The Sibley Center has been extremely influencial and benefical to me. It has taught me about my ecoregion and its uniqueness and significance. I am an educator and the Center has helped me to convey knowledge of our area to my students and made me a better and more effective educator. We just completed a full day field study, journaling and taking digital photography on the Sibley nature trails. It was a life changing experience for my students that instills a respect and love for where we live.
Recently, the Sibley Environmental Learning Center asked me to provide examples of the nature photography that I have done and then presented a show of my work! I would never have dreamed just a few years ago that I would become a featured nature photographer with my own show. This year, I became the President of the Llano Estacado Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists which is sponsored by Burr Williams, Executive Director of the Sibley Environmental Learning Center. With Mr. Williams encouragement, we created a facebook page for the chapter. We post nature photos taken by members of the Llano Estacado habitats and then share them with the world. Many interesting discussions have occurred and experts from all over the country weigh in with valuable interpretive information. As a result of one effort, a PhD candidate studying Selenia jonesii came to collect samples from wild populations we had located just this Spring. She has been studying the plant for three years and had never seen a live specimen. I hope that a picture is beginning to emerge of a dynamic non-profit organization that is improving the understanding of Llano Estacado of west Texas and improving the quality of life for the people who live here. The Sibley Environmental Learning Center is only limited by scarce resources. If more resources could be found,