Prairie Rapids Audubon Society invites the general public to hear Ty Smedes, nature photographer and world traveler, at their next meeting. The event is May 9 at 7 p.m. in the lower level of the First Presbyterian Church, 902 Main Street in Cedar Falls. To join the meeting virtually, viewers may open a Zoom meeting and enter ID 581 087 8571 and passcode 1999.

Ty will narrate his slide presentation, “Mongolia – Land of the Nomads.” Mongolia lies between Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. Ty had the opportunity to explore the beautiful Mongolian countryside and rich culture while a guest of local nomadic people. The nomads, who are superb horsemen, celebrate a time-honored tradition of hunting fox and hare from horseback with trained Golden eagles. Ty will also show his photographic work from the renowned Gobi Desert, where seemingly endless sand dunes and the Bactrian Camel herders reign.

Ty’s photos have been published by many major magazines and book publishers. He specializes in landscape, wildlife, and prairie wildflower images. His best photo credits include the BBC, CNN, and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. As a freelance feature writer for the Iowa DNR’s Iowa Outdoors Magazine, he has written and photographed articles about many of the lesser known birds, animals, and places in Iowa. Ty has taught nature photography classes and has led nature photography tours to Yellowstone and Teton parks, the Eastern Sierras, and Africa. Information regarding Ty’s three books, Capturing Iowa’s Seasons, The Return of Iowa’s Bald Eagles, and Iowa’s Wild Beauty, can be found on his website at www.smedesphoto.com