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Join us for a full day of family fun!
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| Events, Info & Activities All activities are on hold until the government reopens. We’re keeping them on the calendar in the hope that the shutdown will end soon. Sponsor the Friends With Membership Tram Tours on the Wildlife Explorer! Gardening, Mowing and Work Crew Visitor Center Volunteers Needed! Subscribe to Our Monthly Featherless Flyer |
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Deer hunting will cause closures on the following days:
Nov 07-09, Nov 21–23, Dec 05–07
The following areas will be affected by the deer hunt:
Meyers Branch, Harris Creek, Big Mineral Units Click here for details.
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Second Saturday: Waterfowl of Hagerman NWR with Dr. Wayne Meyer, Ornithologist Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM in the Visitor Center
As winter nears, the waterfowl for which Hagerman NWR was originally established are moving. In this presentation, you'll learn about all the geese and ducks that visit our refuge and why they come. Photo by Donnie Simmons Future Second Saturday Programs |
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Plant of the Month Ruellia: A Plant of Many Virtues By Marnie Barnes Sadri 
Imagine a garden blessed with dazzling purple, trumpet-shaped blooms that return anew each morning for nearly five months of the year. Picture a plant that not only survives but thrives in Texas heat and humidity, and even tolerates drought with ease. Envision a garden companion that settles in gently—never crowding its neighbors, even after many years. Now, add the delight of knowing this same plant provides food for butterflies such as the Common Buckeye and the Wood Nymph, while also serving as a nectar source for pollinators and the occasional hummingbird. Best of all, it flourishes in sun, shade, or anything in between, returning faithfully each spring like an old friend. Meet my favorite: Ruellia drummondiana. Several Ruellia species are native to Texas and do well in DFW gardens, including Ruellia nudiflora (Common Wild Petunia), Ruellia occidentalis (Western Wild Petunia), Ruellia humilis (Prairie Petunia), and Ruellia caroliniensis (Carolina Petunia). But only one species is endemic to Texas—occurring nowhere else in the world: Ruellia drummondiana, or Common Wild Petunia. It was named for Scottish naturalist Thomas Drummond, who collected and cataloged plants across Texas in the early 1800s, particularly around the Edwards Plateau and Brazos River region. Though it is concentrated in the Edwards Plateau, Drummond’s Ruellia can also be found in the Cross Timbers, Blackland Prairie, and even parts of the DFW area. I first discovered it nearly 20 years ago on the edge of my Denton garden, then a heavily wooded, undeveloped lot. At first I mistook the ovate-leaved newcomer for a weed and pulled it up—only to have it reappear. A year or two later, when the plant revealed its striking blooms, I began to understand its charm. Unlike R. nudiflora, whose flowers cluster at the tops of its stems, Drummond’s flowers bloom gracefully along the main stem where the leaves meet, creating a lovely layered effect. Around the same time, I noticed Buckeye butterflies lingering near it—only later learning that Ruellia drummondiana is in fact the larval host for the species. Through the seasons, I observed how adaptable it was: thriving equally well in full sun alongside prickly pear, or in the deep shade beneath redbuds and post oaks. Unlike its more aggressive cousins, it produces only a few seeds per pod, preventing it from spreading invasively. This makes it a gentle, well-mannered addition to a native garden. That restraint is worth noting, because not all Ruellias are so considerate. Take Mexican Petunia (Ruellia simplex), for instance. With its tall, dark foliage and equally beautiful blooms, it may tempt gardeners—until it reveals its invasive nature, spreading aggressively by underground roots and explosive seeds, often overwhelming everything in its path. By contrast, Texas’s own Ruellia drummondiana is a true garden treasure: hardy, graceful, pollinator-friendly, and uniquely ours. For Texans—native or transplanted—it’s a plant well worth welcoming into the garden. |
Birding with Jack: The Weekly Bird Census
Left to Right: Mike Petrick, Nancy Riggs, Jack Chiles and Terry Goode Each Tuesday a team of experienced birders, including Master Naturalist Jack Chiles, traverse 35 miles of refuge roads and hiking trails, documenting every bird they encounter. This Bird Census is reported to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology for use in research, and each week we will bring you a link to their actual bird count, and a summary of their adventures.
See the rest of Jack's notes and the latest Bird Census Results |
Join Cindy Steele for: The Refuge Rocks! Programs for Children Future events
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| Puddles' Craft Corner By Cindy Steele, Master Naturalist |
We’re Going Batty!
Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner. Are you afraid of bats? Well, did you know that bats are afraid of you? These amazing mammals have long been misunderstood! In fact, bats actually help the environment and people by eating tons of flying insects that destroy crops and spread diseases. Bats also pollinate night flowers, such as cactus, and help spread seeds to create new fruit trees. They’re mysterious, nocturnal hunters who have captured our imaginations for centuries. Imagine you're outside when it's getting dark, and a shadowy creature flies past you. At first, you might think it's a bird, but then you realize it's actually a bat! You don't have to be afraid, though. That bat is likely trying to find insects to eat. It doesn't want to hurt you. In this lesson we'll uncover interesting facts and features about these unique animals.
