Author Archives: chihuahuandeserteducation

Conservation Ambassadors help the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens with its mission of celebrating the value of animals and natural resources and in creating opportunities for people to rediscover their connection to nature. The Zoo has a new Chihuahuan Desert Exhibit and the City of El Paso Volunteer Program offers numerous opportunities to engageContinueContinue reading “Volunteer at the Zoo as a Conservation Ambassador”

The Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park. Photo by Gary Nored, Wikimedia Creative Commons The Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition and the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens are teaming up to host a third Chihuahuan Desert Conference in El Paso on November 15-17, 2023. To learn more about the meeting visit the conference website at http://chihuahuandesertconference.org. ContinueContinue reading “Call for Abstracts for Oral Presentations and Posters at the 2023 Chihuahuan Desert Conference”

Show your support for a Castner Range National Monument – take action now After nearly two decades of continual effort to protect the Castner Range over the past 8 years conservation advocates in El Paso have focused their energies on helping to designate the Castner Range in Northeast El Paso as a National Monument. As part of the Biden-HarrisContinueContinue reading “Will President Biden designate Castner Range National Monument?”

Stephen Hummel is the Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator for the University of Texas’ McDonald Observatory, and chair of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, the largest certified dark sky place in the world. As part of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition February meeting Stephen will present a free program on February 22 atContinueContinue reading “Dark Skies Initiative presentation on Zoom planned for February 22nd at 6:30pm Mountain Time”

Mexican wolf pup born at the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens Natasha Bretz, Supervisor of the Chihuahuan Desert Area at the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens will be the featured guest speaker at the Annual Meeting of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition meeting on Zoom at 6:30 MT, Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Natasha Bretz joined theContinueContinue reading “El Paso Zoo Mexican wolf conservation program to be featured on Zoom, Wednesday, January 25 at 6:30pm MT”

Greetings, friends of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition As the last days of November come to an end and we all start making plans for Christmas and New Years, our Board of Directors will be meeting this week to make plans for the coming new year. If you missed our 18th Annual Chihuahuan Desert FiestaContinueContinue reading “CDEC Update – November 29, 2022”

Mountain lion at the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens. For millennia mountain lions have lived like phantoms inhabiting forbidding terrain across North and South America. To the surprise of most people these amazing apex predators receive no protection in Texas outside of protected areas like National and State Parks. They can be hunted andContinueContinue reading “Texans for mountain lions”

The Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion covers nearly 250,000 square miles with over 90% of its area within the nation of Mexico. It is the largest desert in North America. Most people who live in this part of the world know that they live in a desert, but very few understand how the region’s incredible biodiversity helpsContinueContinue reading “We live in the northern Chihuahuan Desert”

Mexican wolf pup at the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens The Chihuahuan is the largest desert in North America Click here to test your desert IQ The Chihuahuan Desert stretches all the way from the southwestern United States deep into the Central Mexican Highlands. Because of the region’s high altitude – 3,000 to 5,000ContinueContinue reading “Test your Chihuahuan Desert IQ”

America’s best example of the Chihuahuan Desert is preserved at Big Bend National Park, Texas The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Club is a collaborative effort between the Zoo, local parks and the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. The goal is simple, to help people connect with our desert and to encourage people to get outside and enjoyContinueContinue reading “Welcome new members to the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Club”