ESLC & Tall Timbers receive Cornell grant to bolster Eastern Shore bird conservation with prescribed fire
An understory burn of pine duff removes fuel loads from a hedgerow on Turner’s Creek Farm, opening the understory to more plant growth.
Along with partner Tall Timbers, ESLC is honored to accept a 2025 grant from the Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative. Fourteen land trusts across the country received a total of $260,000 to be used for management and restoration of private protected lands, integration of bird conservation and tools into prioritization and planning, and development of partnerships within the birding community to amplify conservation efforts. ESLC Enhanced Stewardship Manager Larisa Prezioso commented, “The use of prescribed fire has such tremendous potential in our region, and we are so excited to be a part of the movement to accelerate the adoption of its use. We are incredibly grateful to the Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative for supporting us in this powerfully beneficial management practice, knowing it will greatly uplift the conservation value of our region.”
A Northern bobwhite quail, American robin, Carolina chickadee, dark-eyed junco, Northern mockingbird, red-winged blackbird, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, and yellow-rumped warbler explore a cleared field at Adkins Arboretum after a recent prescribed burn. [Images c/o Larisa Prezioso and Fabio Terlevich]
ESLC and Tall Timbers will work to advance “biologically beneficial blazes,” an initiative to promote and accelerate the use of prescribed fire to enhance bird habitat. Based in Florida, Tall Timbers is an organization dedicated to fostering exemplary land stewardship through research, conservation, and education with a focus on the ecology and management of fire-dependent ecosystems and wildlife.
“Prescribed fire is an often misunderstood and underutilized tool on the Eastern Shore,” commented ESLC President and CEO Steve Kline. “ESLC looks forward to equipping landowners with safe, responsible prescribed fire management plans so we can continue to enhance conserved lands and bring back that beloved quail call so many of us miss.”
Staff of Tall Timbers light fire with drip torches to demonstrate how to light a controlled burn during a learn & burn workshop.
Why is prescribed fire needed on the Eastern Shore? Over time, changes in the land use of the Eastern Shore’s coastal plain rural landscape (including the acceleration of sprawl development, adoption of “edge-to-edge” commercial farming practices, and the compounding pressures of climate change) have drastically reduced habitat for the peninsula’s population of grassland and early successional birds like Northern bobwhite, Eastern meadowlarks, and grasshopper sparrows. According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, 83% of grassland birds have been experiencing significant population declines from 1966 to 2022, with Northern bobwhite quail suffering the largest population loss over the last 50 years, upwards of more than 90% decline in Maryland alone.
Vetch, native to Europe and western Asia, is a legume often planted as a forage crop or cover crop. It can become invasive if not managed with prescribed fire or other resources. Partridge pea and tick-trefoil are native alternatives.
While many successful initiatives have restored crucial habitat, continued management has been a challenge since grasslands tend to transition back to forests when left alone. Historically, fire occurred every 4 to 10 years in this region, preventing this transition. How do we maintain the meadows and prevent them from growing up into forest? Fire is one solution. Kyle Magdziuk, the Delmarva Prescribed Fire Coordinator & Game Bird Biologist, explains, “If you think about it, prescribed burning is the only naturally occurring management tool we have available to us. Historically, fire occurred every 4 to 10 years in this region, playing a critical role in shaping and sustaining the landscape. When applied safely, responsibly, and consistently, prescribed fire mitigates the risk of wildfires, supports a balanced ecosystem with native plant and wildlife communities, and keeps the ecosystem healthy and resilient, while being one of the most cost-effective tools available.”
Efforts to educate, promote, and build capacity around the use of prescribed fire are beginning to gain momentum in the region, but resources to sustain and accelerate this momentum are necessary to increase its adoption on private lands. Thanks to this funding from Cornell, ESLC will work with Tall Timbers to advance responsible use of prescribed fire on the Eastern Shore landscape through education, engagement, and outreach.
We want to create real, visible success stories that landowners and the community can be proud of. Personally, the most rewarding thing is hearing from a landowner or manager late in the evening who’s heard a quail on their land for the first time in years. I’m hoping for more of that.
Kyle Magdziuk, Tall Timbers
Burning grasslands clears out thatch left behind from previous year’s growth, opening up bare ground to stimulate the seed bank and restore bare ground that species such as quail rely on to navigate.
Activities include hosting a “learn and burn” demonstration, creating grassland habitat management plans that utilize prescribed burning for conservation easement landowners, and compiling and distributing resources available for landowners to manage their habitat with prescribed fire. “Our goal is to strengthen our local culture of prescribed fire use so that it is understood, accepted, and applied effectively,” shared Magdziuk. “We want to create real, visible success stories that landowners and the community can be proud of. Personally, the most rewarding thing is hearing from a landowner or manager late in the evening who’s heard a quail on their land for the first time in years. I’m hoping for more of that.”
To learn more about ESLC’s prescribed burn initiative, please reach out to Larisa Prezioso at lprezioso@eslc.org. To learn more about Tall Timbers or about the brand new Eastern Shore Prescribed Burn Association, please reach out to Kyle Magdziuk at kmagdziuk@talltimbers.org.
Burning for the sustainability of quail populations occurs throughout the late winter and spring. Fire managers utilize specific weather conditions to ensure their burns are safe and effective. [Image c/o Tall Timbers.]
