Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute

Education Program: CDRI has three major mission tenets: i)visitor experience, ii)education and iii) the support of research. The educational focus centers on programs for school aged children in a served market of schools within an approximate distance of 100 or so miles from the Nature Center. CDRI hosts two spring programs for area 1st-3rd , a summer day camp for Pre-K through 8th grades, and two fall programs for area 4th & 5th graders. All programs are designed to comply with TX Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS) tests. In addition to the site-based student programs, throughout the year the Nature Center hosts schools from across the State who visit for guided hikes and tours focusing on Chihuahuan Desert plants, geology, anthropology and animals from this unique biome. These costs include payroll for the personnel who design and coordinate these programs, and include other education program related costs. Additionally, CDRI funds, subject to eligible applicants, one or two $1000 scholarships to graduate students attending Texas colleges, and is continuing its 8 week summer college internship program begun in 2023.

Research and Conservation Program: The other major tenet of CDRIs mission is the support of research and both education and research support are linked to conservation and sustainable practices. CDRI actively and overtly promotes the use of the Nature Center site in furtherance of research initiatives. CDRI allocates a portion of its site based costs to this expense classification.