5 Core Learning Modules

Week 1 – The Role of the Behavioral Husbandry Manager

Leadership, accountability, and managing behavioral husbandry programs

Week 2 – Designing Sustainable Programs

Policies, structure, delegation, and sustainable systems

Week 3 – Managing People Using Behavior Science

Coaching, motivation, mentoring, and staff development

Week 4 – Leadership, Welfare Oversight & Culture

Culture change, communication, welfare oversight, and leadership

Week 5 – Records, Data & Feedback Loops

Record keeping, evaluation, accountability, and problem solving

Session Timings and Dates

Core Learning Modules: Wednesdays: 9:00am–11:00am (Pacific Time)

Peer Connect & Resource Sharing: Wednesdays 9:00am and/or 4:00pm (Pacific Time)

This course will be on Zoom.  Each session will be recorded.   You will have access to the recordings for six (6) months.  
 

Course Highlights

• 5 live learning modules
• International instructors and facilitators
• Real-world case studies
• Practical management tools
• Optional Peer Connect sessions with peer discussion and networking

Registration Fees- Registration OPENS 19 June and closes 20 August 11:59pm

ABMA Members- $200 USD**

ABMA non-members- $275 USD (this includes a 1-year ABMA membership)

**To receive the member rate you MUST login to your ABMA account!


FAQ

• Can I learn more about the instructors? 

• Is the course content aligned with current AZA/EAZA/WAZA behavioral husbandry practices?   

• Is this course designed for people already managing animal programs or moving from hands-on animal care into a more senior animal welfare management role or people transitioning into management?

• Is this recognized within zoos/aquariums or professional animal care networks?

• What experience level do you expect participants to have?

• Will CEU's be available?

 If you're excited to learn, Registration is OPEN!

Contact us with any questions about this NEW course!
 

Learn about our other online courses, which will be available later this year.

These courses are pre-recorded but the Q&A will be live on 2 separate dates- see details below.  You can register to take all four (4) courses at a discounted rate or opt to take any course individually.
If you have any questions, please contact us at development@theabma.org.   

**To receive the member rate you MUST login to your ABMA account!
































Introduction to Welfare – Elly Neumann, Jerusalem Zoo and Sarah Bonser-Blake, Wild Welfare
Members $25; Non-members $75  
Registration deadline TBD


About Elly Neumann:

With a background in science and education, Elly has been working in zoos for the past 24 years.  She spent 20 years at Taronga Zoo in Australia where she was a Senior Keeper and Trainer in the Animal Presentations Precinct, and a course facilitator at the Taronga Training Institute, where she developed and taught certificate courses in animal care, welfare, training, and enrichment to a range of students in zoos all across the country. Currently Elly is the Coordinator of Welfare, Training and Enrichment at the Jerusalem Zoo in Israel. Elly has been on the Board of Directors of the ABMA for the past 5 years and is the current past president of the ABMA. She is also a member of the EAZA Animal Welfare Working Group, an instructor for the EAZA Introduction to Animal Welfare workshop, an EEP coordinator for the Nubian ibex and is a member of the AZA Animal Training working group. 

About Sarah Bonser-Blake:

Sarah has spent 15 years working with animals, after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in animal biology and a specialist diploma in animal management. She has worked in a wide range of facilities such as zoos and animal rescue centres, both in the UK and abroad. Her role in Wild Welfare involves conducting global training workshops, creating accessible and engaging animal welfare resources, and driving forward improvements for captive animals. She loves working directly with animal care staff, recognising that collaboration is key and big changes begin with baby steps.

Introduction to Outcome-Based Care– Jessica Sheftel and Louisa Redosevich, SDZWA
Members $25; Non-members $75  
Registration deadline TBD
 

About Jessica Sheftel: 

Jessica is the Applied Wildlife Welfare Manager at SDZWA
and holds a B.A. in Physical Anthropology and Behavioral Studies from Beloit College.  Her early career involved assisting with behavioral research at Zoo Atlanta and working with great apes at Georgia State University’s Language Research Center.  In 2002 she started at San Diego Zoo as a part time keeper, and has since held the roles of Senior, Lead Keeper, and Enrichment Supervisor. Her professional journey has been dedicated to the advancement of wildlife welfare worldwide.  Through collaborations with wildlife facilities across the country and around the globe, her focus has been on implementing transformative strategies that elevate the well-being of wildlife in managed care. Jessica continues to explore and promote the importance of species natural history, challenge, and novel approaches to husbandry from beetles to elephants.

