Southeastern Grasslands & Bobwhite Quail with Brittney Viers

The Southeast has lost about 99% of its native grasslands. When Brittney Viers started working as a biologist on northern bobwhite quail conservation, she realized being a botanist would was critical to revelaing the bird's relationship to its habitat. Brittany works for Quail Forever, which strives to preserve remnant grassland habitat and restore degraded habitat for quail in Tennessee. Plus: Making biologists talk to landowners, the North America Grasslands Act, ticks-on-baby problems, and mountain "balds." 3:00 Botany, biology + grasslands 6:00 Studying bird health by studying plant/grassland health 8:00 Quail Forever 11:00 Coordinating regional conservation partnership programs for grassland health (ecosystem-level conservation = doesn't give a hoot about state lines) 13:00 Northern bobwhites in the East: Challenges with successional environments, lack of escape cover, thermal cover for the winter... habitat is paramount 16:00 Invasive species and herbicide use 17:00 Predators are not the main reason for quail decline 19:00 "Quail" to Westerners vs. Easterners 21:00 When biologists are REQUIRED to do landowner workshops... and the power of grassroots outreach (pssst... it can happen over a tailgate) 25:00 Hosting quail habitat workshops in places where land management is working 26:00 North America Grasslands Act 27:00 Southeastern grasslands... not the same as the tall-grass prairie of the Midwest 28:00 Many grassland birds are struggling 30:00 Grasslands in the Southeast have declined by 99% 34:00 It's hard being a grassland specialist in an area with dwindling grasslands -- they're fountains of biodiversity 36:00 There's something special about grasslands for the human soul 37:00 "Balds" - mysterious open areas on the tops of mountains 39:00 Southern grasslands -- rhododendron to cacti (they can vary greatly in makeup) 42:00 Woody encroachment: The timbered look isn't natural in a lot of parts of the Southeast 44:00 The absence of fire on the landscape 46:00 Blackbelt Prairie in Mississippi 52:00 Blueberry hunting with babies, then de-ticking your baby in the car 54:00 Listeners... a special Artemis announcement! #nospoilersintheshownotes 56:00 Artemis Program Manager job... share it with the best people in your sphere! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices