Celebrating 40 years of the West Virginia Wildlife Calendar

Calendar supports wildlife conservation programs for non-game species

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) producing the annual West Virginia Wildlife Calendar. Many families incorporate the calendar into their Christmas traditions as a stocking stuffer, or purchase it as a gift for those passionate about the state’s wildlife resources. Despite its four-decade history, many are unaware of the annual calendar’s role in funding conservation programs.

History of the West Virginia Wildlife Calendar

The WVDNR is responsible for managing all wildlife species in West Virginia, not just the few pursued by hunters and anglers. Recognizing the importance of having knowledgeable staff and a secure funding source to pay for conservation programs, the WVDNR created a Wildlife Diversity and Natural Heritage program in the early 1980s to manage non-game species. While the WVDNR is funded by hunting and fishing license sales and federal grants, additional funding for non-game programs was needed so biologists came up with the idea to create and sell a wildlife calendar.

West Virginia Wildlife Calendar Provides Funding Conservation Programs

Over the past 40 years, proceeds from the wildlife calendar have been used as a state match for federal funding, providing significant revenue for educational programs, citizen science programs and conservation efforts on private lands. Additionally, funds have supported staff research and monitoring efforts, many of which would not have been possible without the revenue received from calendar sales.

Funding from calendar sales helps support the following:

• Research and Monitoring Efforts
• Outreach and Educational Programs
• Private Landowners Programs
• Wildlife Publications
• The West Virginia Master Naturalist Program
• Wild Yards Program
• Natural Areas Program
• Citizens Science Programs (firefly, eastern box turtle, hellbender, rattlesnake, etc.)
• Breeding bird surveys

The Calendar’s Evolution

Initially, the calendar was issued in a six-month format, covering the months of November to August. It included useful features such as the best fishing times, season opening and closing dates, moon phases and sunrise/sunset times. However, the feature articles predominantly focused on identifying West Virginia’s native species and showcasing record fish sizes along with their catch locations. Additionally, by adopting a six-month format, the calendar was able to incorporate buck harvest data per county and “sidebars” consisting of narratives, poems or informational pieces related to the featured species of the month.

It wasn’t until 1995 that the calendar transitioned to a full-year format, running from January to December. In 1996, the calendar introduced a full-art cover featuring a child fishing, departing from the previous wildlife-focused imagery. In 1999, the calendar received its first award (silver) for Most Educational Wall Calendar. In the following years, the calendar went on to receive 15 more awards, six of which were gold star status, the highest recognition. Since then, several enhancements have been made, including listing honorable mention artists, making calendars available for purchase online and collaborating with various organizations for fundraisers.

Over the years, the calendar has continuously enriched its content to reach a broad audience. Details incorporated include hunting dates, optimal fishing times, moon phases and featured articles about WVDNR programs and wildlife. Despite these changes, the calendar has remained true to its original concept of showcasing artwork, much of which promotes local West Virginia talent. Notably, it has resisted the trend of utilizing photos, computer imagery or outsourcing production to commercial entities. In fact, the West Virginia Wildlife Calendar is the only calendar in the nation hosted by a State Wildlife Agency that exclusively features paintings rather than photographs. This commitment to authenticity has distinguished the calendar from the competition and has garnered national recognition through various awards.