For the Kids

The Refuge Rocks! Programs for Children

Junior and Advanced Ranger Programs

Refuge Update:

Though refuge lands are open from sunrise until sunset every day of the year, the Visitor Center is open Monday through Saturday 9-4, Sunday 1-5. 

Butterfly Garden Walks

October is a great time to see Butterflies! Photos by Mayve Strong

Christmas Art Sale in the Nature Nook

Back by popular demand, the Christmas Art Glass display will return for a second year at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge’s October Round Up. Refuge volunteers create the art using mostly recycled glass, transforming it into colorful Christmas pictures, ornaments, and cards. The display reflects the creativity and craftsmanship of our volunteers and offers a unique glimpse into how discarded materials can be given new life. It will be one of the special features of this day-long celebration of the Refuge, alongside bird watching, nature lectures, and other activities.

High Energy Snacks Now For Sale in the Nook!

High energy hiking snacks have arrived in the Nature Nook! Grab a Honey Stinger, a bag of Trail Mix, or some Fruit Snacks to take along on your next walk through the refuge.

Free Field Trips for Schools and Youth Groups

Enjoy a fun-filled day of learning about nature, at the refuge or in your classroom.

With the support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the refuge, our knowledgeable volunteers—with more than 100 years of combined teaching experience—will lead your students on a guided hike through prairie, pond, forest, and riparian ecosystems while reinforcing their science TEKS. Along the way, students will compare habitats and learn to identify animal tracks, bird songs, native plants, and other fascinating discoveries.

Next, we’ll visit Hagerman’s ¼ - acre pollinator garden, where students will learn how to use insect binoculars before being set loose to explore. They’ll enjoy close-up encounters with live butterflies, insects, spider egg sacs, chrysalises, and whatever else they can find! We’ll wrap up this portion by connecting their observations to TEKS concepts such as life cycles and the functions of organisms.

To round out the experience, students will explore animal skins and skulls, to get an up-close look at the differences between carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores—and discover how food chains really work.

View TEKS aligned lesson plans and Apply for a Field Trip today!

The Weekly Bird Census

Left to Right: Wayne Meyer, Nancy Riggs, Jack Chiles, and Mike Petrick

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.

First year Bald Eagle, Swainson's Hawk, Peregrine Falcon and Cave Swallow

We are near the end of September anticipating forecast rain after a long dry spell. Some of the marshes have been mowed and now hopefully they will catch some water for the rest of the migrating birds that visit the refuge in the fall. Today was a very good day as is any day that you get a Bald Eagle and 3 species of falcons, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin and several American Kestrels. The Peregrine Falcon was sitting on the sandbar way off the end of Plover pad. The Merlin was at Deaver Pond as well as the first year Bald Eagle. We also had a Belted Kingfisher, a Tricolored Heron, Red-headed Woodpeckers and lots of egrets at Deaver Pond. We saw large flocks of American White Pelicans flying around the refuge and a large flock of an estimated 2500 were sitting on the sandbar off the end of Plover pad. Shorebird numbers were down a lot from recent days but we did get a Marbled Godwit, a Long-billed Dowitcher and 27 American Avocets in Steedman Marsh. We saw 213 Snowy Egrets and 193 Great Egrets. Large numbers of White-faced Ibis are still present with a count of 181. We saw at least 30 Cave Swallows, 2 Tree Swallows, 2 Bank Swallows,3 Cliff Swallows and numerous Barn Swallows. We finished the day with 71 species.

See the rest of Jack's notes and the latest Bird Census Results       

Photo Club Meeting: History of Hagerman NWR

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Step back in time with Mary Istre, Deputy Refuge Manager, as she explores 80 years of conservation at Hagerman NWR. Using historic photographs and engaging stories, Mary will bring to life the people, decisions, and defining moments that shaped the refuge’s landscapes and wildlife. You’ll also discover how lessons from the past continue to guide conservation efforts today—and why this history matters more than ever.

Event Leader: Nancy Miller

photoclub@friendsofhagerman.org

Photo Contest Results will be announced after the November Second Saturday Presentation on November 14, 2026.

Join Cindy Steele for:

The Refuge Rocks! Programs for Children

Junior Ranger Program: Advanced and Intermediate

Sponsor the Friends of Hagerman NWR with a Membership

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.

• Lots of stops for bird-watching and photography.   
• Guided tours are weather permitting and seating is limited. 
• Standbys are accepted if space permits. 
• Recommended for age 6 - adult. 
• Bring your binoculars or borrow ours.
• Meet at the visitor center 15 minutes before departure. 
• School, church, families or other groups of 6 to 8 people may request a special group tram tour on days other than regularly scheduled tram tour days 

Photo by Jack Chiles