Plainview-Old Bethpage Boy Scout Builds Pen For Nearby Quail

NORTH HEMPSTEAD, NY—Boy Scout Daniel Reilly of Troop 423 from Plainview-Old Bethpage, who is working towards his Eagle Scout Rank, recently led a team of volunteers in building a quail flight pen in Roslyn Heights, the Town of North Hempstead announced.

The Town of North Hempstead has raised Northern Bob White Quail the past two years to help several of the Town’s parks combat ticks without using pesticides. After the quail were hatched and raised for several weeks inside a brooder at the “Yes We Can” Community Center, the chicks had to then be transferred many miles away to Caleb Smith Park in Smithtown for six to eight weeks so that they could mature and learn to fly. Until now, thanks to the efforts of Reilly and his troop at Clark Botanic Garden.

"We are so excited about the Town finally having its own flight pen for our fledgling quail right here in our own backyard," Supervisor Judi Bosworth stated via press release. "It will be a wonderful educational experience for visitors who come to Clark Botanic Garden."

The flight pen is 8x12 feet, is located near the greenhouse and will house up to 100 fledgling quail. The pen will also help educate visitors, as informational signs will explain to the public what the quail project is about. In addition, it will illustrate the life cycle of the Northern Bob White Quail.

The North Hempstead quail program is led by Ranger Eric Powers of the Center for Environmental Education & Discovery (CEED) and host of the Town’s nature program "Off the Trail." Powers also works with dozens of schools across Long Island, which set up incubators in classrooms and raise the quail as part of their animal life cycle studies that teach science, environmental studies and responsible stewardship. To join the spring-time Quail vs Ticks Study visit Ranger Eric’s website at www.YC2N.com.