Wednesday Morning Birding
See details on the Field Trips page.
See details on the Field Trips page.
PRAS Members Help Rescue Bald Eagle
Prairie Rapids Audubon Society Meeting
Click this Zoom link to connect to our virtual meetings.
Meeting ID is 581 087 8571 and the passcode is 1999
The next Prairie Rapids Audubon Society meeting is a potluck and will be held on May 12, at 7:00 PM in the lower level of the First Presbyterian Church, 902 Main St. in Cedar Falls. The public is welcome to attend and enjoy the program and refreshments. Bring your own table service and dish to share. The featured speaker for the evening, Doug Harr, will speak about Native Plants and Birds (see description below). To join the meeting virtually, visit www.zoom.com and click the "Meet" menu at the top of the page, then select "Join a meeting." Enter meeting ID 581 087 8571 and then type in 1999 as the passcode.
Iowa Audubon Society President Doug Harr leads a birding group near Ogden, Iowa.
May 12, 2026 - Iowa Audubon President Doug Harr to Speak on Native Plants and Birds
The public is invited to the next Prairie Rapids Audubon Society meeting on May 12, at 7:00 PM in the lower level of the First Presbyterian Church, 902 Main St. in Cedar Falls. The program for the evening features Doug Harr, current President of Iowa Audubon Society, who will present "Native Plants and Native Birds of Iowa." It is important to know how a great variety of native prairie plants serve to host a wonderful variety of Iowa's grassland birds. Doug's presentation will focus on different types of prairie, examples of the common native plants in each type, and the kinds of birds that prefer to use each type of native grassland. Because of the massive loss of Iowa's prairies, many of these grassland birds have gone into steep decline, with some listed as Threatened or Endangered, while most are now considered Iowa's "Species of Greatest Conservation Need."
Doug Harr grew up in Minnesota, then attended South Dakota State University for BS and MS degrees in Wildlife Biology. He retired after over 38 years with Iowa DNR where he served as a Wildlife Management Biologist in NW Iowa, then as Wildlife Diversity State Program Coordinator in Des Moines at the DNR headquarters. Doug is currently vice-president of the Big Bluestem Audubon chapter, President of Iowa Audubon, and serves on the advisory board for National Audubon’s Upper Mississippi River regional office.
To join the meeting virtually, visit www.zoom.com and click the "Meet" menu at the top of the page, then select "Join a meeting." Enter meeting ID 581 087 8571 and then type in 1999 as the passcode. For more information or to learn about how you can support the work of the Prairie Rapids Audubon Society, email praudubon@gmail.com.
Also, see the video recording of last month's presentation on April 14th by Bob Frenchick, Nature Photography, and Terry VanDeWalle, Turtles of Iowa, please click this link.
International Dark Sky Week: April 13-20
International Dark Sky Week is a global celebration of the night.
From the darkness needed for a restful night’s sleep to the activities we enjoy beneath the stars, the night is filled with wonder and importance. Dark nights sustain critical wildlife ecosystems, strengthen the well-being of our communities, enable scientific discovery, and preserve shared cultural knowledge and traditions.
- Become a citizen scientist and collect data about the night sky in your neighborhood for Globe at Night. It’s fun, easy and you’ll be helping scientists across the globe better understand the threat of light pollution to our planet.
- Stopping light pollution isn’t just about seeing the stars. There are other important things at stake, too. Use this week to take the time to learn more about the effect of artificial light at night on human health, the environment, energy waste, crime and safety and our heritage of night skies.
- Join the conversation! Use the hashtag #IDSW on social media to share how you’re celebrating International Dark Sky Week and connect with other people passionate about dark skies. Check out DarkSky on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
PRAS Board Elections
Notice: These are candidates for PRAS Board election (To be voted upon at May meeting)
Officers, one-year terms:
President: Darrin Siefken
Vice President: Craig Rash
Secretary: (no candidates)
Treasurer: Francis Moore
Board members, two-year terms:
Dennis Schmadeke
John McCormick
Kris Rash
David Voigts
Phil Plourde
Connect with Us...
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Find us, like & share our posts on Facebook
Subscribe to the PRAS Audubon YouTube Channel to view past programs
Submit a proposal for our consideration via the PRAS Grant Application Form to help your organization secure funding for a project that supports our mission.
Consider donating to the PRAS Quasi or PRAS Permanent Endowment funds through the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.
Call Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project 319-939-4635
or if you are outside of our area, see other Iowa wildlife rehabilitators.