LaDaryn Lockett grew up in Spencer, Oklahoma, where animals and rural nature were part of daily life. His first glimpses of life beyond the neighborhood came through hours of sitting in front of the tv watching shows from the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. He became drawn to stories about exotic wildlife and the people who protected them.

After moving to Edmond, Oklahoma for a better education, LaDaryn discovered the work of conservation figures who didn’t just study animals but inspired action. Their influence led him to pursue a career in wildlife veterinary medicine.

Focused on that goal, In 2015 he enrolled at Oklahoma State University to study Pre-veterinary Animal Science, but college brought unexpected turns. Alongside his science education, LaDaryn began developing an interest in art and storytelling. He started writing what would become his first self-published fantasy novel, The Ballad of the Realm Trotters, which he later published in 2023. An internship with the Oklahoma City Zoo’s Great Apes team shifted his perspective again, igniting a lasting interest in primate care and the relationship between animals and people.

After graduating, with a B.S. in Pre-Veterinary Animal Science, LaDaryn spent five years working in the veterinary field, balancing his professional work with learning to self-publish and continue creative projects. In an surprising turn in his career, he returned to his former high school as a science teacher and assistant wrestling coach—an experience that showed him the power of using education to spark change. Still, his heart was in conservation, and he made the decision to realign his path with his decisive purpose. To use his voice to advocate for wildlife.

That decision led him to San Diego, California—home to some of the world’s most renowned conservation organizations. Today, LaDaryn works with a number of nonprofits like Earth Discovery Institute, Ocean Connectors, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, while building a public platform focused on outreach, education, and storytelling.

Through Words on Wildlife, he blends podcasting, writing, and public speaking to explore urgent environmental issues and amplify the voices of those working to solve them. Whether he's in the field, in the classroom, or behind a microphone, his mission remains the same:

Protect the wild and tell a good story.