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: July 4th 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 July 11th at 10am. Lake Texoma: But, Can You Eat It? With Karen Glenn. This talk will be centered around some of our local native “weeds” that are not only edible, but full of nutrition and (possibly) medicinal benefits! For thousands of years before modern farming, most people knew what local plants were safe to eat, useful for materials, and helpful when illness or injury happened. We have lost a lot of this knowledge as we have become dependent on more modern conveniences. We will look at a few local weeds with hidden benefits. Our focus will be on how to recognize them, when and how to harvest them, and how to properly prepare them for food and home remedies.
Grayson County has been Karen Glenn’s home, off and on, since 1972. She has witnessed many changes in the area as the impacts of development change the native flora and fauna in North Texas. Since moving back home in 2000, Karen has taken part in numerous research projects at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station on Lake Texoma, taught chemistry courses at several local colleges and universities, volunteered at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, and, in 2017, joined the Texas Master Naturalist program. She and her son live on a small acreage in Gordonville, where they are working to restore the native habitat, which is rapidly disappearing due to development in the area. Her property has become her laboratory, and she looks forward to enjoying nature full time after retirement!
Refuge Rocks: Saturday July 18th at 10am. Refuge Rocks FREE Youth Program: Guarding Ground Nesting Birds. Many birds make their homes right on the ground—and they need our help! Young wildlife protectors are invited to learn how to spot, understand, and protect these often-overlooked birds at Guarding Ground-Nesting Birds, a hands-on children’s program at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. This interactive class will take place Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 10:00–11:30 a.m. and is designed for youth ages 5–10.
During this engaging program, participants will learn about ground-nesting birds found in our area and why nesting on the ground can be both clever—and risky. Through an age-appropriate mini lesson, kids will discover how these birds camouflage their nests, raise their young, and how people can help keep nesting areas safe.
The program includes:
• A fun, educational lesson about local ground-nesting birds
• A creative bird-themed craft to take home
• A hands-on activity that teaches simple ways to protect wildlife
Butterfly Garden Stroll: Saturday, July 11th and June 25th 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 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.
