Friends of Hagerman NWR upcoming events

Nature'Ology: A Free Single Day Nature Camp for Ages 11 and 12 (June 06, 2026)

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 12:45:00 GMT

Nature’Ology

A Free Single Day Nature Camp For Children 11 or 12 Years Old

June 6, 2026, 7:45 AM until 4:00 PM

Nature’Ology is a free, full day of hands-on discovery all about nature—snakes, spiders, prairies, birds, and the water cycle!

We’ll kick off the day with a guided nature hike, complete with loaner binoculars so every child can explore up close. Next, “The Snake Guy” of Grayson County will introduce his collection of live snakes, followed by a fascinating spider exhibit featuring hundreds of live specimens.

Students will create their own terrariums and learn about prairie ecosystems with Texas Master Naturalists. Then it’s off to the Butterfly Garden, where they’ll learn about Monarch Butterflies.

With plenty of opportunities to explore, get a little dirty, and learn by doing, this is a day kids won’t forget!

Siblings and friends are welcome! Please register each child separately.

Lake Texoma: A 4D view of Lake Ecology with Dr. Tim Patton (June 13, 2026)

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

This presentation will provide a broad overview of lake ecology. We’ll place emphasis on Lake Texoma, but it will be applicable to lakes in general. We’ll start outside of the lake with topics such as watershed and lake basin characteristics. Then we’ll take a deep dive (pun intended) to look at factors such as light, heat (including lake “turnover”), carbon, and oxygen, and how these come together to shape food webs. We’ll also discuss how these factors change in space and time, that is, how they vary depending upon where you are in the lake profile and what time of year, or even what time of day it happens to be. There’s a lot going on down there!

Tim Patton is a Professor Emeritus (which is a fancy way of saying retired professor) at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he worked for 26 years. He is a native of Arkansas and completed his Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Management at Arkansas Tech University. He went on to obtain a Master’s and then a Ph.D. in Zoology and Physiology from The University of Wyoming, then worked as a research scientist for the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit before becoming a professor at Southeastern in 1998. He was also an adjunct faculty at the University of Oklahoma and taught reservoir ecology at the OU Biological research Station. His career research has focused on various aspects of aquatic ecology and vertebrate ectotherms including fish, amphibians, and reptiles. His most recent and current research has focused alligators in the wetlands of southeastern Oklahoma.

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.

Butterfly Garden Walk (June 13, 2026)

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Enjoy the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman NWR

Garden docents will be on hand to help identify the Texas native plants and visiting butterflies. Literature on plants and butterflies will be available. Special activities for families: scavenger hunts, the Metamorphosis Puppet and more. Registration is not necessary.

The garden is free of charge and open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day of the year.

Donations are accepted to support the Butterfly Garden, Garden Walks 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 of American Lady Butterfly by Laurie Sheppard

Refuge Rocks FREE Youth Program: What's the Buzz About Hummingbirds? (Ages 5-10) (June 20, 2026)

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Discover the amazing world of one of nature’s tiniest — and busiest — birds during June’s Refuge Rocks program, “What’s the Buzz About Hummingbirds?” on Saturday, June 20 from 10:00–11:30 a.m. at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.

Young nature lovers in grades 2–4 will flutter into the fascinating lives of hummingbirds through a mini lesson, hands-on activity, and fun craft as they learn how these tiny birds hover, zoom, migrate, and help pollinate flowers. Kids will discover what makes hummingbirds so unique while enjoying an engaging morning of nature exploration and creativity.

Refuge Rocks is a monthly youth nature program designed to spark curiosity and encourage children to connect with the natural world through fun, interactive learning experiences.

Photo Club Meeting: Workflow - Manage Your Images (July 18, 2026)

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 18:00:00 GMT

A photography workflow is essential for efficiently managing your images from the moment you capture them to the final step of sharing with others. We will look at the specific steps involved in a typical photography workflow as well as demonstrate them. We will also explore some of the features in Lightroom that can help make organizing and sharing your files much easier. A good workflow can allow you to spend less time on file handling and more time taking photos.