About Louisa Redosevich:  

Louisa Radosevich began her career at UC Davis, where she studied Animal Biology, focusing on patterns of social behavior in titi monkeys. Louisa spent the next 10 years gaining knowledge and experience studying animal behavior and welfare in field sites, lab conditions, pre-release programs, and zoological facilities. She received her master’s degree in Biology from Sonoma State University examining the social networks of hamadryas baboons at Oakland Zoo. In her current role as Wildlife Welfare Manager for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Safari Park, Louisa works with an innovative team that strives to enhance welfare by developing meaningful experiences for wildlife, using progressive approaches to care strategies, and building connections within and outside the organization.

 

Introduction to Training – Nicki Boyd, SDZWA
Members $25; Non-members $75  
Registration deadline TBD
 

About Nicki:

Nicki Boyd is the Curator of Mammals, Ambassadors and Applied Behavior at the San Diego Zoo.  Her educational background includes graduating from Moorpark College’s Exotic Animal Training and Management Program, Mesa College’s Vet Tech Program, a bachelor’s in business and is currently getting her master’s in biology conservation from Miami Ohio Universities Project Dragonfly.  She is a committee chair for Animal Behavior Management Alliance, an advisor for AZA’s Behavior Scientific Advisory Group and Animal Ambassador Scientific Advisory Group. She is a certified professional animal and bird trainer. She is a mother of 3 awesome kids, a world traveler and a cat person (but don’t tell her dog)!

About this class:  abstract coming soon!


Communication and Working in Teams – Chris Jenkins, Natural Encounters, Inc
Members $25; Non-members $75  
Registration deadline TBD 
 

About Chris Jenkins:  

Chris’ work with animals began with a summer job at SeaWorld in his hometown of San Diego, California. With the encouragement of the trainers he met there, he attended the University of California, Davis, where he obtained a degree in Psychology to learn more about the ins and outs of animal behavior. After graduation, Chris volunteered as a keeper aide at the Sacramento Zoo until he decided to pursue a career with animals full time, and shortly afterwards was accepted into the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College outside Los Angeles, CA. Upon graduation, worked for a wildlife education company specializing in the use of wild and exotic animals as live visual aids for biology lessons, where he gave hundreds of presentations to students at inner city schools across the greater L.A. area.

Chris came to work for Natural Encounters Inc., in 2005, and currently serves as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Chris sits on the Board of Directors for ABMA (Animal Behavior Management Alliance), is a member of the Professional Development Committees for AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and IAATE (International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators), and is a certified professional animal trainer (CPAT-KA) through the International Animal Trainers Certification Board. In addition to helping to oversee most aspects of the company’s shows and animal care operations, Chris does extensive work as a behavior and training consultant for NEI, helping other zoos, aviaries, and aquariums improve their behavior management programs through the artful application of the science of behavior change. In 2020, Chris was a founding faculty member of the Natural Encounters, Inc., Training and Education Center ("NEI TEC”), a new branch of the company overseeing NEI’s in-person training workshops and online educational offerings, where Chris acts as a webinar host, course instructor, and co-host for the company’s weekly podcast, “TEC Talk”, a show focused on the intersection of animal care and training, and the communication, leadership, and teamwork skills needed for the human animals in our field. 

About this class:  One of the biggest challenges many people face in the animal care field isn’t about animals at all, but rather navigating the ins and out of maintaining good communication and teamwork with the fellow humans we work with. In this two-hour course, we will explore the many ways in which the skills of great animal trainers apply directly to our relationships with each other, discuss ways in which we can help our peers and direct reports when they experience challenges, and share some of the resources that leaders in our field have found most useful along their journey.

 

If you have any questions about the Behavior Management Courses- email development@theabma.org