The Wetlands Center encompasses 14,000 square feet and serves several functions, in addition to providing office space for staffers.
Robert M. Craig Exhibit Hall
The 9,000 square foot exhibit hall is home to many attractions, including the Wetlands Ecology Learning Trail, which is sponsored by ExxonMobil. On the trail, visitors begin by examining a marine debris display which shows how long various objects take to biodegrade in salt water. A plastic bottle, for example, takes 450 years! Next, visitors can view taxidermy exhibits featuring fresh water and salt water animals. Around the corner is the taxidermy exhibit called Animals of the Night. In this darkened display, visitors use a flashlight to spot nocturnal creatures. Then, it’s on to the Nature Discovery Room, which is filled with hands-on activities, games and puzzles.
After the trail, visitors can check out three exhibits sponsored by Bayer Corporation. The first, Gator World, is a visual model of a marsh, complete with live juvenile alligators, bluegill perch, warmouth bass, turtles, and wetland plants. A wooden viewing platform fronts the exhibit, which is surrounded by a huge landscape mural of a coastal marsh featuring wildlife indigenous to the Baytown area. An interpretive model of the marsh, “Wetlands Clean the Water”, demonstrates the processes by which wetland organisms recycle waste into usable water.
The second exhibit, Butterfly Encounter, is a temperature and humidity controlled room dedicated to teaching visitors about the life cycles of butterflies. When visitors enter the door marked “Caterpillar Crossing”, they might find butterflies in any stage of their development, from tiny egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to beautiful butterfly. Host plants found in the Butterfly Encounter include milkweed for monarchs, passionflower vine for gulf fritillaries, and lemon trees for giant swallowtails. Colorful nectar plants such as lantana and penta are also featured in this educational room.