Gladys Black Eagle Refuge

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This article first appeared in INHF's Winter 2008 magazine.

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Carl Kurtz

"Bald eagles have to soar, a daily joyful exercise." - Gladys Black

Ty Smedes photographed these birds near the Gladys Black Bald Eagle Refuge, a 2004 INHF project. The refuge is located along the Des Moines River, just below the tailrace of the Red Rock Reservoir near Pella.

This 38-acre site honors a woman once known as “Iowa’s bird lady.” Gladys Black (1909-1998) was an avid birder in Marion County and wrote a popular birding column in The Des Moines Register.

In 2003 Eleanor Coster and family sold the land to INHF at a bargain price to ensure its protection. Coster’s parents, Paul and Mary Felsing, were lifelong friends of Black. Nearly 500 donors responded to INHF’s fundraising appeal — many with personal memories of Black. The site is now owned by the Iowa DNR.

Today, bald eagles often roost on the refuge and can be observed from Horn’s Ferry Bridge, a viewing platform located just across the river.

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