Friends Of Walnut Creek

Tallgrass prairie is a fire-dependent ecosystem characterized by tall grasses (up to 10 feet tall), and deep, rich soils. Tallgrass prairie once covered parts of 14 states in the Midwest, including about 80% of Iowa. Today less than 0.1% of the original tallgrass prairie in Iowa remains.

Before the arrival of European settlers in the Midwest, Native Americans set fires in late summer and fall to provide habitat for animals such as bison, elk, and deer, reduce danger of wildfire, ease travel, and increase visibility and safety.Fire and prairie plants are mutually dependent on each other-without fire, the grasses and other fire-adapted prairie plants would be shaded out by trees.

Prairies are home to a diversity of grassland birds. Many species of grassland birds have been declining throughout the continent since the first prairies were plowed up. This decline has continued in recent decades as agriculture has intensified. The loss of native prairies is a major contributor to this decline.

One of the main goals of the Refuge is to increase scientific knowledge and understanding of the prairie and savanna through ongoing research. There are seven active Land Management and Research Demonstration Programs (LMRD) in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), each with a specific ecosystem focus.

Refuge restoration efforts already have provided for a diversity of life on the Refuge including hundreds of native plant species, over 200 bird species, and dozens of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies. The Visitor Center is a major environmental education facility that includes exhibits, meeting rooms, theater, laboratory-classroom, Nature Store, and research facilities.

Just 25 minutes east of Des Moines, Neal Smith NWR is nine miles south of Interstate 80. If traveling from downtown Des Moines, take Highway 163 to exit 18. Turn left, then immediately right, and follow the signs along the paved 4.5-mile entrance road. If traveling on Interstate 80, take the Colfax/Prairie City exit.