Wednesday Morning Birding
See details on the Field Trips page.
See details on the Field Trips page.
Prairie Rapids Audubon Society Meeting
The next Prairie Rapids Audubon Society meeting is a potluck beginning at 6:00 PM and presentation will begin at 7:00 PM on May 12 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).
May 12, 2026 - Iowa Audubon President Doug Harr to Speak on Native Plants and Birds
Click this Zoom link to connect virtually to this meeting.
Meeting ID is 581 087 8571 and the passcode is 1999
Iowa Audubon Society President Doug Harr leads a birding group near Ogden, Iowa.
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.
Of special interest will be the Moon very close to Venus on the 18th, and then moving past Jupiter on the 19th and the twin stars of Gemini on the 20th.
"In all of this emptiness - this is a whole bunch of nothingness, this thing we call the universe - you have this oasis, this beautiful place (where) we get to exist together."
Regarding Conservation
To read an important article by David Voigts about conservation entitled Climate Change Choices, please click this link.
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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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.