Friends of Hagerman NWR upcoming events

Second Saturday Bird Walk (November 14, 2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 14:00:00 GMT

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.

Free and open to the public. Donations are accepted to support this and other events and programs sponsored by the Friends of Hagerman NWR.

Eternal Bois d’Arc: Dinosaurs Tempered It, Caddo Nation Tamed It and America Built On It with John Baecht of Bois D'Arc Kingdom (November 14, 2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 16:00:00 GMT

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.

Registration is not necessary—

all are welcome! But if any of these programs spark your curiosity, signing up will get you a friendly reminder three days beforehand. You’ll also receive our once-a-month Featherless Flyer newsletter—no email overload, and it’s easy to unsubscribe anytime.

Refuge Rocks FREE Youth Program: What Do You Call a Group of...(What's in a Name?) (Ages 5-10) (November 21, 2026)

Sat, 21 Nov 2026 16:00:00 GMT

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 fun lesson featuring Texas and refuge wildlife group names
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.

Program Details:

Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026

Time: 10:00–11:30 a.m.

Ages: 5–10

Location: Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

Space is limited. Advance registration is encouraged. Register on the Friends of Hagerman website.

Come discover that when Texas wildlife gathers together, the names are anything but ordinary!