The friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge have found a way to raise some funds to help geese ahead of this winter’s migration. The adopt-a-goose fundraiser is meant to help provide food for the thousands of geese who travel thousands of miles to get to Hagerman each winter as they migrate to warmer conditions.
“Each winter, thousands of Snow and Ross’s Geese visit Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (HNWR),” officials with the refuge and the Friends of Hagerman answered questions about the project. “In turn, literally thousands of people visit the refuge to see and take pictures of the geese. To provide a critical food resource for the geese, winter wheat is planted on the refuge. However, due to inflation and other factors impacting the refuge’s budget, the number of acres planted has decreased from 346 acres in 2021 to 193 acres in 2024.”
Thus, a fundraiser was created to help with the overseeding costs. Individuals can donate $20 to adopt a goose or purchase one bag of seed or individuals can adopt a field which will allow for the purchase of seeds for one of 17 fields that will need reseeding. Field adoption costs vary from $250-$750.
“The Adopt-A-Goose initiative was created by the Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (FoH) to help address this need,” retired ecologist Byron Clark said in an email interview. “It is tightly aligned with the mission of the FoH which ‘is to instill reverence, respect and conservation of our wild creatures and habitats through supporting environmental education, recreational activities and programs of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.’ Funds raised by Adopt-A-Goose will help ensure that winter wheat fields are available for the geese and enhance wildlife viewing opportunities for refuge visitors.”
There are 243 acres of land split into 17 fields that need to be seeded with the winter wheat to support the needs of the migrating geese this winter.
“Without these fields, the geese may use nearby wheat fields on private lands or continue their migration south,” officials said. “In either case, food resources for the geese and viewing opportunities for visitors on the refuge will be more limited without the wheat fields.”
The goal is to raise $7,240 to purchase the winter wheat seed by Sept. 1.
” Donated funds will be solely used to purchase winter wheat seed (or defray other costs associated with planting),” the email interview says. “This figure does not include the cost of the fuel and maintenance needed to operate the machinery used to prep and plant the fields.
“In addition to FoH raising funds for Adopt-A-Goose, three volunteers have completed the training necessary to operate the refuge machinery and assist refuge staff plant the wheat.”
The seeding process will take two and a half months from prepping the lawn to planting the fields.
“Field preparation involves several steps and starts as soon as possible after July 15th (by this date, ground nesting birds have completed their nesting cycle). Each field must be brush hogged, disked and field cultivated prior to planting,” Clark said. “Depending on the amount of vegetative growth, soil condition and weather, these steps may need to be repeated before the fields are ready. The goal is to finish by October 1st so that the winter wheat seeds have time to sprout and grow before the geese arrive.”
This is the first year of this fundraiser, and along with this fundraiser, another fundraising project includes an auction of donated items.
“Over the last several years, more than 150 FoH volunteers have averaged over 10,000 total hours of volunteer work per year assisting the refuge staff with various projects,” the email interview says. “This effort has enhanced the refuge’s ability to provide environmental education programming and manage habitats for wildlife and visitors. It is important to note that all programming provided by FoH is made available to the public free-of-charge. In the last five years, FoH also has raised the funds to build an environmental education pavilion and purchase a new electric tram and off-road utility vehicle.
“Examples of ongoing activities include providing educational programs for youth and adults, giving tram tours, bird walks, and butterfly walks, assisting visitors at the Nature Nook in the Visitor Center, mowing hiking trails and day-use areas, publishing a monthly newsletter, maintaining an active social media presence, and sponsoring a Photo Club and photography contest.”
As a member of the Friends of Hagerman, Clark said he has a special connection to nature.
“I was raised on a small farm in Iowa and have always enjoyed the outdoors and nature,” he said. “I was fortunate that my career as a university professor and administrator allowed me to continue this passion. Now that I am retired, what better way to give back than to volunteer at HNWR. It has allowed me to stay connected to nature, engage others in the conservation of our natural resources, and have fun.”
And, Clark said the fun of Hagerman could be what connects new audiences to the site.
“Life is too short not to have fun! If you enjoy nature and want to make a difference with a group of like-minded volunteers, I encourage you to get involved with the Friends of Hagerman NWR,” he said. “You will have the opportunity to make new friends and use your existing skills (or discover new ones) by assisting with environmental education programs, recreational activities, and conservation efforts at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. ”
