Useful Links

The following websites contain information that you might find useful and interesting. Please be advised that the Sibley Nature Center does not control nor is responsible for any of the content found on any of these sites.

• Permian Historical Society – The Permian Historical Society was organized in 1958. Its purpose is to preserve the history of the Permian Basin of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. Its website was created in 2006 and will include a series of articles about life in the Permian Basin in earlier decades.
  
  
• Midnats – The Midland Naturalists (Midnats) have observed the flora and fauna of west Texas for over 50 years. The group focuses on weekly field trips every Saturday, often by special permission to private property. Members have done hundreds of Audubon Christmas Counts, participated in the Texas Breeding Bird Atlas, and surveyed many U.S. Fish and Game Breeding Bird routes. The major focus is on birds, but members are also studying butterflies, dragonflies, snakes, lizards, and plants of the region. A feature of the website is their photographic checklist of Midland County birds.
  
  
• The Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) is a partnership of federal and state wildlife agencies, conservation groups, private industry and landowners dedicated to conserving bird habitats in the Southern Great Plains. The PLJV site is one of the best ways to learn what is happening in wildlife conservation on the Llano Estacado and further north.
  
  
• Midland Gem and Mineral Society – The Midland Gem and Mineral Society meet at the Sibley Nature Center (and will until they build their own building.) The members are very generous, donating polished stones, quartz crystals, and "Pecos River Diamonds" to us for giving to students as prizes during activities at the Sibley Nature Center. They take field trips throughout West Texas and host a "Gem and Mineral Show" in Midland every fall.
  
  
• Fort Lancaster – Fort Lancaster, a few miles east of Sheffield, Texas, is a state park, and this website belongs the group of living history reenactors that support the facility. On their website are pictures of the Sibley Nature Center's Living History Event in Midland on October 28-29, 2005.
  
  
• Keep Midland Beautiful – Keep Midland Beautiful is an award-winning organization devoted to recycling, xeriscaping, litter control and other programs designed to improve the environment and enhance the quality of life for Midland County residents.
  
  
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - The Texas Parks and Wildlife website is one of the best places to learn about Texas organisms, places, and people.
  
  
• Chihuahua Desert Research Institute - The CDRI has an arboretum of plants native to the Chihuahuan Desert a few miles south of Fort Davis, Texas, along with an interpretative building, several miles of trails, and ample educational opportunities.
  
  
• eNature - On eNature, a user can create a handy field guide electronically. Select the Local tab on the banner of the webpage, and then type in your zip code and click go... and within a minute you will have access to reasonably complete photographic checklist of many the organisms of our area.