Former Soil Conservation Service employee and longtime writer Mat Taylor offers his outdoors column for Dispatch Record readers. He can be contacted at (254) 518-2262 or via e-mail at mntaylor@agristar.net. Every year thousands of tourists travel to Carlsbad, N.M., to visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and for good reason. The caverns are one of the Wonders of the World.

I have toured the caverns on three occasions and was impressed every time. If you haven't viewed this spectacular site, I would recommend it highly.

Another park near the city of Carlsbad is one I also would recommend. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park at the top of the Ocotillo Hills, just north of the city, offers a majestic view of Carlsbad and the surrounding Pecos River valley.

Recently, while traveling in New Mexico, my wife Nelda and I visited this fascinating park that showcases the varied plants and animals of the Chihuahuan Desert.

We walked the 1.3-mile selfguided tour and experienced several aspects of the desert.

The paved pathway took us through varied habitats of the Chihuahuan Desert that included sandhills, desert uplands, an arroyo and a pinon juniper zone. Each habitat had various plants identified in each vegetative zone.

The first stop on the trail is an aviary that houses a collection of native birds including birds of prey such as broad-tailed hawks, golden eagles and owls. Of course, since the park is in New Mexico there is a roadrunner, the state bird.

Later we walked through the nocturnal exhibit that includes plants and animals that are more active at night, such as bats.

When most people think of the desert, they think of snakes and lizards. At the park's reptile house is a Gila monster lizard, along with 14 species of snakes including six different kinds of rattlers.

The next stop on our tour was the prairie dog exhibit. This offered a chance to see one of the more popular desert dwellers. Park personnel had just fed the prairie dogs a variety of vegetables, and it was amusing to see one of the dogs holding and nibbling on an ear of corn.

A number of mammals were exhibited, including desert mule deer, bison (or buffalo), Rocky Mountain elk, pronghorn antelope, collared peccary (javelina), a mountain lion, a bobcat and various other small mammals.

One of the park's highlights is a special exhibit of the rare and endangered Mexican wolf. This smaller species of the gray wolf once was abundant throughout the Southwest, including much of West Texas. The state park participates in a wolf recovery program and exchanges wolves with other zoological facilities to help ensure their survival.

Maggie, the painting black bear, is housed in a special compound. Using watercolors and her paws, the bear spreads different colors of her choosing on a large piece of paper. After it dries, the paper is cut into several sections and then framed. Over the last five years, hundreds of the bear's paintings have been sold to zoo visitors ranging in price from $15 to $60.

Maggie was rescued by a Georgia wildlife rehabilitator when she was 1 year old and in horrible condition.

Later she was taken to her new home at Living Desert State Park. Park personnel introduced her to painting to help her bond with people.

Another endangered species the park is helping to propagate is the desert tortoise -- a land-dwelling, high-domed turtle that is about six inches high, grows up to 14 inches long and weighs up to 15 pounds. These rare animals also can be seen at the park.

An unusual feature in the park is the Mescal Pit, site of an annual event each May where members of the Mescalero Apache tribe visit Living Desert to traditionally prepare the harvested mescal. Activities open to the public include roasting and tasting of the mescal, feast dinners and traditional Mescalero ceremonial dances.

Last stop on the walking tour was the Cactus and Succulent Greenhouse. Inside we saw varieties of both native and exotic cacti and succulents from around the world.

Back inside the visitors' center, Nelda and I viewed several interactive exhibits, informational displays and an extensive mineral exhibit. Of course, our last stop was the gift shop, which has souvenirs featuring desert wildlife. Several species of desert plants also may be purchased there.

Again, if you are anywhere near Carlsbad, N.M., I recommend making the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park one of your planned stops.

For more information about state parks in New Mexico, access the Web site at www.nmparks.com.