Chevron donates $100,000 to Friends of the Living Desert to support energy efficiency and facility upgrades at New Mexico state park

Chevron announced today that it has donated $100,000 to Friends of the Living Desert, a non-profit organization founded in 1982 to provide supplemental financial assistance and volunteer support to Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park opened in 1971 and is owned and managed by the State Parks Division (SPD) of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Department (EMNRD).

Under a cooperative agreement maintained between Friends of the Living Desert and the State Parks Division, the funds will be used to make energy efficiency upgrades to the park’s visitor center – including potential improvements to the center’s rooftop solar power system – and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades and other repairs to the park’s 1.3 mile pathway, which leads visitors through various zoological and botanical exhibits.

“With state resources challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chevron is pleased to be able to provide additional support to Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park through our donation to Friends of the Living Desert,” said Nathan Carroll, Delaware Basin Operations Superintendent for the company’s Mid-Continent Business Unit (MCBU). “Living Desert is an important part of the Carlsbad community and a treasured place of learning for students and families in southeast New Mexico.”

“Friends of the Living Desert is honored to partner with Chevron to provide improvements to Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park,” said Sandra Cosand, President of Friends of the Living Desert. “These improvements will be guided through our cooperation agreement with the State Parks Division and represent an important example of public and private partnership for the greater benefit of our community.”

“Sincere thanks to Chevron for this generous and thoughtful donation to the Friends of the Living Desert.  The trail improvements that this grant makes possible will greatly enhance the visitor experience at the park, and upgrades to the visitor center’s energy system will be a gift that keeps on giving for many years to come.  I truly appreciate Chevon’s investments in our community” said Cathrynn Brown, New Mexico State Representative, District 55.

The state park, which is also accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, exhibits more than 50 species of animals and hundreds of species of plants native to the Chihuahuan Desert. The park provides an up-close experience for visitors, with a variety of interpretive programs for every season as well as hiking trails and picnic areas. The animals at Living Desert are rehabilitated or were born in captivity and are not able to fend for themselves in the wild. The park currently exhibits two internationally endangered species: the Mexican Gray Wolf and the Bolson tortoise.

Chevron Corporation is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. Through its subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide, the company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com. 

Contact:

Beverly Allen

Community Relations Representative, Southeast New Mexico

Chevron Mid-Continent Business Unit (MCBU)

(432) 231-9250