Northern Polk Pheasants Forever Chapter gets Hands-On with Habitat in Iowa
Pheasants Forever 08.21.12
The Northern Polk chapter of Pheasants Forever will be hosting a wildlife management area enhancement project and free pancake breakfast on August 25th, 8am-1pm at the north field of the Paul Errington Marsh Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The goal of this project, hosted in conjunction with the Iowa DNR and area volunteers, is to restore a local wildlife management area by removing invasive trees and shrubs.
This project is the first of a new Iowa Pheasants Forever(PF) and Quail Forever (QF) objective focusing efforts on habitat improvements for Iowa Wildlife Management Areas(WMA) and County Conservation Board Areas (CCBA). PF and QF chapters, working in cooperation with the DNR, County Conservation Boards and local landowners, will help to improve these large tracts of upland wildlife habitat with the goal of creating an intensive upland management plan and showcasing the very best habitat management practices for individual WMAs or CCBAs. Currently, the Iowa DNR has identified over 100 of these areas throughout Iowa’s 99 counties that qualify for improvement by a PF or QF chapter.
“The Paul Errington Marsh Wildlife Management Area is located in what would be ideal Iowa upland habitat, but over time invasive trees and shrubs have outcompeted native grass species and degraded the livable areas for wildlife,” says Jared Wiklund, Pheasants Foreversouthern Iowa regional representative and Northern Polk chapter member, “Although only 1 percent of Iowa’s land mass is public, those existing WMAs offer the best opportunity for immediate habitat and upland bird gains. I strongly encourage anyone interested in habitat improvement to join us and lend a hand for Iowa’s wildlife.”
Located in Polk County, Iowa, the Paul Errington Marsh Wildlife Management Area consists of 305 acres of habitat, 1/3 marsh and 2/3 upland habitat. The property is home to a variety of species, including pheasant, waterfowl, deer and other large and small game.
Northern Polk Pheasants Forever Habitat Improvement Day:
- Items to bring for volunteering: work boots, gloves, hand saws or hand loppers for small trees and shrubs
- Directions to property: 4 miles east of Ankeny on NE 94th Ave, 2 miles north on NE 56thSt
- RSVP with Jared Wiklund by Emailing Jared or call (515) 423-4747
- A free Pheasants Forever hat will be given to each volunteer who RSVPs!
Pheasants Forever launched Quail Forever in August of 2005 to address the continuing loss of habitat suitable for quail and the subsequent quail population decline. Bobwhite population losses over the last 25 years range from 60 to 90 percent across the country. The reason for the quail population plunge is simple - massive losses of habitat suitable for quail. There are five major factors leading to the losses of quail habitat; intensified farming and forestry practices, succession of grassland ecosystems to forests, overwhelming presence of exotic grasses like fescue that choke out wildlife, and urban sprawl.
