Archives for July 2021

Bastron will provide support and guidance for chapter mission work in NC, TN, and VA

Quail Forever has appointed Phil Bastron, a dedicated upland hunter and former employee of The Habitat Organization, to serve as regional representative for the mid-south. In this role, Bastron will provide support for volunteers and members in North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and Virginia – currently home to 19 Quail Forever chapters and more than 2,800 members – as they focus on public and private lands habitat management efforts for bobwhite quail and other wildlife.

Quail Forever empowers county and local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent – the only national conservation organizations’ who operate through this truly grassroots structure. As a result, chapter volunteers can see the fruits of their efforts locally, while belonging to a larger national organization with a voice on federal and state conservation policy. With a growing footprint in the mid-south, Bastron will help guide local chapters to promote new habitat projects, while helping to create stronger partnerships with state agencies, corporate supporters, members, and donors.

“We’re thrilled to have Phil back as part of our team; as a former regional representative in Indiana, he elevated the work of our chapter network and served as a phenomenal resource for blooming partnerships which we hope to duplicate in other states,” stated Tom Fuller, field service director for Quail Forever. “Chapter projects and partnership positions dedicated to quail habitat management efforts in the eastern United States are vital for restoring the whistle of bobwhites. Phil Bastron has an essential role to play in this effort by revitalizing the quail hunting community at the local level.”

Raised on upland traditions in Iowa and Wisconsin, Bastron comes to Quail Forever with a strong background in the nonprofit sector. Earning his master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota, Bastron was an assistant track and field coach at Carthage College and Kent State University from 2011-2014 before earning the title of high-performance programs manager for USA Track & Field in Indianapolis. Bastron formerly served as the assistant director of alumni relations for the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana, focusing on relationship cultivation and development leads with university alumni. In 2018, he accepted a position with Pheasants Forever before serving as the associate director of development for Wake Forest University from 2019-2021. 

“Upland hunting has been a part of my family for generations,” explained Phil Bastron, “I’m honored to be working again for Quail Forever as a staffer in the mid-south. As an avid and reactivated hunter, my passion for habitat conservation and hunting heritage has me motivated to help grow this tri-state region to new heights.”

Bastron resides in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with his wife, Ashley, and spends his spare time upland hunting with their Vizsla, Desi, and their GSP, Lou. For more information about Quail Forever in the mid-south, contact Phil Bastron at (262) 945-8477 / PBastron@QuailForever.Org.

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 138,000 members and 760 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent over $ 950 million on 560,000 habitat projects benefiting 20 million acres nationwide. In fact, more than 212,000 of those acres are now permanently protected as public lands.