What is a Bat?
Did you know that a bat is a mammal? A mammal is a type of animal that has fur or hair on its body and feeds its babies milk when born. Bats are special because they are the only mammals that can truly fly. A bat's body is covered head to toe in fur. Many bats look like mice with wings! Bats are able to fly because their front limbs are actually webbed. The webbing is a layer of skin that creates a wing that is very thin but strong. No other mammals have this unusual feature.
Bats have sharp teeth, but hardly ever use them for biting people or attacking animals. Out of over a thousand different species of bats, only three types are truly vampire bats. For the rest, teeth are mainly used for the same thing we use our teeth for: eating.
Like cats, bats clean themselves. Far from being dirty, bats spend a lot of time grooming themselves. Some, like the colonial bat, even groom each other. Besides having sleek fur...
Junior Ranger Program: Advanced and Intermediate
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| The Junior Ranger Pledge As a Junior Ranger at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, I pledge to protect outdoor creatures small, big and huge. To keep the water, air and land clean. To make enjoying nature a routine. I will share my new skills with family and friends. When people and nature work together, everybody wins! |
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Sponsors Enable the Friends to…
Join Today! Memberships available for $20 |
Come, Take a Tour on the Wildlife Explorer! 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 at 2:00 PM, 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. |
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Group Tram Tour |
Register for a Tram Tour Today! |
Butterfly Garden Walks
Registration is not necessary |
Pipevine Swallowtail (right) by Laurie Sheppard |
Sunrise at the Little Sit by Laurie Sheppard | Photo by Cathy Van Bebber |
Meet Jack and the Bird Census Team and learn how to identify the birds of North Texas while enjoying 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. The First Saturday of every month, beginning 30 minutes before sunrise. |
Location: H Pad, Sadler, Texas 76264 (H Pad is in Sadler, but it is part of the refuge) GPS Coordinates: 33.734961, -96.780582
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Early Bird Walk with Jack Chiles |
Master Naturalist Jack Chiles will lead our Early Birding event, weather permitting. Bring binoculars or borrow ours. Meet at the Visitor Center and return in time for the Second Saturday program. |
Please Register (Optional) so we may inform you via email of unforseen changes/cancellations.
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Do You Like to Work Outside? The Refuge Needs You! |
It takes a lot of people to have a beautiful garden! The Wednesday Garden Team Love to work with native plants and meet other gardeners? Come and help us add plants, weed and mulch our beautiful butterfly garden. Garden Team volunteers get first dibs on thinned native plants as well as access to seeds and cuttings for propagation. Gardeners meet on most Wednesdays, but times vary. Contact Us to subscribe to the volunteer garden team weekly email. Provide own tools and gloves. Minimum age 18, or 16 if accompanied by parent/volunteer. |
Mowing and Refuge Beautification: The Work Crew Do you enjoy working outside, mowing, sprucing up hiking trails, trimming and removing brush and general cleanup? Show your love for nature by joining the Outdoor Crew at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. Outdoor Crew volunteers meet on the First Tuesday and Fourth Saturday of every month. Contact Us for exact times, dates and other details about joining the volunteer Work Crew. Scouts welcome! |
Visitor Center Volunteers Needed! |
Do you enjoy meeting all kinds of people from all over the world, and like-minded people in our area? If yes, consider joining our team of Visitor Center Volunteers. You will greet refuge guests, distribute maps and other refuge information, and make sales in the gift shop. Shifts available every day of the week: Monday through Saturday 9 AM to 12:30 PM and 12:30 to 4:00 PM, Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Training is provided. Contact Us if interested. |
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| Thank You To Our Contributors: Jack Chiles, Marnie Barnes Sadri, Donnie Simmons, Cindy Steele Refuge Manager: Kathy Whaley Acting Deputy Refuge Manager: Mary Maddux Visitor Services Manager: Spencer Beard Editors: Patricia Crain, Laurie SheppardFriends of Hagerman NWR Foundation 6465 Refuge Road, Sherman, TX 75092 Phone: 903-786-2826 Join us on Facebook: |
Search for any word--do not use quotes for phrases |
6465 Refuge Road Sherman, TX 75092
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Kroger: Stop by the customer service desk at Kroger and link your Kroger Card to the Friends of Hagerman: the Friends will get rewards for every dollar you spend, at no cost to you.
Please add info@friendsofhagerman.org to your contacts to ensure delivery of registration confirmations, account information and the Featherless Flyer
See you at the refuge!