For over 31 years Rick LoBello has dedicated his life to the conservation of nature.  After working and living in national parks as a park ranger, research scientist and administrator, Rick developed a vision for an educational effort that would allow him to use his talents to promote the conservation of endangered species and related habitats in third world countries.  His dream has been in the making for over a decade and has been inspired by his travels to national parks and related protected areas in the United States, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, France, Kenya, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Rwanda and Singapore. 

The highlight of Rick's journey around the world was a 1989 trip to see the endangered mountain gorillas of Virunga Mountains National Park in Rwanda.  It was on a rainy day in February, when Rick came  face to face with one of the rarest creatures on earth, that his dream became a lifelong commitment.  Rick LoBello and Associates is a major step towards the fulfillment of an American dream.

In demonstrating his commitment to international conservation, in 1994 Rick used his own funds to sponsor an environmental education project in Zambia at North Luwanga National Park.  Working closely with the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Owens Foundation, Rick designed and published a 40 page environmental education guide for school children living near the park.   In the years that followed his leadership skills have resulted in a number of noteworthy projects including a binational effort to establish a US/Mexico International Peace Park, directing an award winning multi-media education program at Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks and the establishment of a annual International Bat Festival at Carlsbad Caverns.

Rick LoBello and Associates (RLA) was established in 2000 to create a new private sector effort that will work towards helping to meet the environmental education needs of third world countries.   One way to accomplish that goal is by promoting the conservation of parks.  RLA’s web site at iloveparks.com is helping to achieve that goal by becoming a one-stop international travel information center.  It is one of the few park related web pages on the Internet updated on a daily basis.

As an environmental advocate Rick is the co-founder of the Mexican Wolf Coalition of Texas and the founder of the first Student Environmental Council and Earth Week at William Jewell College.  He has been a spokesperson for the establishment of the Tallgrass Prairie National Park in Kansas and most recently worked with a coalition of environmental organizations in promoting the establishment of a Capitan Reef National Monument in Southern New Mexico.  

As a research scientist his work helped to influence legislation that resulted in the creation of Texas's largest state park at the Big Bend Ranch in the Solitario and Bofecillos Mountains.  While working on his Master’s degree he conducted the first vertebrate survey for the newly established Lake Amistad National Recreation Area.  

Rick’s writings have been published in park brochures and newspapers,  trade journals and in nationally distributed magazines like Defenders of Wildlife and Texas Parks and Wildlife.  During his tenure at Big Bend National Park his writings and other advocacy efforts helped to call attention to the status of rare mammals in the park including the endangered Mexican black bear population that began to re-colonize the park in 1988. As a result of his unrelenting efforts Rick’s accomplishments have been recognized and honored by high-level government officials in the Department of the Interior and by Rotary International.

In helping parks prepare for the 21st Century Rick played a major role as a cooperating association executive director in helping to lead nation wide efforts to bring modern technology to the parks.  His leadership at Carlsbad resulted in the design and development of the Cavern Bookstore, acclaimed by many park advocates as one of the best national park bookstores in the country.  Also while at Carlsbad, Rick established one of the first point of purchase retail programs in the Southwest Region including an online interactive bookstore website.  His leadership in the field of technology resulted in the first interactive CD-Rom Audio Tour for a national park at Carlsbad Caverns and the production of an award winning CD-ROM (1998).  In 2001 this same Carlsbad Caverns Guadalupe Mountains CD-ROM was repackaged and released by National Geographic.

Other recent achievements include an internationally honored video documentary on Carlsbad Caverns (1996) and an award winning interactive visitor center exhibit (2000).                                                           

In accomplishing its goals RLA networks with business associates across the country including Dave Famine of El Paso Interactive.  El Paso Interactive has been building successful web sites in El Paso since 1994 for a wide variety of clients including ILoveParks.com, Big Bend Natural History Association, Sonny Brown and Associates, KELP Radio, Studio W. Art Gallery and the El Paso Natural History Museum.  

Recent Clients

Rick LoBello's Eco-History

1970     Zookeeper, Buffalo Zoo, Buffalo, New York
1971     Animal Caretaker, William Jewell College Biology Department
1973     Founder, Student Environmental Council, William Jewell College
1973     Zoological Curator, Kansas City Museum of Natural History
1973     Founder, Earth Week Committee, William Jewell College
1974     Public Speaker, Save the Tall Grass Prairie Campaign
1975     Park Ranger, Big Bend National Park, Texas and Yellowstone National   Park, Wyoming
1982     Associate Naturalist, Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute
1986     Executive Director, Big Bend Natural History Association, Big Bend National Park, Texas
1990     Co-founder, Mexican Wolf Coalition of Texas
1992     Executive Director, Carlsbad Caverns Guadalupe Mountains Association
1993     Directed and co-founded Adopt-A-Bat Fund at Carlsbad Caverns
1998     Founder and Chairperson of the first International Bat Festival at Carlsbad Caverns National Park
1998     Organized Rotary International US/Mexico effort to work towards the     establishment of a US/Mexico International Peace Park
2000     Launched ILoveParks.com website in July, 2000, updated daily
2000     Organized Rick LoBello and Associates Environmental Consulting

Service Directory
Publication Management 
Web Page Design & Electronic Commerce
Multi-media Production
Editing
Digital Photography
Day to Day Operating Plans and Employee Manuals
Customer Service Plans and Training
Popular Media Writing 
Fundraising and Membership Development 
Retail Sales Development
Marketing 
Seminar and Workshop Program Development
Special Event Coordination
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CD-ROM audio tour at  Carlsbad Caverns National  Park.