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:
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: August 1 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://www.friendsofhagerman.com/event-6486768?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=12/26/2025
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. Walks are on hiatus due to Texas heat! Look for walks to resume in September.
Second Saturday: Saturday August 8 at 10am. Birds Are Amazing Flying Dinosaurs with Dr. Thomas Stidham
Dr. Thomas Stidham will talk about some of the different lines of evidence from anatomy, behavior, and the fossil record that demonstrates that birds are very diverse living dinosaurs.
Note: This is a repeat of the Bird Festival presentation on May 16, 2026.
Dr. Thomas Stidham is an evolutionary biologist and paleontologist who is fascinated by bird biology and evolution from their dinosaurian origins to today. During his career as a professor at Texas A&M University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and now Austin College, he has published scientific research on birds from the Arctic to the Antarctic. In addition to his main work on birds, Toms broad natural history perspective also has resulted in research publications on insects, mammals, reptiles, plants, and much more, including the discovery of new species in Texas and elsewhere. As a professor at Austin College, Dr. Stidham engages an active student body in exciting biology courses, mentors students in independent research projects in his lab, and continues his scientific collaborations around the globe.
Refuge Rocks: Saturday August 15 at 10am. Refuge Rocks FREE Youth Program: Dig It! The Amazing World Under Our Feet. It may look like just dirt, but soil is alive with secrets! Young nature explorers are invited to get their hands dirty at Dig It! The Amazing World Under Our Feet, a hands-on, sensory-driven environmental science program at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. This interactive class will take place Saturday, August 15, 2026, from 10:0011:30 a.m. and is designed for youth ages 510.
During this engaging program, participants will discover that soil is a living ecosystem that plays a vital role in nature. Through an age-appropriate mini lesson and hands-on exploration, kids will learn how soil helps grow food, filters water and provides homes for countless tiny creatures right beneath our feet.
The program includes:
A fun, educational lesson about soil and why it matters
A creative, soil-themed craft to take home
A hands-on activity that encourages sensory exploration and discovery
Butterfly Garden Stroll: Saturday, August 8 and August 22 from 9am to 11am. Garden docents will be on hand to help identify the Texas native plants and visiting butterflies. Literature on plants and butterflies will be available. Special activities for families: scavenger hunts, the Metamorphosis Puppet and more. Registration is not necessary.
The garden is free of charge and open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day of the year.
Donations are accepted to support the Butterfly Garden, Garden Walks and other events and programs sponsored by the Friends of Hagerman NWR.
Tram Tours due to summer heat, tram tours are by special request. Reserve a tram tour for 6 to 8 guests for weekdays and Saturday morning.
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 at https://friendsofhagerman.com/Group-Tram, Funded by donations.
