Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
Home to Oso the painting bear and many others<center><img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/LDWondering-kids.jpg align=center border=1 vspace=5 hspace=5 alt="Classes regularly tour the Carlsbad Living Desert State Park"><br><font size=3 Face="Arial Narrow" color=#000000>Classes regularly tour the Carlsbad Living Desert State Park</font></center>
By Joyce Berkner
Steppin’ Out representative
Carlsbad – Maggie Oso, the painting bear, will be celebrating her third birthday on January 12th. Maggie makes her home at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park in Carlsbad and she is just one of the many reasons for you to visit the Living Desert the next time you are near Carlsbad.
Maggie was rescued in Georgia when she was two months old. She was in rehab in Missouri until she was six months old when she traveled to New Mexico to settle down in her permanent home at the Living Desert.
<img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/LDMaggieOso.jpg align=left border=1 vspace=1 hspace=5 alt="Maggie the Painting Bear"> As part of her enrichment, Maggie began to paint. She paints in her holding area and when she is feeling creative, she walks through her carefully chosen colors for the day, creating works of art that are for sale in the Visitor Center.
As you stand high on the hill at the Visitor’s Center of the Living Desert you overlook the Pecos River Valley and the vast Chihuahuan Desert. The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North America and stretches over parts of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
This desert area has a unique beauty and sustains a life cycle for birds, animals, reptiles and plants that exists quietly and the casual passer by will miss this amazing phenomenon of a vast desert that is brimming with life.
The Living Desert State Park at Carlsbad is just the place for you to stop and become acquainted with the amazing plants and animals that are at home in the desert. The Living Desert Visitor Center is picturesque and with comfortable seating areas and abounds with educational exhibits and information. The friendly staff is helpful and makes the visitor feel right at home.
<img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/LDCuriousCoyote.jpg align=right border=1 vspace=1 hspace=5 alt="Curious Coyote">Paths will lead you on a self-guided tour to see sheltered habitats filled with snakes, lizards, birds, bison, mountain lions, the endangered Mexican gray wolf and many more. You will see 40 different animal species and hundreds of succulent plants from around the world.
The park landscape abounds with naturally growing desert plants along the nature trails. A green house gets you even closer to the desert plant life and if you want to take a piece of the desert home with you, the gift shop offers many plant species for sale and if you want a really unique and different work of art, choose from one of Maggie’s original creations.
<img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/LDPrarieDog.jpg align=left border=1 vspace=1 hspace=5 alt="Prairie Dog">You will find the Living Desert at 1504 Miehls Drive off of Hwy 285 on the northwest edge of Carlsbad. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. with the last entrance into the zoo at 3:30 p.m. They can be reached at 575-887-5516.
Carlsbad – Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park will celebrate the holidays with a variety of events:
•There will be a free Star Party at Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park on Friday, Dec. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in front of the Visitor Center. A large telescope will be set up to look at the planet Jupiter and other wonders of the night sky. Visitors are welcome to bring their own telescopes as well. This event will be cancelled if the sky is too cloudy.
•Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park will be hosting a Holiday Bells Concert on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 2-3 p.m. in the Visitor Center. This musical program featuring hand bells and holiday music will be presented free of charge by the Touch of Joy Ringers from First Presbyterian Church.
•Holidays with the Animals on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 1p.m. until 3 p.m. in the Visitor Center. Children can make crafts and holiday cards for their favorite Living Desert animal. Zoo entrance fees will also be waived on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 13 and 14, for each individual who brings at least one non-perishable food item or a new book or toy. These donations will be given to Christmas Anonymous and Jonah’s House.
Home to Oso the painting bear and many others<center><img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/LDWondering-kids.jpg align=center border=1 vspace=5 hspace=5 alt="Classes regularly tour the Carlsbad Living Desert State Park"><br><font size=3 Face="Arial Narrow" color=#000000>Classes regularly tour the Carlsbad Living Desert State Park</font></center>
By Joyce Berkner
Steppin’ Out representative
Carlsbad – Maggie Oso, the painting bear, will be celebrating her third birthday on January 12th. Maggie makes her home at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park in Carlsbad and she is just one of the many reasons for you to visit the Living Desert the next time you are near Carlsbad.
Maggie was rescued in Georgia when she was two months old. She was in rehab in Missouri until she was six months old when she traveled to New Mexico to settle down in her permanent home at the Living Desert.
<img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/LDMaggieOso.jpg align=left border=1 vspace=1 hspace=5 alt="Maggie the Painting Bear"> As part of her enrichment, Maggie began to paint. She paints in her holding area and when she is feeling creative, she walks through her carefully chosen colors for the day, creating works of art that are for sale in the Visitor Center.
As you stand high on the hill at the Visitor’s Center of the Living Desert you overlook the Pecos River Valley and the vast Chihuahuan Desert. The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North America and stretches over parts of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
This desert area has a unique beauty and sustains a life cycle for birds, animals, reptiles and plants that exists quietly and the casual passer by will miss this amazing phenomenon of a vast desert that is brimming with life.
The Living Desert State Park at Carlsbad is just the place for you to stop and become acquainted with the amazing plants and animals that are at home in the desert. The Living Desert Visitor Center is picturesque and with comfortable seating areas and abounds with educational exhibits and information. The friendly staff is helpful and makes the visitor feel right at home.
<img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/LDCuriousCoyote.jpg align=right border=1 vspace=1 hspace=5 alt="Curious Coyote">Paths will lead you on a self-guided tour to see sheltered habitats filled with snakes, lizards, birds, bison, mountain lions, the endangered Mexican gray wolf and many more. You will see 40 different animal species and hundreds of succulent plants from around the world.
The park landscape abounds with naturally growing desert plants along the nature trails. A green house gets you even closer to the desert plant life and if you want to take a piece of the desert home with you, the gift shop offers many plant species for sale and if you want a really unique and different work of art, choose from one of Maggie’s original creations.
<img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/LDPrarieDog.jpg align=left border=1 vspace=1 hspace=5 alt="Prairie Dog">You will find the Living Desert at 1504 Miehls Drive off of Hwy 285 on the northwest edge of Carlsbad. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. with the last entrance into the zoo at 3:30 p.m. They can be reached at 575-887-5516.
Carlsbad – Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park will celebrate the holidays with a variety of events:
•There will be a free Star Party at Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park on Friday, Dec. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in front of the Visitor Center. A large telescope will be set up to look at the planet Jupiter and other wonders of the night sky. Visitors are welcome to bring their own telescopes as well. This event will be cancelled if the sky is too cloudy.
•Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park will be hosting a Holiday Bells Concert on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 2-3 p.m. in the Visitor Center. This musical program featuring hand bells and holiday music will be presented free of charge by the Touch of Joy Ringers from First Presbyterian Church.
•Holidays with the Animals on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 1p.m. until 3 p.m. in the Visitor Center. Children can make crafts and holiday cards for their favorite Living Desert animal. Zoo entrance fees will also be waived on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 13 and 14, for each individual who brings at least one non-perishable food item or a new book or toy. These donations will be given to Christmas Anonymous and Jonah’s House.