Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge

06/02/2026

We recently had a wonderful time celebrating our incredible volunteers during our Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Blue Corn Harvest! It was a great opportunity to come together, enjoy delicious food, wonderful company, and recognize the amazing individuals who make such a difference at our refuge. Volunteers were presented with certificates, volunteer hour pins recognizing their dedication, and gifts as a small token of our appreciation for all they do.
We would also like to give a special congratulations to our Volunteer of the Year, Marjie Palmer!

06/01/2026

🌟 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT 🌟

This month, we are proud to recognize Paula Richards for her incredible dedication and service to Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge!

Paula has been volunteering with the refuge since 2015 and has become an invaluable member of our volunteer family. As an avid guided hike leader, Paula has shared her passion for nature and conservation with countless visitors over the years. This year alone, she led an impressive 17 guided hikes — the most hikes led by any volunteer this year!

Her impact extends far beyond the trails. Paula has played an important role in helping rebuild our Bridges to Birding field trip program and Going Buggy program, helping create meaningful opportunities for kids to connect with wildlife and the natural world. She also consistently lends a helping hand with every field trip, always stepping up wherever needed.

Paula’s enthusiasm, dedication, and willingness to serve make a lasting difference for our visitors, students, and refuge community. Thank you, Paula, for everything you do for Balcones Canyonlands NWR! 💚👏

05/19/2026

***EVENT REGISTRATION IS FULL***
🦉🦅 Join us for a special Raptor Presentation at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge!
Austin Area Wildlife Rehabilitation will be bringing live raptors, including hawks and owls, for an up-close educational presentation at Doeskin Ranch. This is a great opportunity for families, bird lovers, and wildlife enthusiasts to learn more about these incredible birds of prey and the important role they play in our ecosystem.

📅 June 27, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM
📍 Doeskin Ranch
10645 FM 1174
Bertram, TX 78605

⚠️ By registration only due to limited parking. Registration is per vehicle. Register at https://www.friendsofbalcones.org/events

We hope to see you there!

05/01/2026

🌟 MAY VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT 🌟
This month, we're thrilled to recognize Bob Crow at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge! Bob has been volunteering with us since October 2017 and is truly a jack of all trades—he cleans trail restrooms twice a week, leads our Cowbird trapping program, helps on every school field trip, works in the visitor center, and jumps in wherever needed.
In 2024, Bob was named Volunteer of the Year, and last year he surpassed 2,000 hours of service! If you see Bob around the refuge, be sure to give him a huge THANK YOU for all his hard work and dedication! 🙌

04/27/2026

A huge THANK YOU to Scheels and their incredible team of 35 new employees for helping rebuild our Post Oak Trail at Headquarters!
After the trail was heavily damaged during the July 4th flood last year, we knew restoring it would take many hands and hard work. When Scheels reached out looking for a volunteer project, rebuilding this beloved trail immediately came to mind—and they absolutely exceeded all expectations.
Their energy, teamwork, and dedication transformed a challenging restoration project into something truly inspiring. We are so grateful for partners like Scheels who give back to public lands and help care for the places we all love. Your service made a lasting impact, and you did an awesome job! 👏🌿

04/24/2026

On Thursday, April 23rd, the Department of the Interior celebrated Bring a Kid to Work Day! U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees and their kids from all over the Austin area were invited to Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge to attend a guided nature hike! They learned about the plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife along the trail. This day not only connected them with nature, but it also gave them an inspiring look into future career possibilities with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service!

04/21/2026

04/16/2026

During the month of January 2026, the Balcones Fire Crew conducted a prescribed burn out at our Doeskin Ranch Trail. Prescribed fire is one of the tools the refuge uses to manage habitats and reduce hazardous fuels within the Texas Hill Country. The first picture was taken January 21st, and the second was taken April 16th. Isn’t it amazing what 3 months and some rain will do? Want to know more about why prescribed burns are an important tool for habitat management? Please visit... https://www.friendsofbalcones.org/understanding-prescribed-burns

04/01/2026

***APRIL VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT***
The Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Spotlight for this month goes to Ken and Louann Gum! Ken and Louann have been volunteering at the refuge since August of 2019. They are the smiling faces you see every Wednesday afternoon in our visitor center at Headquarters, where they help guests with any information they need and questions they have. They also volunteer at school field trips in the spring, and this year they taught the Binoculars station during our volunteer training. Ken also helps with maintenance around the refuge when needed, from mowing, to recycling, and various other tasks. They are always a joy to have at the refuge, and we look forward to them continuing to volunteer here. If you see Ken and Louann, tell them THANK YOU!

03/26/2026

What a beautiful day we had on March 24th at Balcones Canyonlands NWR for our first Homeschool Field Trip Day! We learned all about birds and enjoyed the beauty of Doeskin Ranch for the day. A special thank you to the volunteers who helped make this possible, and thank you to everyone who came out to join us! We look forward to hosting our next Homeschool Field Trip Day in the fall to teach kids all about insects!