Author Archives: chihuahuandeserteducation

Defensa De La Sierra de Cuidad Juarez is a group in Juarez that wants to make a difference to stop the uncontrolled destruction of wildlife habitat in Mexico.   Earlier this year we told you about group leader Ray Aguilar who has provided this update.by Ray Aguilar Ciudad Juárez is a place that needs a lot of environmentalContinueContinue reading “Defensa De La Sierra volunteer update”

Hello, I am Jacob Croft, a scientist trained in biology working with the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. Over the past year I have been working on a project to bring back the black-tailed prairie dog to the El Paso region. Over the past 4 months I have been in contact with many different local, state,ContinueContinue reading “Bringing the prairie dog back to El Paso”

A growing number of people are volunteering with the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition (CDEC). Most are serving on the board of directors, but there are also opportunities to volunteer for specific tasks. Here are a variety of ways you can get involved in support of our mission in educating people about the fascinating Chihuahuan Desert.ContinueContinue reading “Discover the joy of volunteering”

Ray Aguilar exploring the Samalayuca Dune Fields area south of Juarez. by Rick LoBello Earlier this year after reading a number of Facebook posts on the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition group page, I met Ray Aguilar and  his friend Nestor Acosta from Juarez on Zoom.   Ray and his friends are working to protect the SierraContinueContinue reading “Nature conservation effort underway in Juarez”

These rare specters are still surviving, perhaps even thriving, since their release in 2018 into the lowlands of the Sacramento Mountains near Alamogordo, New Mexico (90 miles north of El Paso). Forty desert bighorn sheep were released by the New Mexico Game and Fish to reintroduce this native species back into its original habitat. SinceContinueContinue reading “Desert Bighorn Sheep Update”

Whiptail lizard at Franklin Mountains State Park by Rick LoBello 17th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta September 25-26, 2021 Updated June 11, 2021 Once again it’s going to be a very different Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta this year. Day One will be at the El Paso Zoo on Saturday, September 25, 2021 and Day Two will beContinueContinue reading “Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta Update. Education partners welcome.”

Put a bucket in your shower and capture some otherwise lost water for your garden! by Marshall Carter The El Paso Water Utility is urging us to “water less, reports the El Paso Inc in a cover story this weekend (April 18-24).  That is apparently the first acknowledgment in the English media of the comingContinueContinue reading “El Paso’s water woes”

This map was put together by Eblem Torres from Mexico. He is one of many people on both sides of the border advocating for a international protected area in the Big Bend region of Texas and northern Mexico. by Rick LoBello A Big Bend Rio Bravo Transboundary Protected Area, originally called Big Bend International Park, wasContinueContinue reading “Transboundary Conservation in the Big Bend”

by Rick LoBello, El Paso Zoo Education Curator Less than 200 yards from my office I am often reminded of one of the most important missing links in the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion. An apex predator often thought of as a symbol of wilderness, the Mexican wolf or lobo (Canis lupus baileyi), has been systematically eradicatedContinueContinue reading “Can wolves be returned to the wilderness of Texas?”

Black-tailed prairie dog by Josh More Unfortunately prairie dogs in North America have declined by 95%. Two species, the Mexican prairie dog and the Utah prairie dog are endangered, yet prairie dogs are still being poisoned and colonies destroyed. Sometime within the past 50 years they were eradicated from El Paso County. Is there anyway weContinueContinue reading “Can we bring back the prairie dog to El Paso?”