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• Photo Club Nature Photo Contest 9/1 Through 9/30

  • Start
    September 01, 2024
  •  
    12:00 AM
  • End
    October 01, 2024
  •  
    12:00 AM
  • Location
    Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

  Friends of Hagerman NWR Annual Nature Photo Contest 

  
  

  Every year in September, the Friends of Hagerman Photo Club sponsor a nature-themed photo contest.  For a small fee per photo, photographers may enter as many photos as they wish. 

  All photographers are invited to participate in the contest, regardless of age or skill level.  Divisions include Beginner and Intermediate/Advanced: all photographers, including youth, are welcome!

  Ribbons will be awarded for First, Second, and Third place in each of four categories and in both divisions (Beginner and Advanced/Intermediate). In addition, a cash prize will be awarded for First Place in each category, and the photos judged as “Best of Show” and “Youth Best in Show”. Winners will be determined by a panel of judges, who will review the submitted photos without reference to entrant name.

  Winners’ photographs will be displayed at the Refuge Visitor Center (when it opens) and published on the Friends of Hagerman website, Facebook page and other venues. The Nature Photo Contest Committee will coordinate and conduct the contest for the Refuge and the Friends of Hagerman NWR.

  • All photos entered in the contest must have been taken within Hagerman NWR boundaries within the past five years.  
  • Entries will be accepted from September 1st through September 30.
  • Categories include: Landscapes, Flora and Macro, Artistic, and Wildlife. 

  Click below for rules and instructions on how to submit entries.

   Contest Instructions

  Photo Contest Tips
  

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• Second Saturday: Birds are Amazing Flying Dinosaurs with Dr. Tom Stidham

  • When
    September 14, 2024
  •  
    10:00 AM
  • Location
    Hagerman National Wildlife Visitor Center

  The evolutionary origins of the nearly 11,000 species of living birds trace their origins back to dinosaurs nearly 200 million years ago in the Mesozoic Era. Many features people think of as uniquely bird traits (like feathers) actually have their origins among dinosaurs, and at the same time those traits demonstrate that birds are the most amazing branch of the dinosaur family tree. While birds intrigue, dazzle, and serenade us today, the evolutionary and fossil record shows us that many exciting and unexpected aspects of bird history and diversity extend back to the time before dinosaurs could fly.

  Dr. Thomas Stidham is an evolutionary biologist and paleontologist who studies mostly bird evolution from their dinosaurian origins to today. In addition to his high profile work on birds, Tom’s broad natural history perspective also has resulted in research publications on insects, mammals, reptiles, plants, and much more, including lots of new species. After 12 years at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, he has returned to Texas to join Austin College where he hopes to engage an active student body in exciting courses, build a very productive research program with students, and continue his collaborations around the globe. Outside of traditional academia, he is working to build a robust science outreach program across North Texas that is a continuation of his years of successful outreach in China with schools, NGOs, and multilingual kids of all ages, including Girl Scouts.

  Photo: This fossil of a shark vertabra was found by Kathy Whaley, Refuge Manager, at the North Sulphur River.  The river is part of the Western Interior Seaway as was refuge lands.
  

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

  Join us with membership today to receive the monthly Featherless Flyer newsletter with nature articles, program information, updated events and other important refuge information.

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• The Refuge Rocks: Beavers: Busy Builders

  • When
    September 21, 2024
  •  
    10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
  • Location
    Hagerman NWR Visitor Center
  • Spaces left
    11

  Register

  

  We’re diving into the extraordinary lives of beavers; those adorable, yet fiercely independent, builders of the wild. Beavers, nature’s master builders, create entire worlds with their incredible skills. Without tools or machinery, they use their ever-growing front teeth to chop down trees, one bite at a time. Can you imagine having teeth that never stop growing? Beavers do, and that’s their secret to felling trees and creating dams.  Come out and join us for this youth program to learn about these amazing builders!  We’ll be learning about beavers through a short mini lesson, fun activities, and a craft.  Come join us on September 21 for a free class for youth ages 5-10.  

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

  Join us with membership today to receive the monthly Featherless Flyer newsletter with nature articles, program information, updated events and other important refuge information.

  Photo by Kitta Weinkauf Dory

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