Georgia Wildlife Federation

05/28/2026

The Keeping Georgia Wild Family Festival returned to Mansfield on May 16 for another successful day of outdoor fun, conservation education, and family activities. Co-sponsored by the Georgia Wildlife Federation, the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center (GA DNR), FCA Outdoors, and the Georgia Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, the event welcomed more than 1,200 visitors. With beautiful weather and activities for all ages, the festival once again highlighted Georgia’s strong outdoor traditions and love for wildlife.

Families enjoyed hands-on activities, educational exhibits, demonstrations, and outdoor recreation opportunities including shooting, archery, and fishing. More than 400 free t-shirts were distributed to kids, and volunteers and staff served over 750 free hot dog lunches. Many attendees shared how much they enjoyed the event, including several families who said attending the festival has become a yearly tradition.

Thank you to the amazing volunteers, exhibitors, presenters, sponsors, and partners who helped make this free community event possible. We look forward to welcoming families back again next year on May 15, 2027. Sign up to get updates about next year's festival and all of GWF's news at https://gwf.org/subscribe/

05/28/2026

Sign up for the the GADNR Bobwhite Quail Initiative Newsletter!

The next edition comes out in June and you're not going to want to miss it! This quarterly newsletter is jammed packed with seasonal habitat management recommendations, cost-share program updates, upcoming events, partner updates, project highlights, spotlight articles written by GADNR and QF staff and much more!

You can sign-up to receive this newsletter at the link below. After you put in your email, select "Bobwhite Quail Initiative" under the wildlife section.
https://tinyurl.com/bdew9nkt

05/28/2026

Earlier in May, Artemis GA gathered at the McDuffie County Public Fishing Area and Fish Hatchery for a behind-the-scenes look at how Georgia’s channel catfish are raised. Nine women joined the hatchery tour, where they helped harvest channel catfish egg masses, toured the hatchery ponds and spawning pens, evaluated fish health, and observed eggs actively hatching. In total, the group harvested 12 egg masses totaling approximately 15 pounds of channel catfish eggs. Later in the day, 13 women took part in a fishing outing at the Public Fishing Area, where many caught catfish and learned basic fishing skills, including knot tying.

The following Saturday, Artemis Georgia hosted another fishing event at a private pond in Washington, Georgia. Ten women from across the state, along with three participants from a local senior center, spent the day fishing and caught an impressive total of 63 fish. Several participants chose to keep bass and bream they caught, and the event concluded with a fish filleting demonstration and tasting led by Kimberly Clements with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. A few participants even tried filleting their own fish for the first time and did a great job.

Learn how you can get involved with Artemis at https://gwf.org/artemisgeorgia/

05/27/2026

05/27/2026

Eastern phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) often perch low and make quick flights to catch insects in midair before returning to the same spot. Their soft “fee-bee” call is a familiar sound around forests, fields, and backyards across the state. Photos by GWF's Hank Ohme. Thanks, Hank, for another amazing view of our native wildlife!

05/25/2026

Today, we remember and honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice and dedication will never be forgotten.

05/25/2026

Hope you can join us! Purchase your table at https://gwf.org/sportsmansauction

05/23/2026

Last month, three new hunters and three dedicated mentors took to the woods in search of the Eastern wild turkey. While no birds were harvested, the weekend was full of learning, laughter, some distant gobbles, a little rain, and plenty of deer along the way. We even found a few promising spots to set up ground blinds for deer season.

The sounds of spring were plentiful around camp. From barred owls, eastern whip-poor-wills to chuck-will’s-widows, indigo buntings, summer tanagers, bobwhite quail, and blue grosbeaks, the woods were alive— with several of these species making an appearance in person. Most importantly, our mentees walked away with new skills, confidence, and a passion to keep chasing turkeys in the future. That’s what it’s all about. We're already looking forward to the next hunt! Learn more about Artemis GA at https://gwf.org/artemisgeorgia/

05/22/2026

Mill Creek Nature Center recently hosted a Firefly Survey in partnership with the Xerces Society, bringing participants together to search for the elusive Loopy Five firefly. Survey teams documented at least three species across the property, including the beautiful blue ghost firefly, and there is strong evidence that the rare Loopy Five may also be present at MCNC.

Special thanks to Chris DeJaegher, Reagan Montalvo with Georgia DNR, and GWF volunteers Suzy Downing, Karen Smith, and Arata Watanabe for helping make the evening a success. More firefly survey events are already being planned!

05/22/2026

05/22/2026

A couple of weeks ago, GWF staff member Emma Alligood joined the National Wildlife Federation, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and Georgia DNR in Washington, D.C., to advocate for increased funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program. The group met with offices across Georgia’s congressional delegation to highlight the importance of proactive, science-based conservation through Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan and the incredible work being done across our state.