Pheasants Forever raises money for wildlife conservation

Submitted by Kathy Kopperud

Pheasants Forever – Chinook Chapter in Medicine Hat hosted their 22nd fund raiser at the Cypress Centre on Friday March 7. The grand finale surprise for the audience this year was Metro Kia’s donation of door prizes. Two names were drawn from all ticket holders with Ken Wou and Frank Glasgow brought on stage with no idea of what they were about to receive. Traci Stapleton of Metro Kia presented the winners with trips to Las Vegas with air fare and accommodation to an appreciative round of applause from the audience.

Pheasants Forever is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants and other wildlife through habitat securement, improvements and conservation, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs. Monies raised at the annual fundraiser go to these projects.

Habitat restoration and enhancement projects include planting trees, shrubs and grasses to create shelterbelts and grassy corridors for wildlife travel lanes and protective cover; planting good quality nesting cover for ground nesting birds; fencing out existing or newly planted habitat areas to promote growth and limit livestock access; developing riparian buffer zones; protecting cattail marshes for winter thermal cover and setting up winter food plots and emergency feeding stations as seasonal food sources.

Pheasants Forever is the only local conservation organization where all the monies raised stay right in the community. They receive no funding from government so this fundraising event is essential to their ability to continue their work. They have planted over 400,000 trees in the last fifteen years and are working towards land acquisitions in Cypress County and Forty Mile County. Land acquisitions to date include Peigan Creek, East Hays, Silver Sage I, II & III , Ross Creek and Bull Trail with continued work towards a purchase in 2014.

PHOTO: Photo L to R:  (Metro Kia)Traci Stapleton, (winner) Frank Glasgo, (Stampede Queen) Michaela Schock

(winner) Ken Wou, (Stampede Princess) Tamara Dennis

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