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
There is something for everyone at Hagerman! From Bat & Monarch monitoring to greeting visitors and being a tram tour guide, get more information at https://friendsofhagerman.com/Volunteer.
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@email.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
The Little Sit: Saturday, November 7th at 7:00am 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 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 to be informed of location change https://friendsofhagerman.com/event-6498635?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=8/28/2026
Or email: friendsofhagerman@gmail.com.
GPS Coordinates to Pad-H: 33.734961, -96.780582
Free and open to the public, funded by donations.
Saturday, November 7th at 10am: Photo Club Event.
Step back in time with Mary Istre, Deputy Refuge Manager, as she explores 80 years of conservation at Hagerman NWR. Using historic photographs and engaging stories, Mary will bring to life the people, decisions, and defining moments that shaped the refuge’s landscapes and wildlife. You’ll also discover how lessons from the past continue to guide conservation efforts today—and why this history matters more than ever. Everyone Welcome!
November 14 Early Bird Guided Walk
8am – meet at the Visitor Center. Come walk on the wild side and discover the birds of Hagerman! Join Dr. Wayne Meyer, ornithologist, and Master Naturalist Jack Chiles for a guided bird walk along the Harris Creek Trail every Second Saturday, weather permitting. This easy, flat, well-maintained trail makes for a relaxed and enjoyable walk as you spot birds and other wildlife along the way. The group will return in time for the Second Saturday nature program.
Binoculars are available to borrow—just bring your curiosity and a bottle of water!
Registration is recommended to receive event updates and weather-related notifications.
Second Saturday: Saturday, November 14 at 10am.
Eternal Bois d’Arc: Dinosaurs Tempered It, Caddo Nation Tamed It and America Built On It with John Baecht of Bois D'Arc Kingdom. Join John Baecht of Bois d’Arc Kingdom to explore these remarkable trees—once a food source for Columbian mammoths, which reached up to 9 tons, and giant ground sloths, weighing around 2 tons. As these bus-sized animals climbed, pushed, and snapped branches to reach the fruit, the tree adapted to withstand immense pressure.
Today, Bois d’Arc is one of the strongest, most elastic, and most rot-resistant woods in North America—a living legacy of its prehistoric past.
The natural range of Bois d’Arc shrank dramatically during the advancing ice age. After the ice retreated, the tree found a refuge in the Red River Valley of present-day Texas and Oklahoma. There, the Caddo Nation developed a thriving trade network, exchanging Bois d’Arc wood—especially prized for bows—across vast distances, reaching as far as the Great Lakes region. These bows were so valuable that they were often worth more than a horse.
As settlers moved into North Texas, they encountered dense groves of Bois d’Arc along creeks and rivers, sometimes making passage difficult. Wagon makers in towns like Bonham quickly recognized the value of this durable wood, crafting long-lasting wagons from it. During the hedge-planting boom of the 1850s, Bois d’Arc seeds became extremely valuable—at times even compared to gold by weight—because the trees were widely used for living fences.
With the arrival of barbed wire, Bois d’Arc became the preferred material for fence posts due to its remarkable resistance to rot. It played a key role in shaping agriculture and settlement across the region. For decades, its wood was also used in structural supports for buildings throughout Texas.
Bois d’Arc—known scientifically as Maclura pomifera—continues to attract interest today. Its oils contain powerful antioxidants, and researchers are studying its potential benefits for health and medicine.
Refuge Rocks: Saturday, November 21 at 10am. Refuge Rocks FREE Youth Program for ages 5 - 10: Refuge Rocks FREE Youth Program: What Do You Call a Group of...(What's in a Name?) Is it a herd, a pod…or something sillier? Young wildlife wordsmiths are invited to discover the fun and fascinating names used for groups of animals at What Do You Call a Group of…?, an engaging children’s program at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. This hands-on class will take place Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 10:00–11:30 a.m. and is designed for youth ages 5–10.
During this interactive program, participants will explore the unusual and often amusing names given to groups of animals commonly found in Texas and on the refuge—like a gaggle of Canada geese along the water, a parliament of owls in the trees, a pod of playful river otters, or a herd of white-tailed deer grazing nearby. Through an age-appropriate mini lesson, kids will learn why these group names exist and how they often relate to animal behavior, habitat, or history.
The program includes:
A creative, animal-themed craft to take home
A lively, hands-on activity that gets kids moving and thinking -- Blending language, science, and creativity, What Do You Call a Group of…? is perfect for curious kids who love animals—and a good laugh.
Registration requested https://www.friendsofhagerman.com/event-6819502?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=11/30/2026
Refuge Clean-up: Saturday November 21 at 8am:
Bring gloves, bucket and picker if you have them. And water of course! We will meet at the VC and form groups. These cleanups are always a blast, and many hands make light work. Bring a friend and let's keep the Refuge beautiful. Scouts welcome! Ranger Beard will be on hand to sign for community service hours.
Butterfly Garden Stroll
Butterfly Garden is always open, sun-up to sun-set!! Join us next spring when Docents will be back in the garden!
Tram Tours –Reserve a tram tour for 6 to 8 guests
Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm
Enjoy a 60 – 90-minute tour along Wildlife Drive at the Refuge. Learn about the history of the displaced town of Hagerman while watching for wildlife. Lots of stops for birdwatching and photography. Reservations required Funded by donations. https://friendsofhagerman.com/sys/website/?pageId=18102
