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Healthy Forests, Abundant Wildlife, Conservation Ethic

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Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society Continue Support for Eastern Woodcock Migration Study

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Animation provided by: Alex Fish, University of Maine

Studying woodcock migration with RGS & AWS funded GPS technology.

The Virginia Chapters of the Ruffed Grouse Society have provided the latest commitment of member support for an international collaborative research effort examining American Woodcock migration. The H.C. Edwards Chapter, the James River Chapter, and the Ruffed Grouse Society Virginia State Drummer Fund (SDF) provided support for purchasing three additional GPS transmitters for deployment by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF).

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RGS | AWS Kids’ Coloring Contest

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Get out those crayons, colored pencils and markers, renowned artist, Jay Dowd has partnered with RGS | AWS to bring you this one-of-a-kind Quarantine Coloring Contest.

How to participate:

Parents/guardians: Please print off this coloring sheet and then post completed pictures to IG/Facebook with the tag #RGS2020 or email back to kellen@ruffedgrousesociety.org.

Deadline to submit is Friday, May 1 at 5pm EST – top 25 go to second/final round vote via Facebook album and members will vote via “likes” on the images. Round 2 voting goes through May 11 – Top 3 winners announced May 22.

Rules:

One picture per contestant allowed to submit. Age cutoff: 13

Top 3 winners receive:

  • 1st place also receives Youth Lantern, Waterproof Anti-Impact 3W Flashlight and Youth Mountain Terrain Backpack
  • 2nd place also receives youth lantern, waterproof anti-impact 3W flashlight
  • 3rd place also receives youth lantern, waterproof anti-impact 3W flashlight

RGS & AWS Address with Ben Jones and Sean Curran

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Answering more of your questions related to this week’s announcements of organizational re-structure and our model of working forests conservation.

RGS & AWS President and CEO Ben Jones is joined by RGS & AWS Vice President of Mission Sustainability Sean Curran to discuss recent news related to organizational staffing and conservation delivery programs.

The team at RGS & AWS is committed to answering your questions and providing our membership the most up to date information on the organization and the status of our mission.

Upland Nation Podcast with Scott Linden features a conversation about RGS & AWS

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upland-nation-podcast

RGS & AWS President and CEO Ben Jones recently joined Scott Linden, host of the Upland Nation Podcast to discuss recent news of an organizational re-structure and changes to the conservation delivery program.

Listen on | Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Podbean | Stitcher | Spotify

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A Conversation About RGS & AWS with Ron Boehme on The Hunting Dog Podcast

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Ben Jones joins Ron Boehme of The Hunting Dog Podcast to discuss a new model for forest conservation.

In a recently released episode of The Hunting Dog Podcast, RGS & AWS President and CEO joins host Ron Boehme to discuss recent news regarding an organizational restructure and a new model for forest conservation.

LISTEN on | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Libsyn

Topics of conversation include analysis of the newly announced Ruffed Grouse Society Model of Working Forests as well as answers to many of the questions members have been asking about the news.

You’re Asking, We’re Answering

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We have received many thoughtful comments and questions from our members over the past 12 hours. Much of the feedback has been positive, it has been apparent for most of us that RGS & AWS needs to go in new directions to thrive. I share the heartfelt sadness at losing these three biologists who have done so much good work with us. It is always difficult to let people go—it has always been my least favorite part of my professional work.

We truly appreciate the engagement. The following is a first round of Frequently Asked Questions. More to come…Keep the questions coming and we will keep the conversation going.

– Ben Jones

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The Ruffed Grouse Society Model of Working Forests

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UPDATED | Information Center

The below resources and links provide new and updated information regarding the RGS & AWS Model of Working Forests as well as organizational changes to staffing and conservation delivery programs.

ruffed-grouse-working-forests

Creating a Scalable Model for Healthy Forest Management and Wildlife Habitat

When the RGS & AWS Board of Directors and I first met nearly two years ago, we focused on a central theme – the need to scale up forest conservation work. Great strides have been made over the Ruffed Grouse Society’s 60-year tenure and now, greater opportunity knocks. By scaling our successes, we can expand impact. To that end, we have been working towards a working forests model that can improve habitat across larger landscapes. Without a doubt, efficient and impactful conservation is more important now than ever!

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Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society Announces Re-Structure

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Coraopolis, PA
For Immediate Release
March 30, 2020

The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) announced that the group is moving forward with a planned re-structure of its conservation delivery programs. The re-organization will replace the Regional Biologist job title with a new Forest Conservation Director position.

“We have been working on re-organization plans over the past 18 months,” said Ben Jones, RGS & AWS President and CEO. The change is among RGS & AWS efforts to increase engagement in forest management issues, and will result in the layoff of three biologists in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Eastern Great Lakes Regions. “While we know this is the right move, it is not easy to let folks go. These biologists have worked with great passion and dedication. We appreciate all they have done.”

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Young Forest Initiative Creating Habitat for Grouse and Woodcock in New York – RGS

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Forest Management at Mongaup Valley WMA | Photo by: Gregory Cerne

Young Forest Initiative in New York Creates Habitat for Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock

Mongaup Valley Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is nestled against a part of the Delaware River that slithers between New York and Pennsylvania. In 2016, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) completed a project to create new wildlife habitat at Mongaup Valley as part of its Young Forest Initiative (YFI), an ongoing effort launched in 2015 to increase habitat within 93 WMAs for species dependent on early successional forests and whose populations are in steep decline.

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Conservation is NOT Cancelled – RGS

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A message from RGS/AWS President and CEO, Ben Jones.

When facing human hardship, it can be difficult to remember that our own health is inseparable from the health of our natural world. Forests included! Even during good times, many folks don’t get it. But we do.

That is why our voices are so important during the days ahead. Conservation is not cancelled, my friends.

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