Hello! We're glad you're here! As an FYI, you don't have to be a Friend/Member to register for an event, but Friends/Members do receive early notice of upcoming events and the ability to register up to a week in advance of the general public. To sign-up, select the specific event and click "Register".Please note: Events are popular and fill quickly! If an event is full, we encourage you to add yourself to the waitlist. |
In partnership with the refuge, we also host three major events each year.
![]() | SparrowfestTypically scheduled in February, this event celebrates the little brown birds that flock to our feeders in the winter. More than 20 species spend their winters here. Guided by experienced birding guides, local bird lovers flock to the refuge to see how many different sparrows they can spot and celebrate the diversity of the little bird. |
songbird festivalTypically scheduled in April, we celebrate the return of many neotropical songbirds who come to nest on the refuge. The Balcones Canyonlands Songbird Festival is a celebration of nature through a collection of interpretive events designed to help you experience both bird species and their habitat. Experienced guides host bird walks on closed portions of the refuge and help birders from around the world add to their life lists. |
![]() | refuge RoundupA free event, it is typically scheduled in October. The refuge and the friends group host a myriad of activities celebrating the wildlife, the habitat and the people that live in the Canyonlands. It’s timed with the migration of hawks, many of whom head to South America for the winter. Lots of activities for both children and adults, including being part of the fire crew or working as a game warden, hiking ancient seabeds, nature photography, archery, native plants, habitat restoration, birds of prey, reptiles, and more. |
BAlcones Christmas Bird CountEvery December, birders from around the area gather to count birds and document the species count. This is part of the citizen-science projects program. This is the longest running wildlife census in the world and provides critical data on bird populations and movements. You don't need to tramp through the wild, although that is lots of fun. You can also contribute by monitoring the visitors to your feeders. In 2020, we counted 13,804 birds, 106 different species. The invitation to join is typically published in early November. Come be a part of this worldwide effort! |
Here’s some examples from previous events.
Keep an eye on the calendar as many of these previous events and activities were so popular that we will be scheduling them again!
Suggest an event!Inquiring minds want to know… We’d love your input on topics you’d like to see, hear, and experience at the Refuge. Do you have an interesting speaker that you think our visitors would enjoy? Do you have a topic you’d be willing to share? Let us know what you think. |