The Red Tail - The official newsletter of PRAS Chapter
Please note the PRAS newsletter is now digital only. We will continue to deliver monthly digital newsletters September through May except there will be no issue in December. Subscribe to our email list if you wish to receive the newsletter and messages about field trips, programs, etc. Subscribe to the PRAS YouTube Channel if you are interested in watching recordings of our Zoom meetings for which we have permission to post for viewing.
We are trying to broadcast our regular meetings via Zoom each month. Click this Zoom link to connect to our virtual meetings. Meeting ID is 581 087 8571 and the passcode is 1999
2024 Newsletters, Zoom Recordings & Minutes of General Meetings
April 2024: Iowa's Tallest and Largest Trees - Mark Rouw
Watch recording - presentation begins around the 24 minute mark.
March 2024: Assessing How Signs Build Awareness of Iowa Creeks, Rivers, & Watersheds - Steve Hopkins See slides for this presentation.
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Feb 2024: Tending Iowa’s Land: The Search for a Sustainable Future - Connie Mutel Find minutes for this meeting in the March 2024 newsletter above.
Watch recording - presentation begins around the 20 minute mark.
Jan 2024: Acoustic Research: Barn Owl Vocalizations - Karla Bloem
Watch recording - presentation begins at the 11:00 minute mark.
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Watch recording - presentation begins at the 11:00 minute mark.
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
2023 Newsletters, Zoom Recordings & Minutes of General Meetings
Nov 2023: Beyond the Photos - Jacob Pitzenberger
Minutes of Nov 2023 PRAS General Meeting included in Jan 2024 newsletter link.
Minutes of Nov 2023 PRAS General Meeting included in Jan 2024 newsletter link.
Oct 2023: Human Disease on the Wing: Birds, Bugs, and Our Body’s Responses -Jayden Bowen
Minutes from Oct 2023 PRAS General Meeting
Sept 2023: Identifying Migrating Raptors - Mike Havlik
Minutes from the Sept 2023 PRAS General Meeting
May 2023: Lessons from the Land, the River, And Nature - Neil Hamilton
Minutes from the April PRAS General Meeting are included.
Minutes from the May 2023 PRAS General Meeting
Minutes from the May 2023 PRAS General Meeting
Watch recording-presentation begins around the 4:32 minute mark
Minutes from the March PRAS General Meeting are included.
Minutes from the March PRAS General Meeting are included.
March 2023: Wind and Wildlife - Terry VanDeWalle
Minutes from the Feb PRAS General Meeting are included.
Feb 2023: Waterfowl & Upland Gamebirds of Iowa - Kelly McKay
Minutes from the Jan PRAS General Meeting are included.
Minutes from the Jan PRAS General Meeting are included.
Jan 2023: Whooping Cranes in the Eastern US Population - Stephanie Schmidt
Watch recording-presentation begins around the 9:44 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
2022 Newsletters, Zoom Recordings & Minutes of General Meetings
Jan 2022: Bicycling with Butterflies - Sara Dykman
Jan 2022: Bicycling with Butterflies - Sara Dykman
Watch recording-presentation begins around the 9:30 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Feb 2022: Connecting to Our Natural Heritage Through the Lens of Public Art - Reinaldo D. Correa
Watch recording-presentation begins around the 8:50 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
March 2022: Patch Birding Makes A Difference - Heather Wolf
Watch recording-presentation begins around the 11:30 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
April 2022: Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary and Conservation of the Platte River Ecosystem - Amanda Hegg
Watch recording-presentation begins around the 1:00 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
May 2022: Humanities Iowa: Ding Darling presentation
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Oct 2022: The Common Loon -
Minutes from the PRAS General MeetingWatch recording-presentation begins around the ## minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General MeetingWatch recording-presentation begins around the ## minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
2021 Newsletters, Zoom Recordings & Minutes of General Meetings
Jan 2021: Flex Your Mussels, Spread Your Wings: Freshwater Mussels & Monarch Butterflies - Jared McGovern
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 8:25 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Feb 2021: Climate Change & Birds - Rob Schultz
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 14:35 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
March 2021: Fungus Among Us - Fungi in Iowa - Jessica Lancial
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 5:24 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
April 2021: Virtual Tour of Hartman Reserve Nature Center & Wild Backyards - Katie Klus
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 3:40 minute mark
Guide to Backyard Pollinators from Katie Klus, Naturalist @ Hartman Reserve
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
May 2021: Civilian Conservation Corps Projects at Iowa's State Parks - Linda Betsinger McCann
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 20:00 minute mark.
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Sep 2021: It's Not Nice to Mess with Mother Nature: Weather, Climate, and Global Warming - Dr. Robert Dise
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 14:21 minute mark.
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Oct 2021: Driftless Ecology - Larry Reis
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 9:46 minute mark.
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 9:46 minute mark.
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Nov 2021: All the Little Things - Chris Helzer
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 7:57 minute mark.
