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Wednesday Morning Birding
See details about our weekly field trips and a special field trip Sat, Sept 20th at a private location on the Field Trips page.
See details about our weekly field trips and a special field trip Sat, Sept 20th at a private location on the Field Trips page.
Save the Dates: PRAS Programs 2025-26
Thank you for joining us for our September meeting; we enjoyed Wendy VanDeWalle recounting her 2023 Big Iowa Year. We have more great programs planned, so please save the dates and join us!
Oct 14: Stephanie Shepard, Iowa DNR - Citizen Science
Nov 11: Jeremy Withers, ISU - Birding English: Exploring the History of Language Through 50 Birds
Dec: No meeting, but please join us for Christmas Bird Counts!
Jan 13: ZOOM only - Scott Harris - Raptor Quest: Chasing America's Raptors
Feb 10: Dan Cohen - Iowa River Wildlife - See Links page for Dan's Substack.
Mar 10: Ken Heiar, Tom Moon, Bob Frenchick - Nature Photography
Apr 14: Terry VanDeWalle - Turtles of Iowa
May 12: Doug Harr, Iowa Audubon - Native Plants & Native Birds
Of special interest will be Saturn that will pass through the southern skies during September nights. It will be in a dark part of the sky so it should be unmistakable.
To damage the Earth is to damage your children.
- Wendell Berry, Novelist and Poet
Jupiter, the bright planet is below and a bit left of the Circlet of Pisces. In this photo, Jupiter is in about the same location as Saturn is currently located in the sky. See if you can find Saturn and the circlet!
Some believe the circlet represents the fish's head in Pisces; others believe the circlet is the whole fish. See the blue line in the photo above and find the circle of stars. Look for Pisces under the Great Square of Pegasus. The bottom two stars of the square are visible between the power lines in the photo above. The Circlet of Pisces is known as an asterism, a prominent pattern or group of stars, typically having a popular name but smaller than a constellation.
Limit Climate Change
By David Voigts
Senator Grassley recently released a public statement in which he acknowledged that climate change is a serious issue, but he also called for a vigorous debate to determine if climate change is an “existential threat to the planet” as the Biden administration had determined. Their finding was made, in part, because of the extensive studies that led our National Academy of Sciences, made up of our most respected scientists, to conclude that “we are in a crucial window for taking steps to protect the planet and its people.”
Instead of rehashing whether climate change is a threat, we should be debating how to limit future climate change and its effects on our society and planet. However, I agree with Senator Grassley that these policies should not unduly restrict economic and personal freedoms.
There are some commonsense measures that we should take. Firstly, the administration should encourage the growth of clean energy rather than restricting it. I applaud Senator Grassley for working hard to keep the clean energy tax credits in place, at least for a time. We also need permitting reform to speed new projects, and we should penalize imports made with more carbon-intensive processes than we use. Let’s do it.
Iowa Ornithologists' Union Fall Meeting
October 10-12
See details about this wonderful weekend of birding to be held at Clear Lake, Iowa.
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| 2024 Overall Winner - Butterfly on Blazing Star by Tom Moon |
Buchanan Co. Natural Areas
Photo Contest
September 15 deadline
This contest is sponsored by Friends of Fontana Park and is open to all amateur photographers who have taken photos in Buchanan County Natural Areas. Buchanan County Conservation manages 41 public properties in the county, but there are so many other natural areas from backyards to riverways to ditches.
Any images not previously entered in our contest are acceptable. Each photographer may enter up to 8 total images amongst any or all of our 4 categories: Wildlife, People Enjoying Nature, Plants & Wildflowers, and Landscapes.
Cash prizes include $50 awards for each category and a $100 award for the overall winner. Winning images will be on display for the year on the main floor of Fontana Interpretive Nature Center and will continue to be displayed for about 10 years in the nature center classroom. See the complete contest rules for photography submissions.
Any images not previously entered in our contest are acceptable. Each photographer may enter up to 8 total images amongst any or all of our 4 categories: Wildlife, People Enjoying Nature, Plants & Wildflowers, and Landscapes.
Cash prizes include $50 awards for each category and a $100 award for the overall winner. Winning images will be on display for the year on the main floor of Fontana Interpretive Nature Center and will continue to be displayed for about 10 years in the nature center classroom. See the complete contest rules for photography submissions.
Also sponsored by Buchanan County:
Nurtured by Nature: A Wellness Experience
Facilitated by PRAS Board member Connie Svoboda
Sept 20, 9-11:30 am
Boies Bend Park
$28/person – Register at this link: https://www.mycountyparks.com/
This is a wonderful exercise in relaxation, observation and contemplation. You will never look at nature in quite the same way after Connie teaches you how to tune into the essence of nature. You have to experience this supreme exercise in immersing yourself in the outdoors!
One Last Prairie Walk at Irvine Prairie
September 25th, at 6 p.m.
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| Photo by C. Havely - Silo is on private farm site near Irvine Prairie. |
The walk will begin near the parking area located by the Irvine Prairie rock. Please bring your own water and sun protection. Closed-toe shoes and long pants are encouraged.
This prairie is a wonderful place; more land has been planted, so you can experience a prairie that is 1-2 and 3+ years old.
NEW! See Dan Cohen's Nature Communications Substack on our "Links" page. Dan shares stories and photos about nature, conservation and the environment. Dan will be our featured speaker at our Feb 10, 2026 program!
Find an injured bird or animal? Call Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project 319-939-4635
Note: As of Dec 2024 BHWRP is not accepting sick or injured waterfowl due to the avian influenza outbreak found in Iowa.
Find other wildlife rehabilitators.
New to Birding?
Check out this great new brochure from Iowa Audubon that gives you all the information about enjoying the activity of watching birds!
Subscribe to our Online RedTail Newsletter
Bird Flight Patterns and Music Concert Program
You are now able to access the online concert video and curriculum (see link and password below-posted with permission by the copyright holder).
The link provides the full concert video and online curriculum with activities, lessons, extra musical performances, composer interviews and educational games. This resource will remain active through June 2022 (for one year), so utilize it for your programs, personal edification working with your children or grandchildren to teach them about music and birds!
You are now able to access the online concert video and curriculum (see link and password below-posted with permission by the copyright holder).
The link provides the full concert video and online curriculum with activities, lessons, extra musical performances, composer interviews and educational games. This resource will remain active through June 2022 (for one year), so utilize it for your programs, personal edification working with your children or grandchildren to teach them about music and birds!
Bird Flight Patterns and Music Link: https://nbsymphony.org/bird-
Password: BFPMC (case sensitive)
Subscribe to the PRAS YouTube Channel if you are interested in watching recordings of our past Zoom meetings for which we have permission to post for viewing.
Contribute to our Flickr Photo Stream
Go to this URL: https://www.flickr.com/
Click "Login"
Click "Login"
The email address associated with PRAS's account is: praudubon@gmail.com
Email praudubon@gmail.com to request password for email; we won't post it here online.
Save the UN and PWD so it is quick and easy the next time you upload photos.
Click the Upload icon (looks like cloud with an arrow) and follow prompts.
Here is Flick's help page for uploads.
Click the Photos link on the above navigation bar to see photos.
Find us on Facebook
We share information about field trips, local sightings, fun and interesting photos and stories about birds, nature, the environment, etc. on our Facebook page. Check it out and like us and "share" our posts.