PLANO, TEXAS (July 2023) – Northern Bobwhite Quail will be singing the loud whistled “Bob…Bob…White” calls in North Texas this year – thanks in part to efforts by Oliver Burke and others at the Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve, a 72-acre natural space in Allen and Plano, Texas.  Oliver Burke, a rising junior at Greenhill School and Eagle Scout with Troop 577, incubated 220 bobwhite quail eggs and hatched them at his house earlier this summer.  To obtain a successful hatch, Oliver monitored the temperature and humidity daily over a breeding span of almost three weeks. Once hatched, five Connemara Conservancy volunteers helped brood smaller coveys of quail for 5 weeks in pens at their respective homes.  When the chicks matured, they were transferred to a larger “grow-out” pen in the Connemara Meadow.  Once they had acclimated to the Meadow, Oliver banded and released them into the Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve.  Additional quail were released at Oak Point Park in Plano.  “I feel a strong responsibility to make a difference and help preserve our environment for future generations.  As a Scout, I really enjoy being outdoors and appreciating the Earth’s natural beauty.  We must all work together to protect our world—it takes each one of us to do our part,” said Burke  

Bob Mione, Texas Master Naturalist and Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve Manager and Past President of the Connemara Conservancy Foundation Board of Trustees, mentored Oliver.  Mione is the recipient of the 2023 Texas Environment Excellence Award for his volunteer work in the Connemara Meadow.  He has dedicated over 10 years working to restore the once horse hobby farm back to the natural Blackland Prairie.

According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the habitat of the Northern Bobwhite Quail, and resulting population of the Bobwhite itself, is gravely threatened.  Through the Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve’s Bobwhite Release program, Mione and Burke are hoping to reverse that trend.  For several years, Mione and his team of volunteers have worked with the City of Plano, the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center and Dr. William Woodfin, a private land owner located east of Melissa, to release Northern Bobwhite Quail on those properties, as well as the Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve.  The 2023 plan is to continue releasing Northern Bobwhite Quail in several Blackland Prairies across North Texas.  “Dodging thunderstorms this past week, Oliver diligently worked with the Connemara volunteers to release the Bobwhite chicks from the "grow out" pen into the open Meadow.  Oliver began this process almost 12 weeks ago when he put the Bobwhite eggs in the incubator at his house.  Immediately prior to release this past week, Oliver was able to band the bobwhites which will help us track them as they go about their new lives in the Meadow.”

Oliver is working on a multi-pronged effort to help preserve the endangered Blackland Prairie.  With less than .02% existing prairies remaining, the Blackland Prairie which runs through North Texas, is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.   Oliver’s other efforts to restore the Blackland Prairie include removing invasive grasses, transplanting native grasses to specific areas across the Meadow to prevent erosion, and making and throwing wildflower seed balls into a designated plot at the Connemara Meadow. Earlier this year, Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne named Oliver a “Texas-24 Hometown Hero” for his conservation work.  “Thank you, Oliver, for your dedication to service, bringing people together, and bettering our North Texas community for generations to come,” said Van Duyne.