservation Adoption Stephanie Nelson and Hallie Uhlig
1:30 Challenges of Effective Management on Small Acre Habitats Travis Rogers and Mike Retterer

The 2024 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic will take place at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls on March 1-3. Tickets and more information can be found at: PheasantFest.org.