by Rick LoBello, Education Curator The Cactus Wren is the largest wren in North America and here in the Chihuahuan Desert it is also a resident species living here year-round. In El Paso we are very fortunate to live in an area where we have not just one species of wren, but nine: the Bewick’s…
Month: April 2020
Are you ready for an adventure?
Let us bring the zoo to you! The Education Team is excited to be offering free online Zoo Adventure Programs while the El Paso Zoo is closed. But which program is right for your class or group? Do you want a curriculum-based program or something more informal? Keep reading to learn more about each of…
Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife: Rattlesnakes
If there is one animal that scares people the most when they think about hiking in the desert, it is probably the rattlesnake. People have been fearful of snakes ever since Adam and Eve encountered one in the Garden of Eden. Hollywood movies have given them a bad rap as well, but the truth about…
Chihuahuan Desert Plants: Lechuguilla
By Rick LoBello, Education Curator If you were traveling across the country at night and woke up in the morning and saw lechuguilla growing on a mountain side, you would know one thing for sure, you were in the Chihuahuan Desert. Lechuguilla is what some botanists call an indicator species. Indicator species can serve as…
Chihuahuan Desert Plants: Prickly-pear Cactus
by Rick LoBello, Education Curator Earlier this year the Zoo was granted Botanical Garden Status through the American Public Garden Association. Because of the El Paso Zoo’s dedication to maintaining a collection of plants for the purposes of public education and enjoyment, conservation, and higher learning, this was a natural next step. The Zoo will continue our…
El Paso Zoo Distance Learning Opportunities
Online zoo adventure programs As the El Paso Zoo closed its gates on March 13, 2020, Zoo staff started to brainstorm how to be relevant in this time of social distancing and self-quarantine. The El Paso Zoo Education team, with the help of collections and vet staff, Wildlife Amphitheater staff and marketing put on eight episodes of…
Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife: Mule Deer
by Rick LoBello, Education Curator Desert mule deer are fairly common within the lowlands of the Chihuahuan Desert below the 5,000-foot level. This animal is truly one of nature’s most graceful creatures. It received its name because of its long, wide and “mule-sized” ears. Mule deer in El Paso are usually seen in the lower…
Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife: Javelina
It’s night time in the Chihuahuan Desert. In silence, we scan the darkness before us with the beam from our flashlight. Stop! Just ahead, not more than forty feet, eight pairs of eyes glow motionless, like beings without bodies. Soon, small stout forms take shape all around the eyes. They are covered with short, salt…
On the brink – world’s rarest marine mammal on the edge of extinction
El Paso Zoo conservation efforts to save the vaquita have been ongoing now since 2017. Last year in collaboration with the Living Desert Zoo and the Aquarium of the Pacific, we sent Mexican President Obrador over 18,000 signed letters from our guests asking that he provide strong leadership for vaquita conservation efforts. The latest information…
US Mexico Transboundary Protected Area will help protect wildlife habitat
By Rick LoBello, Education Curator All around the world zoos like the El Paso Zoo are working to save wildlife and their habitats. With thousands of species on the endangered species list, we have known for some time that the best way to protect wildlife is to protect their habitats. A few hours drive east…
African lions are powerful conservation ambassadors
For thousands of years, humans have admired African lions as powerful predators and as symbols of wisdom. To many of us they are the king of the jungle! Lions are also looked at as symbols of royalty, strength, valor and conquest. Here at the Zoo, our lions are wildlife ambassadors for all of Africa, which…
Can we restore the Rio Grande in El Paso?
by Rick LoBello, Education Curator Here in El Paso we face numerous challenges in conserving our environment. From time to time we read about different efforts to protect lower elevation areas of the Franklin Mountains like with the Lost Dog Trail last year. Recently a colleague asked me to report on the status of riparian…
Make Earth Day Everyday – Part 6
Conserve Water Last month the United Nations reported that the basic rights to safe drinking water and sanitation for billions of people will be affected by climate change. Over 2.2 billion people currently do not have access to safely managed drinking water, and 4.2 billion, or 55% of the world’s population, are without safely managed…
Make Earth Day Everyday
Plant a pollinator garden The El Paso Zoo is growing and getting greener! Earlier this year the Zoo was granted Botanical Garden Status through the American Public Garden Association. Because of the El Paso Zoo’s dedication to maintaining a collection of plants for the purposes of public education and enjoyment, conservation, and higher learning, this…
Plant a pollinator garden
The Zoo is dedicated not only to the animals in our care, but also to the plants and birds, butterflies and bees that visit our Zoo every day. The El Paso Zoo is growing and getting greener! Earlier this year the Zoo was granted Botanical Garden Status through the American Public Garden Association. Because of…
Sea Food Watch program
Buy only sustainable sea foods California Sea Lions are some of the most popular animals at the Zoo. Training demonstrations combined with educational presentations give Zoo guests the chance to see our animals up close and experience the intelligence of sea lions. As we think about Earth Day this week our sea lions remind us…
Make Earth Day Everyday – Part 4
Buy only sustainable sea foods California Sea Lions are some of the most popular animals at the Zoo. Training demonstrations combined with educational presentations give Zoo guests the chance to see our animals up close and experience the intelligence of sea lions. As we think about Earth Day this week our sea lions remind us…
Make Earth Day Everyday – Part 3
Quit Plastic Bags by Rick LoBello, Education Curator Over the past decade there has been a growing international movement to ban plastic bags. Plastic pollution is not just a big problem on the land, it’s also having a devastating effect on the health of our oceans. Every moment of every day plastic pollution is killing…
Make Earth Day Everyday – Part 2
PLANT A GARDEN by Rick LoBello, Education Curator One of our main goals at the Zoo is to help people connect to the natural world. Helping people connect to nature is essential to conservation everywhere. With many people spending up to 90% of their lives inside, being disconnected results in people feeling less responsible for…
Make Earth Day Everyday: learn about palm oil
Just for kids – Make an orangutan mask Pledge to be informed about Palm Oil ! By Rick LoBello, Education Curator For decades palm oil production and deforestation have gone hand in hand in places like southeast Asia, western Africa and South America. Today the palm oil industry continues to contribute to deforestation, species extinction and…
Conservation Education 