URBAN NATURE OASIS

Just minutes from downtown Midland, the Sibley Nature Center provides an introduction to the surrounding native plant species and wildlife of the southern Llano Estacado, a region that shares many species with the Big Bend country farther south. A trip to the Sibley will give travelers an opportunity to gain a more robust understanding of what might be seen within the eight major ecoregions of the Llano Estacado, the tablelands that stretch from eastern New Mexico to northwestern Texas, making it one of the largest mesas in North America. In addition to the Center’s pleasant Howard Trail, the Sibley features trail shelters, ponds and canals, interpretive signage, a native habitat garden, and wildlife feeding stations among its forty nine acres. Inside its 5,200 square foot building, the Sibley houses a gift shop, a natural history library, bone and insect collections, mounted specimens, and a fully-enclosed wildlife viewing area with an active bee hive. A favorite attraction for Sibley visitors, however, is the specimen that has been inactive for millions of years – the enormous skull of a Phytosaur, a Triassic monster with crocodile-like jaws.