Friends of Hagerman advertises free September nature programs and a Scout-friendly cleanup

Friends of Hagerman advertised a September 2026 calendar of nature programs and a volunteer cleanup at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, and the group says the refuge charges nothing for admission or parking.

The group's flyer scheduled Carol Clark to speak on native North Texas orchids on Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. No registration was required. On Sept. 19, a cleanup was set to begin at 8 a.m. at the visitor center. The group said Scouts were welcome and that the cleanup offered documentation of community-service hours. The same day, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., the group listed its free Wonderful Water program for children ages 5 to 10. Space was limited, and the group encouraged advance registration.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identifies Friends of Hagerman as a nonprofit refuge partner established in 2005. The agency says the group provides free monthly nature programs, guided tram tours, educational materials, and bird and butterfly walks. Friends of Hagerman says volunteers run all of its events and activities, supported by donations.

Volunteer work at the refuge extends past the event calendar. Staff and volunteers manage 300 acres of fields along Wildlife Drive, the agency says, resuming field preparation in August so winter wheat is ready when thousands of Snow, Ross's and White-fronted Geese arrive in the fall. A resident workamper program asks for 25 volunteer hours a week, covering visitor information, litter collection and maintenance, in exchange for an RV site with utilities. Across the agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service reported about 879,900 volunteer hours in 2023.

The group's Adopt-A-Nestbox program began in 2010. Volunteer monitors must attend training in January, whether new or returning, and submit their observations to Cornell's NestWatch. The group's September newsletter reported 151 Eastern Bluebirds fledged in 2026, compared with 136 in 2025 and the earlier record of 147 in 2019.

Free entry is not universal at nearby recreation areas. Texas Parks and Wildlife lists daily adult admission at $5 at Eisenhower State Park on Lake Texoma and $7 per person age 13 or older at Ray Roberts Lake State Park. Both admit children 12 and younger free. Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service, also charges no admission.

The Fish and Wildlife Service says Hagerman was established Feb. 9, 1946, under Public Land Order 314, on land acquired for the Denison Dam Project, to provide refuge and breeding grounds for migratory birds and other wildlife. The agency describes it as an 11,320-acre refuge supporting more than 300 bird species and receiving about 230,000 visitors a year. The webpage does not give the year of that visitation estimate.