WLFW Attends National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic
With record high attendance and a new exhibit setup featuring an incredible, custom grasslands mural, WLFW’s presence at the 2024 Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic was a hit.
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One of the WLFW team’s biggest highlights of 2024 was attending and participating in the 2024 National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Camaraderie, conservation, and learning sparked exciting and intriguing questions and discussions throughout the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. This year set an all-time record in attendance bringing in 35,415 people over the course of the weekend.
Right as the attendees walked through the front doors, the America’s Grasslands Exhibit could be spotted in the atrium. Immediately drawing crowds in, the space boasted a large, beautiful mural with artwork by Ram Papish and design by Maja Smith.
The exhibit’s purpose was to create an immersive experience of the four stages of woody encroachment in America’s Grasslands and to highlight conservation efforts to Defend America’s Grasslands.
In addition to the mural, WLFW team members and partners met chatted with attendees and gave away temporary tattoos and informational handouts within the booth.
This booth would not have been possible without the help and collaboration of our partners, South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts (SDACD), South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts Employees (SDACDE), South Dakota Grassland Coalition (SDGC), South Dakota Soil Health Coalition (SDSHC), Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, and the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.
In addition to the exhibit presence and its in-person interactions, WLFW took part in the National Pheasant & Quail Classic Upland Bird Technical and Student Poster Sessions while at the event. Topics from our team included “From Birds to Biome: Building a Framework for Conservation Action in the Sagebrush Steppe” by Dr. Dave Naugle, University of Montana professor and WLFW’s sagebrush biome science advisor, and “Beef, Bullets and Birds: Why We All Need to Participate in Conservation” by Julia Debes, WLFW communications director.
If you missed this year’s Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic, don’t fret! WLFW will be attending next year in Kansas City, Missouri. See you then!
