Kids learn all about the Bobwhite quail at RHC Quailapalooza

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - With Saturday’s weather sitting perfectly in the low 70s, kids and parents came to the National Ranching Heritage Center anxious to learn about a bird that’s well-known on the South Plains - the Bobwhite quail.

“Quailapalooza is a partnership with Quail-Tech, where we teach kids all about quail, the ecology that goes with them, where they live, how they’re raised, their lifecycle, all things quail-related and the kids love it!,” says Lea Ann Lust, Outreach & Education Project Manager at the Ranching Heritage Center. “Quail is a very important part of the ecology here and in the ecosystem,” she says. “In every ranch in this part of the world, you will find quail!”

Kids were able to move from station-to-station to learn about different features of the bird. Researchers with Quail-Tech, a Texas Tech-sponsored research program, were there to share their knowledge, including lead scientist Brad Dabbert.

“The different stations basically trace the whole lifecycle of the Bobwhite. We actually have eggs that they can look at. That moves into what they eat, where they live, as far as the habitat, and then finally, we have some technology here. The radio transmitters that we put on the birds, that allows us to actually monitor them in the field,” Dabbert says. “It’s a heritage for this area.”

Lust says the Ranching Heritage Center was the perfect place for Saturday’s event.

“Quail and ranching go hand-in-hand,” she says. “Teaching these kiddos about quail and how that works... It’s a natural fit!”

People can learn more about the bird at www.quail-tech.org.

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