Wildlife / Conservancy

FRENCH CREEK, W.Va. — Will West Virginia suffer more winter or enjoy an early spring? “French Creek Freddie,” the Mountain State’s unofficial weather-prognosticating groundhog, will weigh in during the 46th annual Groundhog Day Festival at the West Virginia Wildlife Center on Thursday, Feb. 2. According to Trevor Moore, a wildlife biologist at the center, the public … Read more

ALUM CREEK, W.Va. — The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources is stocking more than 20,000 bobwhite quail this autumn at wildlife management areas across the state. According to Gov. Jim Justice, the division has stocked more than 12,000 and will continue stocking through October, weather and habitat conditions permitting, through the governor’s new quail-stocking initiative. … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, is seeking private landowners who want to improve wildlife habitat on their land. The partnership seeks to address shrinking populations of priority wildlife species by implementing conservation practices that improve natural resources on private … Read more

BECKLEY, W.Va. — The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources is conducting a scientific study on black bears and black bear management that will involve telephone surveys of residents, according to a press release from the division. In the coming weeks, state residents may receive a phone call from Responsive Management, a research firm contracted by … Read more

A new wildlife education center at the 102-acre Forks-of-Coal State Natural Area near Charleston, West Virginia, is set to open in spring and is in the final stages of construction, according to officials. The 7,000-square-foot center located off the US-119 expressway near the confluence of the Big Coal and Little Coal rivers will include multiple … Read more

In some corners of West Virginia, resident rodents such as squirrels and beavers are sharing habitat with their slow-moving, short-sighted, and very prickly cousin—the porcupine. Verifiable reports of these non-native animals in the Eastern Panhandle date back to at least the later 1980s, according to Rich Rogers, district wildlife biologist and furbearer program coordinator for … Read more

An investigation into diseased birds found in the eastern panhandle has concluded that reports of affected birds have declined since July, according to the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. As a result, the division is lifting its recommendation to not feed birds in the area, as long as bird feeders are cleaned weekly with soapy … Read more

To help create even more natural habitat for wildlife around the state, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is encouraging landowners to join its Wild Yards program. The program, which has 300 members around the state, recognizes the efforts of landowners who landscape for wildlife use, according to Jim Fregonara, a wildlife biologist for … Read more

Wildlife enthusiasts and outdoor lovers who want a chance to see West Virginia’s growing elk herd up close and in a natural setting may now book a seat on a guided elk viewing tour organized by West Virginia State Parks. W.Va. Division of Natural Resources Director Stephen McDaniel says applicants for the tours should register … Read more

Landowners in the Kanawha Valley had a hands-on opportunity to learn how to create pollinator habitats on their properties through a recent workshop hosted by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia Inc. Susan Olcott, pollinator project leader for the division, says landowners across the state can avail themselves … Read more