Friends of Hagerman NWR upcoming events

Climate Change with Dr. George Diggs Jr. (October 10, 2026)

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 15:00:00 GMT

What’s the latest on climate change and what do scientists now “know" and still don’t know? What can one observe in person? George has traveled to all seven continents and has observed glaciers on 6 of them. He just returned from a trip to Greenland and Iceland and has seen the effects of climate change first-hand at both ends of the earth. He’ll share thoughts on what is happening and possible solutions for the future.

Dr. George Diggs Jr. is an evolutionary biologist and botanist who has taught for more than 40 years at Austin College in Sherman, and a Research Associate at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas.

His research interests include the plants of Texas, evolution as it relates to human health, the systematics of the Ericaceae (Blueberry Family), and biogeography.

He has co-authored four books, including The Ferns & Lycophytes of Texas, co-authored with Barney Lipscomb, and more than 30 scientific articles. In his research he has traveled to all seven continents. He helped found the Public Health program at Austin College and teaches Environmental and Evolutionary Health, including the impact of diet and toxins on human health.

Photo by Pam Rendall-Bass

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.

Sparrows with Dr. Wayne Meyer (October 10, 2026)

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Sparrows are some of the most common birds seen around the refuge, yet they’re often the most puzzling to identify. This Second Saturday program will explore the sparrow species found in North Texas, including those that call the refuge home year-round as well as winter visitors passing through. Learn simple, practical tips for telling sparrows apart by habitat, behavior, and subtle field marks, and discover where to look for them along refuge trails and fields. Perfect for curious beginners and experienced birders alike, this talk will help you see these small, secretive birds in a whole new way on your next walk through the refuge.

Dr. Wayne Meyer, an ornithologist, began birding at the age of 13 in Connecticut. He has birded extensively on both coasts of the United States and has spent the past quarter century birding in Texas and Oklahoma. Dr. Meyer has conducted extensive research on prairie birds and has been studying song learning and vocal development in Painted Buntings for more than a decade. He is a sought-after speaker for Master Naturalist groups and a frequent presenter at the Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Second Saturday programs.

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.

Photo by Brenda Kay Edwards

Eternal Bois d’Arc: Dinosaurs Tempered It, Caddo Nation Tamed It and America Built On It with John Baecht of Bois D'Arc Kingdom (November 14, 2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Join John Baecht of Bois d’Arc Kingdom to explore these remarkable trees—once a food source for Columbian mammoths, which reached up to 9 tons, and giant ground sloths, weighing around 2 tons. As these bus-sized animals climbed, pushed, and snapped branches to reach the fruit, the tree adapted to withstand immense pressure.

Today, Bois d’Arc is one of the strongest, most elastic, and most rot-resistant woods in North America—a living legacy of its prehistoric past.

The natural range of Bois d’Arc shrank dramatically during the advancing ice age. After the ice retreated, the tree found a refuge in the Red River Valley of present-day Texas and Oklahoma. There, the Caddo Nation developed a thriving trade network, exchanging Bois d’Arc wood—especially prized for bows—across vast distances, reaching as far as the Great Lakes region. These bows were so valuable that they were often worth more than a horse.

As settlers moved into North Texas, they encountered dense groves of Bois d’Arc along creeks and rivers, sometimes making passage difficult. Wagon makers in towns like Bonham quickly recognized the value of this durable wood, crafting long-lasting wagons from it. During the hedge-planting boom of the 1850s, Bois d’Arc seeds became extremely valuable—at times even compared to gold by weight—because the trees were widely used for living fences.

With the arrival of barbed wire, Bois d’Arc became the preferred material for fence posts due to its remarkable resistance to rot. It played a key role in shaping agriculture and settlement across the region. For decades, its wood was also used in structural supports for buildings throughout Texas.

Bois d’Arc—known scientifically as Maclura pomifera—continues to attract interest today. Its oils contain powerful antioxidants, and researchers are studying its potential benefits for health and medicine.

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.

Wildlife Watching and Photography Around Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge with Dr. Michael Keck (December 12, 2026)

Sat, 12 Dec 2026 16:00:00 GMT

New Mexico’s Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is world famous, mainly because it is the wintering ground for thousands of Sandhill Cranes. In this Second Saturday program, Michael will talk about the wildlife in the Refuge and surrounding areas. He will discuss travel and wildlife-viewing tips for both winter and summer visits to the area.

Michael Keck grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. He received his Ph.D. in Quantitative Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington, where he studied snake ecology and physiology. He has been a biology professor at Grayson College since 2001. He lives with his wife, Trish, and their dogs in Savoy, Texas.