Bio and Picture

Bo Barillo is an avid conservationist and wildlife biologist.  He has been fishing and camping since age 5, and has been doing so frequently ever since.  Sensing his son's admiration for the great outdoors, Bo's father has taken him as far west as Montana to explore Glacier National Park several times, and as far south as Del Rio, Texas.  Bo lives in Charleston, South Carolina, on a saltwater creek.  Normally Bo fishes the saltwater near his house, and is very interested in everything having to do with the salt marsh ecosystem.  Bo says that the vast ecological diversity, from small plankton to large bottle-nosed dolphins to shorebirds, creates a one-of-a-kind of ecosystem.  Because he moved inland from the shore to attend college, Bo had to adapt to fresh water fishing.  Pictured here, Bo proudly presents his first fish caught on a fly rod.  Weighing around two pounds, this largemouth bass hit a top-water frog popper, and gave Bo a great fight, as seen by his smile.  “ I had been having a lot of trouble casting that day, and I just got one lucky cast in at the right time.  The bass annihilated the lure.”  Catching this fish was a culmination of a fly fishing course he took at Clemson University, and he plans on taking more fly fishing courses offered by the university later on.   Bo also plans on taking fly-tying classes offered by the school. Because he was used to fishing in the salt water, this bass was a huge accomplishment for him, and as he says, "was one of the most proud moments of my life".  He is currently an Animal Vet Science major, taking mostly chemistry and biology classes.  This semester, Bo was assigned a sheep to get ready for showing in April.  He has also taken Wildlife and Fisheries biology courses, which teach him about ecosystems in the southeast.  He plans to continue to do so throughout his career at Clemson, focusing on wildlife around South Carolina, especially in the salt marsh ecosystem.  After he graduates, Bo plans on attending the University of Georgia veterinary school.  He plans to focus on large animals, such as farm animals, and wants to open his own vet clinic.  He plans on owning a farm and running a Retriever rescue on the land.  Because he has always had retrievers, and some of them have been rescue dogs, he feels that it can be his small part in helping worthy animals find homes.  Also on the land, Bo plans on hunting for everything from ducks to geese to hogs.  Shooting since age 5, Bo's love for biology is also seen in his love to hunt.  He says, "It allows me to experience animals that I normally see from a distance up close.  It is the most entertaining form of exploring biology in my mind.  Plus, they are really tasty!”