Jay Kleberg – True Dedication to Conservation, Adventure & Texas

Jay Kleberg is a conservationist and the Associate Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. He’s also the co-founder of Explore Ranches, a new company that connects outdoor enthusiasts to some of the most iconic private ranches in Texas and beyond. Jay has built his career and life around a deep respect for land and an inborn sense of responsibility to protect these landscapes, as well as the wildlife and heritage they support. As a sixth-generation Texan landowner, responsible land stewardship is in Jay’s blood, and as you’ll hear in our conversation, he’s laser-focused on leaving Texas an even better place than he found it. • Growing up on his family’s large-scale South Texas working ranch, Jay has been closely connected to the land for as long as he can remember. After high school and college on the east coast, Jay headed to Brazil for several years, where he worked with renowned conservationist John Cain Carter to protect the region’s threatened landscapes. It was in Brazil that Jay began to hone his personal conservation philosophy and had a number of crazy adventures along the way. After working a stint in for-profit real estate and earning his MBA, Jay decided to focus all of his professional energy on conservation in his home state. • Jay and I have been friends for over 25 years, so it was a real treat to connect with him on the podcast to discuss our shared passions for land conservation and adventure... we normally just re-tell hilarious stories from high school! As usual, we cover a lot-- we discuss his upbringing on his family ranch and lessons learned from both his family and the larger ranch community. We talk about his time in Brazil, conservation challenges in South America, and one close call in a small airplane that could’ve been the end of Jay. We discuss Explore Ranches, his work with Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, his role in the upcoming film “The River and the Wall,” and other adventures throughout the West. We also discuss the importance of humility and honesty, benefits of having a for-profit mentality in the nonprofit world, favorite books, films, and more. • Be sure to check out the episode notes for a full list of topics discussed and links to everything… there’s a ton of great information here. I know you’ll enjoy this fun conversation with Jay Kleberg. ••• mountainandprairie.com/jay-kleberg/ www.exploreranches.com ••• TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:30 - How Jay describes his work 5:15 - Explore Ranches explained 8:45 - Importance of access to the outdoors 11:15 - More about Explore Ranches and the team 17:00 - Lessons learned from growing up on a ranch 21:30 - Conservation influences in Brazil 26:00 - Culture shock and lawlessness in Brazil 30:30 - An almost-airplane crash in the Amazon 37:45 - Moving to El Paso, TX 44:00 - Decision to pursue his MBA 47:30 - Business skills for land conservation 49:00 - Beginning work with the TX Parks and Wildlife Foundation 51:30 - Biggest conservation challenge facing Texas 56:40 - Experience at Woodberry Forest School 1:02:30 - River and the Wall teaser 1:07:10 - The source Jay’s humility 1:11:30 - Importance of “getting after it” 1:14:00 - Favorite books 1:15:45 - Favorite films 1:17:45 - Surprising hobbies i.e. wigs 1:19:40 - Favorite location in the West 1:21:30 - Request of the listeners 1:24:00 - Connect with Jay online