Cirrus Over Neal Smith Refuge

Cirrus fibratus lace the northern skies over the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Jasper County, about 13 miles east of Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday afternoon, April 22, 2017. This view, from Walnut Creek, was captured at 3:38 pm CDT. The photography actions at this location were part of the Bryan Hansel Photography Workshop, held here from April 22-23. The road above, Pacific Street, winds through the savanna toward the Neal Smith Center, beyond the horizon at upper left.

3:43 pm and from just north of the Walnut Creek bridge.

Closer to the road at 3:48 pm. The 3,600-acre refuge is named after Congressman Neal Edward Smith, who set its creation in motion with the Fish and Wildlife Service acquisition of the land in 1990. The land was previously owned by Iowa Power and Light Company and intended for a nuclear power plant. The area contains tallgrass prairie and oak savanna ecosystems that once graced most of the state of Iowa. Bison and elk live on the land. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.