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Meet Ranger Rio
Pack your curiousity. We’re going outside!
Name: Ranger Rio
Species: Coyote
Occupation: New Mexico State Park Ranger
Favorite Place: Outside.
Favorite shoes: Hiking boots.
Favorite accessory: Life jacket.
Favorite question: Where are we going next?
HI, I’M RIO!
¡Hola! Soy Ranger Rio, a New Mexico coyote, and I’m curious about just about everything.
What made those track?
¿Qué vive por aquí?
Where does that trail go?
¿Qué vamos a descrubir hoy?
New Mexico is my home, and with 35 State Parks to explore, there’s a whole lot out there for us to discover.
I’m learning from the rangers who know these places best, discovering New Mexico’s wildlife and wild places, and finding out how we can explore safely and take care of the outdoors together.
So grab your water, sunscreen, and bring your curiosity…
¡Vamonos!
Explore with me/Explora Conmigo
What’s in Rio’s Backpack?
¿Qué traigo en mi mochila?
- Water / Agua
- Sunscreen / Protector solar
- Hat / Sombrero
- Snacks / Bocadillos
- Map + plan / Mapa + un plan
- Extra layers / Ropa extra
- Flashlight / Linterna
and of course…
¡Muchas ganas de explorar!
How many can you pack for your next adventure?
Vámonos, explorers!
There’s a lot to discover across New Mexico State Parks, and Ranger Rio is ready to lead the way.
Before he became Ranger Rio, Ambassador and Protector of the New Mexico State Parks, he was a tiny coyote pup growing up beneath New Mexico’s endless blue skies. He loved his red mesas, piñon and juniper, sagebrush after the rain, cool desert streams, volcanic rocks, mountain forests, and star-filled nights. To Rio, New Mexico was magic, but above all it was his home.
As Rio explored, he met the animals who shared the land with him. Roadrunners raced across the trails. Prairie dogs barked from their burrows. Black bears wandered the forests. Desert bighorn sheep climbed steep cliffs. Hummingbirds visited blooming yucca flowers, golden eagles circled overhead, and Rio Grande cutthroat trout depended on clean, healthy water. Rio learned that every creature, every plant, every river, and every canyon had a purpose.
After a monsoon, Rio found his favorite trail covered in litter. Crushed cans, plastic bottles, candy wrappers, fishing line, and broken glass were scattered across the desert. A plastic bag blew through the brush, and trash tangled around the Yucca plants where animals lived. Rio was only a pup and the mess felt so big.
Rio couldn’t understand why people would visit such an extraordinary place without protecting it. He realized that every piece of litter threatened something he loved, whether it was clean water for trout, or the blooming yucca for hummingbirds. That day he made himself a promise: if he wanted New Mexico to stay wild and beautiful, he couldn’t wait for someone else to take care of it.
Before he became Ranger Rio, Ambassador and Protector of the New Mexico State Parks, he was a tiny coyote pup growing up beneath New Mexico’s endless blue skies. He loved his red mesas, piñon and juniper, sagebrush after the rain, cool desert streams, volcanic rocks, mountain forests, and star-filled nights. To Rio, New Mexico was magic, but above all it was his home.
As Rio explored, he met the animals who shared the land with him. Roadrunners raced across the trails. Prairie dogs barked from their burrows. Black bears wandered the forests. Desert bighorn sheep climbed steep cliffs. Hummingbirds visited blooming yucca flowers, golden eagles circled overhead, and Rio Grande cutthroat trout depended on clean, healthy water. Rio learned that every creature, every plant, every river, and every canyon had a purpose.
After a monsoon, Rio found his favorite trail covered in litter. Crushed cans, plastic bottles, candy wrappers, fishing line, and broken glass were scattered across the desert. A plastic bag blew through the brush, and trash tangled around the Yucca plants where animals lived. Rio was only a pup and the mess felt so big.
Rio couldn’t understand why people would visit such an extraordinary place without protecting it. He realized that every piece of litter threatened something he loved, whether it was clean water for trout, or the blooming yucca for hummingbirds. That day he made himself a promise: if he wanted New Mexico to stay wild and beautiful, he couldn’t wait for someone else to take care of it.
Ranger’s Code
I PROTECT FIRST. I TEACH ALWAYS.
I NEVER LEAVE SOMEONE BEHIND.
I LEAVE EVERY PLACE BETTER THAN I FOUND IT.
I RESPECT NATURE, HISTORY, AND PEOPLE.
I LEARN SOMETHING EVERY DAY.
I KNOW THAT EVENT THE SMALLEST ACTION CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
I HAVE A QUESTION…
TENGO UNA PREGUNTA…
Actually…
Tengo MUCHAS preguntas.
Do fish sleep?
¿Por qué los murciélagos duermen boca abajo?
Who made those tracks?
¿Qué hago si veo una serpiente?
Why can’t we feed wildlife?
I could guess.
But that’s not very ranger-like.
So I’m asking the people who know these places best: our New Mexico State Park Rangers, like me!
Have a question, too?
¡Pregúntame!
ASK RIO/PREGUNTALE A RIO