North Hempstead, NY – For the third consecutive year the Town of North Hempstead is hatching and raising Northern Bobwhite Quail at the North Hempstead TV Studio in Westbury and releasing them in Town parks. The program is aimed at hatching, raising and releasing the tick-eating quail back into the local environment, in order to effectively reduce the numbers of ticks naturally. Once again this year, Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth says the Town will hatch about 36 quail from eggs and stream it live on the Town’s website. Watch the live “Quail Cam” here: northhempsteadny.gov/quailcam to see the hatching of the quail eggs, estimated to occur on or about June 1. Follow us on Facebook for updates and additional livestreams!

“The Town’s quail program has been very successful and we are excited about raising quail and awareness once again to help reduce the number of disease-causing ticks,” said the Supervisor. “Lyme disease is a very serious condition caused by deer ticks, which are prevalent in wooded areas and grasslands all over Long Island and the Town is constantly on the lookout for natural methods we can use to control disease-causing pests that do not involve using toxic chemicals. The fact that we also get to raise the quail ourselves and enjoy watching the eggs hatch that is just part of the fun and a tremendous educational opportunity for our residents.”

“We also use the quail as an educational tool for the students in the recreational program at the ‘Yes We Can’ Community Center. This program allows them to see every step of raising the quails from incubation, hatching and eventual release.” Alan Ginsberg NHTV Studio Director, who watches over the quail.

The quail program was designed by biologist Ranger Eric Powers, the host of the Town’s award-winning TV series Off The Trail. North Hempstead was the first municipality to participate in the quail program. Each year dozens of school-aged children raise quail in their classrooms and then release the quail in nearby parkland.

An incubator containing approximately more than 20 quail eggs is stationed at the Town’s TV station, NHTV at the “Yes We Can” Community Center. When the eggs hatch, the baby quail will be kept at the studio for about another two weeks, then they will join other chicks in a larger “flight pen” where they will mature further. Sometime in early August all the birds will be released in the Town’s 200 wooded acres across from the North Hempstead Beach Park and also along the Hempstead Harbor Trail. Their mission? To eat ticks!

The NHTV station is not the only place incubating quail eggs. Mr. Powers also works with dozens of schools across Long Island who set up incubators in their classrooms and raise the quail as part of their animal life cycle studies that teaches science, environmental studies and responsible stewardship. To join the spring-time Quail vs Ticks Study visit Ranger Eric’s website at www.YC2N.com.

For more information call the Town’s 311 Call Center.
Have you tuned into North Hempstead TV lately? View all of our great programming on Channels 18 or 63 on Cablevision or Channel 46 on Verizon, or visit www.myNHTV.com or www.youtube.com/townofnorthhempstead.