Another lasting legacy:
Gladys Black Bald Eagle Refuge

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This article was updated in Nov. 2007. This land project was completed and dedicated in July 2004.

Thanks to generous donations by the landowner and nearly 500 others, the 38-acre shown on this map as the "Eleanor Coster Property" is now the Gladys Black Bald Eagle Refuge.

A popular bird area near Red Rock Reservoir, once frequented by the late Gladys Black, now bears her name. The Gladys Black Bald Eagle Refuge was officially dedicated in 2004.

This 38-acre refuge, which honors the woman once known as "Iowa's bird lady," is located along the Des Moines River and just below the tailrace of the reservoir. Black lived and observed birds in Marion County and wrote a popular birding column in the Des Moines Register for many years. The refuge is used not only by bald eagles wintering in Iowa, but also numerous migratory songbirds and other species.

In 2003 Eleanor Coster and her family sold the site to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation at a bargain price to ensure its protection. Coster's parents, Paul and Mary Felsing, were lifelong friends of Black. For years they banded birds at their home and on adjoining land with sixth graders in Marion County. For this reason, Coster wanted to see the land protected as a memorial to Black, who died in 1998.

INHF then launched an intense fundraising effort to purchase the property for public ownership. Nearly 500 donors responded to the call, many with their own personal recollections of learning about birds from Gladys Black. Because the public response to this effort was so overwhelming, INHF was also able to create a scholarship fund for Marion County high school students who are pursuing college degrees in conservation-related fields.

The project was completed and officially dedicated on July 20, 2004. The site is now owned and managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Today bald eagles often roost on the refuge and can be observed from Horn's Ferry Bridge, a popular viewing platform across the river from the land.

In her columns, Black often wrote of the Bald Eagles she observed in the area. "Like a child, I am always thrilled to see an eagle," Black said. "Never mind Ben Franklin's remarks about the bad habits of the bald eagle, never mind that it is lazy, sometimes a scavenger and sometimes a robber. It is a magnificent bird."

"We can be very thankful for the Foundation's work and Mrs. Coster's forward-thinking vision," says Dan DeCook of Pella, one of the local volunteers who assisted with the project. "This purchase is a positive step forward for Iowa in reversing decades of habitat decline and a testament to all who are passionate about preserving a home for America's national symbol."

In her March 21, 1982 newspaper column, Black wrote, "For 14 spring migrations, 13 autumns and as many winters, it has been pure joy to observe the bald eagles on Red Rock Refuge, the lake and the tail waters below the dam." Now through the work of Coster, INHF, the Iowa DNR and others, the generations that follow Black will also be able to enjoy the bald eagles and the area.

Back to Gladys Black intro
History of Gladys Black
What Gladys Black did for birds
Article by Gladys Black about Bald Eagles
Photo Essay on Eagles at Gladys Black's Eagle Refuge
Bald Eagle Days at Lake Red Rock

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.