What Gladys Black Did for Birds

---

Eagles roosting at Gladys Black Bald Eagle Refuge, a location where Black herself observed eagles.

"I will always remember Gladys marveling about the struggle facing birds in the modern world--DDT, habitat destruction, greedy hunters and more--with a mixture of anger, sadness and amazement," says Marlene Ehresman, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation's program and planning associate, whose wildlife rehabilitation efforts connected her with Black. "Perhaps she identified with the tenacity of birds because of her own personal struggles. But I also remember the joy and light that filled her face as she held birds and remarked about their singular beauty."

A learner and educator
Black raised awareness of the struggles that faced birds--as well as what made her so appreciative of their beauty--in her articles in The Des Moines Register and other newspapers. But even more than simply writing about all of the fascinating birds that inhabited Iowa, Black spent her time outdoors observing birds, caring for them and teaching others about them.

Black, a self-taught ornithologist, was a licensed birdbander and held state and federal permits that allowed her to shelter and care for sick and injured wild creatures--and to keep a few non-releasable animals for public education. Black also worked to compile a comprehensive list of bird species in the Red Rock area--documenting more than 305--which was published in Birds of Iowa (1979). Meanwhile, she managed to become a self-taught expert on wildflowers, butterflies and Lake Red Rock history.

Black used the Red Rock area for more than 25 years to educate children and adults about birds and their habitat needs. She was particularly interested in neotropical migrants--what she called "jungle birds"--that winter in Central and South America but are found in Iowa during warmer months. Interest in the habitat needs of neotropical migrants has continued to grow since Black's death, including a book on the subject published by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.

Over the years Black collected hundreds of slides of bird photos, which she used during her presentations on birds. However, the stars of her presentation were always the live education birds with which she often traveled. During her colorful presentations, Black never failed to convey her passion for birds to her audience.

"Being a lay person herself, she could speak to the lay audience," says Ehresman. "When talking personally to a group, she was dynamic. When talking to children, she sparkled."

Education for children
Black was pivotal in bringing outdoor education to children from the counties surrounding Red Rock. She started Outdoor Days, a three-day event at Red Rock for Marion County fifth graders. Black also was involved in bird banding field trips with students from Lucas and Warren counties.

"I grew up on a farm not far from Pleasantville," recalls Marla Mertz, now the naturalist for the Marion County Conservation Board. "My childhood years were spent looking for earthworms, snakes, birds or anything that moved. When I was eight years old, I met Gladys. She was instructing a birding hike on our school field trip at Lake Ahquabi State Park. I thought she was the neatest person that ever walked the earth. She knew the names of birds that I had only made-up names for. Watching her with her hat on, with silverware and a book all about birds in her pocket … there could be no other person as important as her…Throughout my childhood, I looked forward to any outings that the school planned with her. As an adult entering into the conservation field, I was reintroduced to her on a more professional level and had the opportunity to watch, listen and learn from someone I respected so much."

Controversial positions
Yet it would be a mistake to idealize Gladys Black or to imagine her with some kind of warm and fuzzy halo. Some people considered Black an eccentric: her clothes unstylish, her house in disrepair, her yard a jungle of wildlife habitat. She had strong opinions and, unlike many women of her era, she was not afraid to express them--long and loudly.

"I remember her sputtering about the push to create a hunting season on mourning doves. There were several things that made Gladys sputter, and this was one of them," says Ehresman.

Some of her other controversial stances included a call for hunters to stop using lead shot because of its effect on wildlife. Because she despaired over the number of birds killed by feral or free-roaming pet cats, she once told a reporter that "the only good cat is a dead cat." Though she appreciated that Lake Red Rock (created by a dam built in 1969) brought Bald Eagles and other birds to her area, Black disapproved of the lake's creation and later said, "I don't think God will ever forgive us for ruining that river."

During the 1970s, Black drew attention to the fact that a great blue heron rookery at Red Rock Reservoir was producing no young. She theorized that organochlorine pesticides were probably to blame. A study of eggs collected from the rookery later proved her right.

"Gladys was a crusader for the natural world, at times a regular environmental vigilante! She was tough on those who were destructive of nature. She was especially vocal about misuse of agricultural chemicals," said Bruce Ehresman, a biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resource's Wildlife Diversity program, in a tribute to Black that was published in "Wildlife Diversity News" after her death.

Whether or not people agree with all of Black's positions, most recognize the contributions she made to the field of ornithology in Iowa. "Gladys was the single most important person to bring the world of birds to the general public in Iowa," says Beth Brown, a longtime friend of Black's. Or, as Dean Roosa said, "Seldom do we have a chance to meet a truly dedicated person. Iowa has one in Gladys Black."

back to Gladys Black intro
History of Gladys Black
Gladys Black's Eagle Refuge
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.