A podcast on Project Upland by Jacob Lam, RGS member and WVU wildlife biology student.
Looking out over the Southern Appalachian landscape from the Blue Ridge Parkway, one sees a beautiful landscape of rolling hills and vibrant green forests as far as the eye can see. The lush, closed canopy forests that dominate the region’s public lands are no doubt aesthetically beautiful, but they lack diverse forest habitat that many forest wildlife depend upon. In December 2020, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ (AFWA) Eastern Grouse Working Group released a report highlighting that ruffed grouse populations have declined by 71% since 1989 in the Southern Appalachians. The primary reason for this is a lack of...
CORAOPOLIS, Pa. (April 5, 2021) — The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society are excited to announce a new corporate partnership with onX Hunt. onX Hunt is a mapping app that enables users to know where they stand, and features multiple disturbance layers where grouse and woodcock thrive. The onX Hunt partnership will directly contribute to the RGS & AWS mission, supporting healthy forests, abundant wildlife, and conservation ethic in 2021. RGS & AWS will also work with onX to increase access and opportunity afield. [Read more…] about Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society partner with onX Hunt...
How the Northeast’s public and private landownership patterns influence RGS & AWS conservation approach.
By Todd Waldron, Northeast Forest Conservation Director
In the most recent RGS & AWS conservation update from the Northeast Region, we looked at the Northeast Upland Gamebird Technical Committee 2017 findings in terms of how diminishing forest habitat diversity is impacting grouse, woodcock and many other forest wildlife populations. One consideration for how RGS & AWS and our partners will need to approach this challenge is to consider land ownership patterns across the Northeast.
[Read more…] about RGS & AWS Northeast Forest Conservation Update: Part 2
A primer for those curious about ecological issues impacting the Northeastern Region of the U.S.
By Todd Waldron, Northeast Forest Conservation Director
February 22, 2021 – If you and your dog have been covering countless miles through New England’s autumn woods and have only been flushing a fraction of the birds that you used to see – there is a reason for it.
[Read more…] about RGS & AWS Northeast Forest Conservation Update: Part 1Why Well-Managed Aspen is the Best Grouse Habitat If you hunt ruffed grouse on the southern fringe of its range, aspen forest may not be all that relevant to you. But if you’re an upland hunter in the Great Lakes states or Northeast, it’s almost guaranteed that one of your favorite hunting spots includes an aspen stand. Throughout its lifecycle, it provides everything a grouse needs: dense cover and food. Managed properly, aspen stands are excellent habitat for ruffed grouse. If you’re unfamiliar, here’s some more information about aspen and its importance for upland birds and other early successional species alike. ...
