Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge -- The following is the Friends of Hagerman NWR Press Release. For more information about these events, please email: friendsofhagerman@gmail.com.
All events are sponsored by the Friends of Hagerman and occur at the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center: 6465 Refuge Road, Sherman, TX 75092, unless stated otherwise.
Volunteers Needed:
Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center Greeters
Meet and greet people from all over the world while giving out information about the refuge and wildlife. Hand out maps and make sales in the Nature Nook. Come and join our team! For more information, please email friendsofhagerman@gmail.com.
Butterfly Garden
Like digging in your garden? Want to learn about native plants? Come join out Master Naturalists and Gardeners in maintaining the Butterfly Garden. For more information on volunteering, please email FriendsofHagerman@gmail.com for details.
Outdoor Crew
Do you enjoy working outside, mowing, sprucing up hiking trails, trimming and removing brush and general cleanup? Join the Outdoor Crew at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. The Outdoor Crew meets on the First Tuesday and Fourth Saturday of every month. Please email FriendsofHagerman@gmail.com for details and to join our team. Scouts welcome!
Activities & Events:
Special Closure: Raasch Trail and Meyers Branch: Beginning January 9 at 4pm through January 12 at 9pm. The Meyers Unit and associated Raasch Trail will be closed to the public from the evening of January 9 through January 12. The rest of the refuge will remain open to the public.
The Little Sit: January 4 at 6:45am Pad-H on the West side of Hagerman NWR
If you want to learn how to identify the birds of North Texas, the "Little Sit" is the perfect way to start.
Meet the Bird Census Team while learning how to identify the birds of North Texas, and enjoy the beautiful sunrise over Lake Texoma! Modeled after Cornell's national "Big Sit" event, a group of dedicated birders invite you to join them at sunrise to conduct a bird count as multiple species fly to the water and the surrounding land to feed. Leaders will bring spotting scopes and will provide tips for identification of the many species you will see. This event etc lasts a couple of hours, but all are welcome to come and go as they please. Participants are advised to bring a chair, binoculars and water.
We meet on the first Saturday of each month, 30 minutes before sunrise to watch the birds come into the water and begin to feed. We usually stay out for 2-3 hours, but you are welcome for all or part of the Sit.
For more information, a map to Pad-H and to register to receive event updates (registering is recommended https://www.friendsofhagerman.com/event-5964048?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=1/22/2025 to be informed of location change). Or email: FriendsofHagerman@gmail.com.
GPS Coordinates to Pad-H: 33.734961, -96.780582
Free and open to the public, funded by donations.
Early Bird Guided Walk. Come walk on the wild side with Jack Chiles! Saturday January 11th at 8am to 9:30am Master Naturalist Jack Chiles will lead this Early Bird Walk, weather permitting. Participants will view birds and wildlife along Harris Creek Trail, walking about two miles, and returning to the Visitor Center in time for the Second Saturday program. Register to receive event updates
https://www.friendsofhagerman.com/event-5976261CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=1/22/2025
Second Saturday: Saturday January 11th at 10am. The Eastern Bluebird with Refuge Manage Kathy Whaley. Don't miss this informative presentation by our own Refuge Manager, Kathy Whaley. Learn all about the Eastern Bluebird: feeding, habitat, life stages and more!
Plan to arrive early--this session fills up every year.
Refuge Rocks for Kids: Saturday January 18 at 10am. What is a Food Web? Every living plant and animal must have energy to survive. Plants rely on the soil, water, and the sun for energy. Animals rely on plants as well as other animals for energy. In an ecosystem, plants and animals all rely on each other to live. Scientists sometimes describe this dependence using a food chain or a food web. A food chain describes how different organisms eat each other, starting out with a plant and ending with an animal. For example, you could write the food chain for a lion like this:
grass ---> zebra ---> lion.
The lion eats the zebra, which eats the grass. The grasshopper eats grass, the frog eats the grasshopper, the snake eats the frog, and the eagle eats the snake.
Let’s learn about food chains and how they turn into food webs with a short lesson, some fun games and activities, as well as a fun craft! Come join us on January 18 for a free class for youth ages 5-10.
Free and open to the public, registration is required.
https://www.friendsofhagerman.com/event-5964108?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=1/22/2025
Donations are accepted to support this and other events and programs sponsored by the Friends of Hagerman NWR.
Tram Tours every Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm
Enjoy a 60 – 90-minute tour along Wildlife Drive at the Refuge. Enjoy learning about the history of the displaced town of Hagerman while watching for wildlife. Lots of stops for birdwatching and photography. Reservations required. Standbys are accepted if space permits. Free and open to the public. Funded by donations.
https://www.friendsofhagerman.com/Tram-Tours.
Butterfly Garden Stroll: Discontinued until Spring 2025. The garden is free of charge and open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day of the year.
