Rick LoBello
Rick LoBello is the Education and Conservation Curator at the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens, with previous experience as a park ranger at Big Bend National Park. A founding member of the Texas Lobo Coalition, Rick has decades of experience advocating for the conservation of the Mexican wolf.
2
Jan. 16, 2026
S5E2: Cross-Border Conservation in the Big Bend Ecoregion
Rick LoBello describes a lifelong effort to connect protected lands on both sides of the Rio Grande, using wildlife recovery, community relationships and environmental education to revive the vision of an international Big Bend park.
Guest: Rick LoBello
31
Oct. 22, 2024
S3E31: Return of the Lobo: Restoring Texas' Mexican Wolves
Mexican wolves once ranged into Texas before persecution and conflicts with livestock helped eliminate them from the state. Chris Clarke talks with Rick LoBello, Erin Hunt, and Philip Sozanski about efforts to restore the lobo to suitable West Texas habitat. They explore the wolf's ecological and historical importance, persistent cultural fears surrounding predators, and efforts to build support among ranchers, landowners, and other residents. Their case for restoration rests not just on saving wolves, but on returning an important missing species to the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem.