During the “Prairie Rendezvous” event on Saturday, Sept. 14, the UNI Tallgrass Prairie was renamed the “Daryl Smith Prairie” to honor the biology professor on the occasion of his retirement from UNI.

Speakers at the dedication included President Mark Nook, College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences Dean John Fritch, as well as several of Smith’s former students colleagues.

Smith and his students planted the prairie in 1973. It became one of the first reconstructed prairies in Iowa, according to Theresa Spradling, biology department head.