About Rick
As a child, Rick loved being around animals. But he always admired big cats such as tigers, leopards, lions, well yeah, pretty much all of them. He admired them so much that he had dreams of working professionally with big cats when he "grew up" and became an adult.
The summer after graduating from high school, he landed an internship in the Primate Department at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. Once that summer was over, he knew having a career working with wildlife was for him.
Attending The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College, Rick was able to work with reptiles, birds and mammals. He also worked with a tiger and a leopard, fulfilling that big cat dream. Surprisingly, it was a turkey vulture that stole his heart and helped Rick realize his passion - wildlife education and animal behavior.
After college Rick spent seven years moving from one animal related to another, looking for the one that fit his passion. He eventually landed at the San Diego Zoo as a keeper in the Children's Zoo (now called Wildlife Base Camp). Spending each day caring for birds, mammals, and reptiles from around the world, Rick felt right at home. Every day was filled with the opportunity to talk with kids and adults (who are really just big kids) about the awesome animals in his care.
In time, Rick moved into the position of Ambassador and Spokesperson for the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. In this position he was able to take his passion for wildlife education to the next level. He found himself being a guest on national television shows such as “GMA”, “Today Show”, “Live with Kelly & Mark” and even visiting a few late-night shows as well. There are many episodes still on YouTube such as when Rick was a co-guest with Ron Burgundy on the “Late, Late Show.”
In the role of Ambassador, Rick traveled all over the world as well. He was sent to conservation sites in northern Botswana, the Galapagos Islands, Queensland Australia, Kenya and more, while seeing firsthand how people are making a difference for wildlife and wild spaces.
To this day, Rick finds the most joy in connecting people to animals and nature. Having spent a good deal of his career working with kids and families in children's hospitals, Rick has witnessed the value keeping connected to the natural world.
In the last few years, Rick's career moved into helping others tell their stories in animal care and conservation. Working under the production wing of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Rick headed up coordination of "The Zoo San Diego" - an “Animal Planet” TV show. After two seasons, Rick was then put in charge of co-hosting, writing, and coordinating the award-winning podcast, Amazing Wildlife. Unfortunately, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance chose to lay off a handful of people, including those doing production work and thus, Rick found himself unemployed for the first time.
Rick turned to the outdoors to help clear his mind and center himself. One thing he knew for sure, his love for animals and nature never wavered. Thanks to a child with binoculars on a path next to a creek, Rick was also reminded that connecting people of all ages with animals and nature is what he is meant to do, no matter where he is.
Today Rick is busy helping people share their passion for wildlife and their stories about nature by featuring them on his podcast “Animals, Nature and You”. He is also finishing up a book for kids to help them understand animal behavior - publication date to be announced soon.
Rick can also be found giving talks and presentations about leadership skills that can be learned from animals, how to manage burnout or compassion fatigue, and how to truly find what success means to you.