Press release from publisher
New book explores natural history of Lake Amistad and Rio Grande borderlands
Rick LoBello’s work on Lake Amistad, originally developed through research associated with the National Park Service, is now available on Amazon.
EL PASO, Texas — A book documenting the natural history and environmental story of Lake Amistad and the surrounding Rio Grande
borderlands is now available to the public on Amazon.
Written by longtime conservation educator and former National Park Service ranger Rick LoBello, the book draws upon research that began decades ago when LoBello was a graduate student at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas.
The project grew out of contract work associated with the National Park Service following the creation of Lake Amistad. LoBello worked under the guidance of his graduate school adviser at Sul Ross State University and developed an extensive manuscript examining the newly created reservoir and the natural resources of the surrounding region.
The book offers readers an opportunity to look back at Lake Amistad during an important period in its history and to better understand the wildlife, landscapes, water resources and ecological significance of this remarkable part of the Texas-Mexico borderlands.
“For me, this book is much more than a historical document,” LoBello said. “It represents an important chapter in my own life and in my development as a conservation educator. More importantly, it helps tell the story of a landscape that has undergone tremendous change and reminds us why understanding and protecting our natural heritage is so important.”
LoBello has worked in conservation and environmental education for more than five decades. His career has included service with the National Park Service at Big Bend National Park and other national parks, leadership of nonprofit conservation and educational organizations, and more than two decades of conservation education work at the El Paso Zoo.
The publication also brings a decades-old project to a new generation of readers. The original manuscript was prepared long before modern word-processing programs and digital publishing made producing books relatively easy. LoBello originally typed the lengthy manuscript on an electric typewriter and relied on colleagues and mentors to review the work by hand.
Now, decades later, the research and stories have been preserved in book form and made readily available to anyone interested in Lake Amistad, the Rio Grande, Texas natural history, wildlife, conservation, national parks and the Chihuahuan Desert borderlands.
The book is now available through Amazon in paperback.
About the author
Rick LoBello is a conservation educator, writer and former National Park Service ranger who has devoted more than 50 years to wildlife conservation, environmental education and connecting people with the natural world.
His career has included work at Big Bend National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park, as well as decades of conservation education and community engagement in the El Paso region.
