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Partnerships adding capacity to R3 efforts, engaging more participants in the outdoors
Thomasville, GA – In partnership with the Williams Family Foundation, NRCS-Working Lands for Wildlife, and local chapters, Quail Forever is pleased to announce the hiring of Hanna Hodges as the organization’s Outreach Coordinator for Georgia and Florida. In her new role, Hodges will collaborate with local chapters, staff, and partners to deliver Quail Forever’s national Education and Outreach programing – learn-to-hunt seminars, pollinator outreach events, landowner field days, and Women on the Wing events – across a multi-state region.
“Hanna comes from a great family tradition of hunting, and she complements that with her extensive experience and education in the outreach arena. We’re excited to have her onboard, and to be adding the Williams Family Foundation to our list of outstanding Quail Forever mission supporters,” stated Tim Caughran, Quail Forever’s Director of Field Operations.
As states and partners become more engaged in the R3 movement, opportunities for support of R3 programming and capacity continue to increase across the country. R3 (Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation of sportsmen and women) efforts are underway nationwide to connect more people with America’s outdoor traditions – Quail Forever continues to lead by example in this space with outreach coordinators in multiple states.
Hodges, originally of Monticello, Florida, began her new role on March 29. She brings a diverse skillset and former experience to her position, including varied educational background, outdoor hobbies, and volunteer interests. Hodges majored in wildlife ecology and conservation and minored in both extension education and agricultural communication at the University of Florida. At present, she is an active volunteer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Quail Forever, and the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Launched with support from the Williams Family Foundation, Quail Forever sought additional partners to help solidify the outreach coordinator position. Working with Dr. Jess McGuire, Quail Forever’s Working Lands for Wildlife Coordinator, additional funding for the project was secured from the Working Lands for Wildlife program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Additionally, local chapters of Quail Forever were vital contributors for support of education and outreach programs in Georgia and Florida. This collaborative effort of private donors, agency funding, and grassroots volunteer support is a prime example of how Quail Forever seeks to be an efficient and effective partner in education and mission work in the Southeast.
For more information about partnering with Quail Forever’s R3 efforts in Georgia or Florida, contact Hanna Hodges at (850) 556-1148 or hhodges@quailforever.org.
About the Williams Family Foundation
The Williams Family Foundation is a place-based family foundation that focuses its giving in rural South Georgia. With a multigenerational connection to the hunting and conservation traditions of rural America, the Foundation supports programming in conservation of natural habitats and encourages individuals to get outside and enjoy the bounty of the outdoors.
About Working Lands for Wildlife
Through the Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) model, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses a win-win approach to systematically target conservation efforts to improve agricultural, forest, and grassland productivity which enhance wildlife habitat on working landscapes. To find out more about Working Lands For Wildlife Northern Bobwhite Projects, visit their WLFW Quail page.
About Quail Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members and 760 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent over $900 million on 550,000 habitat projects benefiting 20 million acres nationwide. In fact, more than 200,000 of those acres are now permanently protected as public lands.
Media Contact
Andy Edwards
Quail Forever Program Manager