Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park Exhibit Receives National Award

Carlsbad, NM – A newly-installed wayside exhibit entitled “Life in Desert Extremes” at Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park was honored recently with a National Association for Interpretation Media 2010 award. The award recognized the exhibit designers, Taylor Studios of Illinois, for excellence in the wayside exhibits category.

“This award showcases the park’s ongoing commitment to quality education and interpretation for our visitors,” said Park Superintendent Ken Britt. “State Park staff worked extensively with the staff at Taylor Studios to create an exhibit that enhances the park experience on the pathways through the park.”

The exhibit consists of a series of bilingual signs that interpret the plants and animals of the Chihuahuan Desert. By following a paved path through various desert plant communities and wildlife exhibits, visitors learn about different Chihuahuan Desert eco-regions. Taylor Studios completed an overhaul of all the interpretive signage at the park to create a thematic, cohesive visitor experience throughout the trail.

The interpretive master sign plan also included an analysis of existing and prospective audiences for the park and a comprehensive plan for the overall layout and content of all outdoor interpretive signage. The exhibit installation was completed in February 2010 for a cost of $160,000. Funding for the exhibit came from statewide park improvement funds through severance tax and through federal recreational trails funding.

Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park is an indoor/outdoor living museum displaying more than 40 native animal species and hundreds of succulent plants from around the world. Living Desert offers Outdoor Classroom Program curriculum guides for grades 3 through 5, with all activities aligned to state standards and benchmarks. The park is located on the northwest edge of Carlsbad off U.S. 285. For more information, call 575-887-5516 or visit www.nmparks.com