Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge

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.

Dear Friends, What an exciting and memorable moment it has been for our refuge community! This spring, we celebrated the birth of a rare white bison calf at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. The arrival of this lively calf has captured the imagination of visitors from across Iowa and beyond, serving as a powerful reminder of the wonder and resilience of the prairie ecosystem we work so hard to protect.
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News and Events

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 is launching a new volunteer-led outreach initiative to enhance the visitor experience on weekends. Starting Saturday, June 13, at 10:00 a.m., volunteers will debut 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 are already hard at work. Read about their Monarch Monitoring in Field Notes.

The latest issue of Prairie Wind newsletter is now posted online. In this issue you can read the news from Scott Gilje, Refuge Manager, get biographical information about the interns, the Friends Scholarship recipient and the new Biotech. Pauline Drobney writes an essay, "Reflections and History of a New Friends Board Member". Read the PDF version here.

Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge

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Support

President’s Message

News and Events

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.

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.

The summer interns are already hard at work. Read about their Monarch Monitoring in Field Notes.

Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge

Explore

Support

President’s Message

News and Events

White Bison Calf DiesOn 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.

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.

The summer interns are already hard at work. Read about their Monarch Monitoring in Field Notes.

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.