10:00, 12:00 and 2:00 Tram Tours of the Refuge

Meet at the Visitor Center

Come join us for a ride on the Wildlife Explorer! Our new and beautiful tram is available for ninety-minute tours of Hagerman every Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting. Our tours are as varied as our drivers. Each tram driver has her/his approach to the tour: you may learn about wildlife, birds, habitat, refuge history, photography, you name it! To paraphrase, “a Wildlife Explorer tour at Hagerman is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” But you know it’s going to be good! Come see us! Lots of stops for bird-watching and photography.

Reservations Required

12:00 Master Storyteller

Visitor Center Multipurpose Room

Something new for everyone will be Storytime by Master Storyteller Doris Haynie, scheduled for 12:00 in the Multipurpose Room. She will tell a “Birds of Prey” story that will be kid friendly but factual and educational, and entertaining for adults as well.

Doris spent most of her teaching career in the Whitesboro ISD. She says that she always enjoyed reading to her Pre-K and Kindergarten children during the school day. But during a teacher training seminar in Fort Worth, she found herself mesmerized when she attended a storytelling session featuring Elizabeth Ellis, a world renowned storyteller.

After this seminar, she went back and began telling stories with voice inflections and animation. She soon discovered that she had their attention more intently and for a longer period of time when orally sharing a story. She also realized their retention of the story was enhanced as well. Their curiosity and creativity was sparked through the oral word. Doris says the absolute best part of telling stories is watching the faces of the children. Her journey came full circle when she was invited to tell a story at the Tejas Storytelling Festival in Denton. In attendance was Elizabeth Ellis, who started Doris on her own storytelling adventure!

1:00 - 3:00 Butterfly Garden Walk

Explore the ¼-acre Butterfly Garden at Hagerman NWR, where friendly garden docents will help you identify Texas native plants and the butterflies that visit them. Families can enjoy special activities such as scavenger hunts and the delightful Metamorphosis Puppet. The garden is free and open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. Don’t miss the Monarch Tagging—kids can see monarchs up close, and some may even have the thrill of releasing one as it takes flight.

1:00 - 3:00 Activities for the Kids

in the Environmental Education Pavilion