Grayson County, Texas -- For more information about these events, please email: Friendsofhagerman@gmail.org.
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.org.
Butterfly Garden
Like digging in your garden? Want to learn about native plants? Come join our Master Naturalists and Gardeners in maintaining the Butterfly Garden. For more information on volunteering, please email FriendsofHagerman@gmail.org 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.org for details and to join our team. Scouts welcome!
Activities & Events:
The Little Sit: May 3rd at 6:15am 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. Free and open to the public, funded by donations.
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 https://www.friendsofhagerman.com/event-5964078?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=5/22/2025
(registering is recommended) to be informed of location change). Or email: friendsofhagerman@gmail.com
GPS Coordinates to Pad-H: 33.734961, -96.780582
Closure – Meyers Unit / Raasch Trail will be closed from the evening of May 2nd through the evening of May 4th.
Early Bird Guided Walk. Come walk on the wild side with Jack Chiles! Saturday May 10th 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 in case of weather. https://www.friendsofhagerman.com/event-6065839?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=5/22/2025
Second Saturday: Saturday May 10th at 10am. Wilding Your World with Karen Glenn, Black Prairie Texas Master Naturalist. As more land becomes developed across north Texas, protecting wild spaces, along with native flora and fauna, is an increasingly critical need for our area. Find out how you can help by adding some wild areas on your property to support the ever-growing gaps between fragmented native habitats. No space is too small. Covered will be some basic concepts of rewilding, a few important ecological relationships, and alternative management techniques that better support our native plants and animals.
Nature Festival Saturday, May 10th at 10am Come and Join us for a day of fun in nature!
Schedule for the Day:
8:00 - Early Bird Walk, Visitor Center parking lot
10:00 -11:30 Second Saturday Lecture: Wilding Your World - Karen Glenn, TMN, Multipurpose Room
10:00 - 12:00 Children's Crafts (Pavilion). Mammal skins/skulls & bird skulls
10:00 -11:00 Tram Tour (Reservations Required)
11:00 - 2:00 Ice Hole Food Truck (carport)
12:00 - 12:30 Storytelling with Doris Haynie (Pavilion)
12:00 - 1:00 Tram Tour (Reservations Required)
12:30 - 1:30 Lecture: Native Wildflowers of North Texas - Carol Clark, Texas Master Naturalist
So many of our beautiful and once common native wildflowers are gone from our local landscapes that relatively few people today can recognize and name more than a handful. This colorful slideshow will take you on a virtual tour through the seasons of some of our last undisturbed natural areas, and introduce some of the amazing plants that once dominated the region. We’ll talk about unusual plant features that make them tough prairie survivors, and give you a sense of what the magnificent Tallgrass Prairie once looked like.
1:00 - 3:00 Butterfly Garden Walk
2:00 - 3:00 Lecture: All About Water - Margaret Avard, Texas Master Naturalist
Learn all about water resources in the north Texas area such as Impacts of native vs non-native plants
Water cycling. The structure of aquifers, local ground water (aquifers) and surface water (lakes) sources and resources, The processes of drinking water and wastewater treatment.
2:00 - 3:00 Children's Craft (Pavilion) Mammal skins/skulls and bird skulls
2:00 - 3:00 Tram Tour (Reservations Required)
Butterfly Garden Stroll: May 11th and May 24th from 10am to Noon. Enjoy the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman NWR.
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.
Refuge Rocks for Kids: Saturday May 17th 9am to 11am . Let’s Go Fishing Event for kids (16 and under). Calling all kids! Let’s Go Fishin’ on Saturday, May 17th with Hagerman NWR staff and volunteers. This special Refuge Rocks event is for youth ages up to 16. We will be fishing from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and is open to children ages 16 and under. With the help of volunteers, kids will be able to demonstrate their fishin’ skills! Gear will be available for kids to check out and bait will be provided. No registration is required for this event, and you can come and go as you please. We’ll also be providing a fishing-themed craft table. Location TBD. Check back on the website or Friends of Hagerman for more information on the location.
Registration is not necessary for this very special event.
Photo Club Meeting: Saturday May17th 1pm. Wildflowers and Dragonflies. Tips and settings to photograph Wildflowers and Dragonflies. Wayne Milczarek will show some of the tools used to get great images and explain how they are used. Event Leader – Nancy Miller fohphotoclub@friendsofhagerman.org
Nature'Ology: A Fun Day of Learning About Nature! A free single day camp for children 11 or 12 years old Saturday, June 7th 7:45am to 4pm.
A full day of learning all about nature: fossils, prairies, spiders, birds, snakes and water cycles! Make a terrarium, enjoy a nature craft and meet other young nature enthusiasts!
This program has become so popular, that it fills up very quickly.
As a pre-registrant, you will be emailed a link to apply for a confirmed reservation on Wednesday, May 7th at 10:00 AM, one day before reservations become available to the general public. As always, this event id free of charge, but registration is required.
The first 30 students to complete registration on or after May 7th will be granted a confirmed reservation.
Pre-register at https://www.friendsofhagerman.com/event-5918801/Registration
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.
