2026 Photography Contest ~ Entries Accepted: September 14, 2026 - October 14, 2026

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2026 Photography Contest ~ Entries Accepted: September 14, 2026 - October 14, 2026 〰️

Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge

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President’s Message

Go to the official Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge website. NSNWR was established in 1990 with the purpose to protect, restore and reconstruct and manage native ecosystems of tallgrass prairie, oak savanna and sedge meadow.

The power of a Friends group is its members. Become a member today to support projects that benefit both wildlife and people at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.

The Friends board is pleased to share some exciting news: the transfer of the former Van Pilsum farm property south of the refuge entrance road has taken an important step forward, with county and state approvals being recently completed. This milestone moves us closer to permanently protecting this important piece of land and adding over 130 acres of restored prairie to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.
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News and Events

Have you taken some great photos when visiting the Refuge? To celebrate the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge and the beauty of nature, we invite all photographers to enter the 2026 Photography Contest.
Deadline for submissions: October 14, 2026

White Bison Calf Dies
On April 30, 2026, a white bison calf was born at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa. On the evening of June 16, 2026, a refuge staff member reported that the calf had died. Read the full article on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service web site.

Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge continues the volunteer-led outreach initiative to enhance the visitor experience on weekends. On Saturdays, volunteers operate a dedicated visitor welcome station located directly in front of the refuge’s visitor center. Would you like to help out? Volunteer Opportunity! Read more…

Support the Refuge for a limited edition magnet! These will be shipped with each new membership or a donation of $5.00 or more made to the Friends of Neal Smith NWR. These flat magnets can be used indoors and outdoors, on cars, fridges or file cabinets.

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The summer interns continue to battle invasive species on the Refuge. See Field Notes for the complete report.

The latest issue of Prairie Wind newsletter is now posted online. In this issue: Reflections of Summer by Mac Payne, Summer Intern, An Update on current and upcoming changes to the Refuge, by Scott Gilije, Refuge Manager, Take a "Tall Grass Prairie" Quiz,A Spring Motus Station Update by Rachel Ruden, Friends Board, and “A Volunteer Remembers,” by Laurie Fenimore, about the joys of seed collection.. Read the PDF version here.