2020 Newsletters, Zoom Recordings & Minutes of General Meetings
Jan 2020: Forest Bathing: Benefits of Being Out in Nature - Dr. Suzanne Bartlett Hackenmiller
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Feb 2020: Antartica - Stacey Snyder
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
March 2020: Raptors of the Midwest - Ty Smedes
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
April 2020: Program canceled due to COVID-19 safety measures.
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 7:57 minute mark.
2020 Newsletters, Zoom Recordings & Minutes of General Meetings
Jan 2020: Forest Bathing: Benefits of Being Out in Nature - Dr. Suzanne Bartlett Hackenmiller
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Feb 2020: Antartica - Stacey Snyder
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
March 2020: Raptors of the Midwest - Ty Smedes
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
April 2020: Program canceled due to COVID-19 safety measures.
May 2020: Program canceled due to COVID-19 safety measures.
Sept 2020: Grassland Birds - Doug Harr
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 8:00 minute mark
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 8:00 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Oct 2020: Tracking Bird Migration for Conservation - Anna Buckhardt Thomas
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 12:00 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
Nov 2020: Bears of Katmai - Craig Meyers
Watch recording-presentation starts around the 5:15 minute mark
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
2019 Newsletters & Minutes of General Meeting
Jan 2019: Iowa State Parks - Centennial Celebration - Karl Kurtz
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Feb 2019: PRAS program cancelled due to weather.
March 2019: Iowa's Nesting Owls - Wildlife Rehabilitation - Bruce and Marlene Ehresman
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
April 2019: Alaska, The Last Great Race - Dr. Jim Kenyon
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
May 2019: Iowa's Prairies - Dr. Daryl Smith
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Sept 2019: Build It, They Will Come, Enhancing Your Backyard Habitat - Jim Durbin
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Oct 2019: Bound for the Barrens - Vern Fish
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Nov 2019: Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project - Linda Nebbe
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
2018 Newsletters & Minutes of General Meeting
January 2018: Backyard Birds - Ken Heiar, Joel & Linda Haack, & Tom Schilke
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
February 2018: Iowa's Endangered Wood Turtles - Jeff Tamplin
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
March 2018: Zambia
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
April 2018: Marsh Birds - Tyler Harms
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
May 2018: Reflections on Iowa Rivers and their Futures - Jim Pease
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Sept 2018: Sweet Marsh DNR Externship - Stacey Snyder
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Oct 2018: Build It & They Will Come: Pintail Wetlands, Hardin County - Tom Schilke
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Nov 2018: Iowa Outdoors Magazine - Brian Button, editor
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Jan 2019: Karl Kutz, Iowa State Parks - Centennial Celebration
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Feb 2019: PRAS program cancelled due to weather.
March 2019: Iowa's Nesting Owls - Wildlife Rehabilitation - Bruce and Marlene Ehresman
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
2017 Newsletters & Minutes of General Meeting
January 2017: A Watershed Approach to Improving the Cedar River - Mary Beth Stevenson, Shane Wulf, & Josh Balk
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
February 2017: Bird Song: The Basics of Identifying Birds by Ear - Scott Garrett and Candace Havely
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
March 2017: Costa Rica Adventures - Bruce Plakke and PRAS Members
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
April 2017: Althea Sherman Chimney Swift Tower - Linda & Robert Scarth
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
May 2017: Madagascar-The 8th Continent, Part 1 - Paul Roisen
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
September 2017: Pollinators in Iowa: Conservation and Management Strategies to Preserve Wild Bees - Ashley St. Clair
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
October 2017: Tales of a World Birder - Dr. Stephen Dinsmore
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
November 2017: Madagascar-The 8th Continent, Part 2 - Paul Roisen
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
2016 Newsletters & Minutes of General Meeting
January 2016: Northern Rockies - Bruce Plaake, Tom Schilke, Tom Moon, PRAS Members
February 2016: Gardening for Butterflies & Pollinators - Donald Lewis
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
March 2016: Spring Ephermerals - Kenny Slocum
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
April 2016: Training Your Warbler Eyes - Tyler Harms
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
May 2016: Beauty Around Us - Kip Ladage
September 2016: Winged Jewels: Dragonflies & Damselflies of Iowa - Ann Johnson
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
October 2016: Ensuring The Riches of Heritage Valley (Allamakee County) - Bill Witt and Brian Kanhauser
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
November 2016: The Role of Citizen Scientists in Bald Eagle Conservation in Iowa - Stephanie Shepherd
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
2015 Newsletters
January 2015: Natural History and Identification of Iowa's Shorebirds - Steve Dinsmore
February 2015: Florida Adventures - PRAS members
March 2015: Loon Magic - Ty Smedes
April 2015: Bird Nests: A Tour of Avian Architecture - Bruce Ehresman
May 2015: Fight to Protect Nature - Tivon Feeley
September 2015: Voyage to the Bottom of the World - Ty Smedes
October 2015: Inside Passage: Bears, Whales Totems - Robert & Linda Scarth
November 2015: Exploring Bats of Iowa - Russ Benedict, Guest Speaker
2014 Newsletters
January 2014: Things with Wings - Jim Durbin
February 2014: My Birding Trips to Mexico - Francis Moore
March 2014: Purple Martin Landlords - Rick Fisher
April 2014: Freshwater Mussels of Iowa - Jen Kurth
May 2014: Tropical Biodiversity: Why Should We Care? - Jim Pease
September 2014: Becky's Fen: Private Land as a Public Resource - Rebecca Kauten
October 2014: Iowa's Bird of Prey - Jodeane Cancilla
November 2014: Discovering Where We Live - Carl Kurtz
Minutes from the PRAS General Meeting
2019 Newsletters & Minutes of General Meeting
Jan 2019: Iowa State Parks - Centennial Celebration - Karl Kurtz
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Feb 2019: PRAS program cancelled due to weather.
