Volunteers from Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters across the country completed nearly 100 projects this spring, and the onX Access and Stewardship Program was thrilled to play a part in their work. 

Working to improve and conserve habitat comes naturally to us at onX because we recognize the importance of healthy and sustainable landscapes that will allow us to continue to make memories for generations. A large part of that work, for us, involves partnering with conservation organizations that demonstrate those shared values, and Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever (PF & QF) clearly fit the bill. So, when PF & QF came to us with the Hands-On Habitat program, we jumped at the chance to serve as the title sponsor—and we decided to significantly up the ante. 

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Hands-On Habitat

Hands-On Habitat is a volunteer-driven program that brings members of communities across the country together to carry out habitat work that supports upland species and, as a result, entire ecosystems. This work encompasses everything from invasive species removal and trash clean up to stream restoration and pollinator plantings, thereby creating healthy habitat for game and nongame species alike.  

We believe in volunteerism in support of the land we love, and onX employees are even given time off work each year to participate in volunteer work that matters to each of us. To encourage PF & QF chapters across the country to get projects on the books and rally volunteer participation, we hosted a friendly contest and set aside $15,000 in grant funding to provide three PF & QF chapters with funds to assist in their meaningful projects.

The onX Access and Stewardship Grant Program

In the spring of 2024, PF & QF chapters carried out nearly 100 Hands-On Habitat projects around the country. More than 1,000 volunteers established pollinator gardens, constructed guzzlers, planted winter food sources, cleaned and restored riparian habitat, and so much more. These 97 completed projects, along with the decades of work already done by PF & QF, go a long way to conserving habitat that supports healthy upland bird populations and provides us with opportunities to follow our dogs in the field. 

The three projects selected by onX for additional funding exemplified the high-impact work we love to support through our Access and Stewardship Grant Program. Since 2018, we’ve helped secure or improve access to more than 150,000 acres and supported the maintenance and building of more than 250 miles of trails. Choosing three PF & QF chapters to receive funding was a difficult task, but we’re thrilled with the outcome of these projects and honored to have been able to play a part in their success.

Pheasants Forever Chapter 800 (Washington): $7,500 Grant Award

In 2020, the Whitney Road Fire raced across the Swanson Lake Wildlife Area near Creston, Washington, and consumed the shrub-steppe habitat that housed everything from upland game birds to raptors and mule deer. In partnership with the Spokane Audubon Society and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Chapter 800 went to work this spring to create a 100’ x 225’ shrub plot on the fire-scarred moonscape to provide a winter food source for sharp-tailed grouse as well as thermal and escape cover for pheasants, valley quail, and many other species. After preparatory work done by WDFW, 30 volunteers planted vegetation, placed 70 T-posts, and installed 750 feet of fencing and two access doors to prevent intrusion of deer and porcupine. There’s a lot of work still to be done on this landscape following the fire, but this project is a massive step in the right direction.

Quail Forever Chapter 3138 (California): $3,750 Grant Award

With ongoing drought throughout the western United States, desert quail often find it difficult to locate sufficient water sources. One successful solution to the problem is the creation of guzzlers to replicate natural springs that allow these birds to thrive in areas of minimal rainfall. Quail Forever Chapter 3138 worked in the Mojave National Preserve to restore four guzzlers, a tedious and time consuming project that saw the participation of 21 volunteers who dedicated 472 man-hours and traveled a cumulative 7,996 miles to see it through. These four guzzlers now provide sufficient water to provide approximately 5,600 acres of habitat and will allow for the collection and storage of water in this harsh desert habitat for another 20 years.

Pheasants Forever Chapter 642 (Indiana): $3,750 Grant Award

Central Indiana’s Chapter 642 is dedicated to the conservation of pheasant and quail throughout Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, and Marion Counties. Located near Indianapolis, this chapter chose to restore prairie habitat, undertake planting work, and establish pollinator gardens at the Conner Prairie living history museum. Spanning 1,000 acres along the banks of the White River, this area once held Bobwhite quail. With increasing development, the absence of quail stood out as a clear concern for Chapter 642. We were struck by the innovative thinking, creative partnership, and ambitious and hopeful work these volunteers undertook in their attempt to bring quail back to the landscape and provide recreation opportunities so close to a large metro area.

The Work Never Stops

Conservation work can be measured in hours volunteered and funds raised, but these metrics only represent a single moment in time. To ensure the progress continues and the work never stops, our Access and Stewardship program will continue to identify and support the individuals and groups that are doing the hard work on the ground. We encourage everyone to find a project that means something to you in your area and get involved. In the end, after all the stats about acres and dollars, it all comes down to dirt under our fingernails and sweat on our brows. 

As onX Wingshooting Manager Ben Brettingen put it, “It’s going to fall on hunters to band together in order to create more habitat and improve the publicly accessible lands we cherish. We greatly appreciate the volunteers who gave their time and sweat equity to support a common passion through Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Hands-On Habitat events.”