March 2019: Iowa's Nesting Owls - Wildlife Rehabilitation - Bruce and Marlene Ehresman
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
April 2019: Alaska, The Last Great Race - Dr. Jim Kenyon
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
May 2019: Iowa's Prairies - Dr. Daryl Smith
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Sept 2019: Build It, They Will Come, Enhancing Your Backyard Habitat - Jim Durbin
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Oct 2019: Bound for the Barrens - Vern Fish
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Nov 2019: Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project - Linda Nebbe
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
2018 Newsletters & Minutes of General Meeting
January 2018: Backyard Birds - Ken Heiar, Joel & Linda Haack, & Tom Schilke
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
February 2018: Iowa's Endangered Wood Turtles - Jeff Tamplin
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
March 2018: Zambia
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
April 2018: Marsh Birds - Tyler Harms
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
May 2018: Reflections on Iowa Rivers and their Futures - Jim Pease
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Sept 2018: Sweet Marsh DNR Externship - Stacey Snyder
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Oct 2018: Build It & They Will Come: Pintail Wetlands, Hardin County - Tom Schilke
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Nov 2018: Iowa Outdoors Magazine - Brian Button, editor
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Jan 2019: Karl Kutz, Iowa State Parks - Centennial Celebration
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
Feb 2019: PRAS program cancelled due to weather.
March 2019: Iowa's Nesting Owls - Wildlife Rehabilitation - Bruce and Marlene Ehresman
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
2017 Newsletters & Minutes of General Meeting
January 2017: A Watershed Approach to Improving the Cedar River - Mary Beth Stevenson, Shane Wulf, & Josh Balk
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
February 2017: Bird Song: The Basics of Identifying Birds by Ear - Scott Garrett and Candace Havely
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
March 2017: Costa Rica Adventures - Bruce Plakke and PRAS Members
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
April 2017: Althea Sherman Chimney Swift Tower - Linda & Robert Scarth
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
May 2017: Madagascar-The 8th Continent, Part 1 - Paul Roisen
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
September 2017: Pollinators in Iowa: Conservation and Management Strategies to Preserve Wild Bees - Ashley St. Clair
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
October 2017: Tales of a World Birder - Dr. Stephen Dinsmore
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
November 2017: Madagascar-The 8th Continent, Part 2 - Paul Roisen
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
2016 Newsletters & Minutes of General Meeting
January 2016: Northern Rockies - Bruce Plaake, Tom Schilke, Tom Moon, PRAS Members
February 2016: Gardening for Butterflies & Pollinators - Donald Lewis
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
March 2016: Spring Ephermerals - Kenny Slocum
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
April 2016: Training Your Warbler Eyes - Tyler Harms
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
May 2016: Beauty Around Us - Kip Ladage
September 2016: Winged Jewels: Dragonflies & Damselflies of Iowa - Ann Johnson
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
October 2016: Ensuring The Riches of Heritage Valley (Allamakee County) - Bill Witt and Brian Kanhauser
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
November 2016: The Role of Citizen Scientists in Bald Eagle Conservation in Iowa - Stephanie Shepherd
Minutes from PRAS General Meeting
2015 Newsletters
January 2015: Natural History and Identification of Iowa's Shorebirds - Steve Dinsmore
February 2015: Florida Adventures - PRAS members
March 2015: Loon Magic - Ty Smedes
April 2015: Bird Nests: A Tour of Avian Architecture - Bruce Ehresman
May 2015: Fight to Protect Nature - Tivon Feeley
September 2015: Voyage to the Bottom of the World - Ty Smedes
October 2015: Inside Passage: Bears, Whales Totems - Robert & Linda Scarth
November 2015: Exploring Bats of Iowa - Russ Benedict, Guest Speaker
2014 Newsletters
January 2014: Things with Wings - Jim Durbin
February 2014: My Birding Trips to Mexico - Francis Moore
March 2014: Purple Martin Landlords - Rick Fisher
April 2014: Freshwater Mussels of Iowa - Jen Kurth
May 2014: Tropical Biodiversity: Why Should We Care? - Jim Pease
September 2014: Becky's Fen: Private Land as a Public Resource - Rebecca Kauten
October 2014: Iowa's Bird of Prey - Jodeane Cancilla
November 2014: Discovering Where We Live - Carl Kurtz