November 2018

AZA Animal Programs Tip-of-the-Month

TAG SMAART Goals Narrated Tutorial Now Available!

WCMC member David Powell has created a new resource to help TAG Chairs and SSP Coordinators develop “SMAART” (specific, measurable, achievable, agreed-upon, relevant, and timely) goals for their programs. This quick PowerPoint tutorial will walk Program Leaders through how to apply the SMAART criteria to their Animal Programs’ top three goals and corresponding essential actions. This resource will be extremely useful to all Program Leaders, as TAG RCPs and Annual Reports always include an Animal Program Roles, Goals, and Actions Table. The tutorial can also be found on the AZA website.

SAFE Program Annoucements

Only 6 months after 10,000 radiated tortoises were seized from illegal wildlife traffickers in Madagascar, more than 7,000 more radiated tortoises have been confiscated again. Efforts to feed, house, and transport these tortoises are underway. Please contact Michael Ogle, SAFE Radiated Tortoise Program Leader, if you are interested in supporting emergency response efforts.

Be a part of the discussion and learn how you can work with AZA colleagues on priority conservation efforts! Join the SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction group on the AZA Network.

AZA Calendar

AZA Management, Biology, and Conservation Professional Development Course

This course will enhance your effectiveness as a manager of an avian collection or program. The class will teach critical thinking techniques that lead to informed decisions regarding the future of avian collections. Students will be given a variety of tools, techniques, and best practices to provide a foundation for understanding and meeting current challenges in avian management. The course will be held from February 11-16, 2019, with Early Bird Registration available until November 19, 2018. For more information, please visit the course page.

Shape of Enrichment Workshop

Moody Gardens will be hosting an enrichment workshop from February 4-8, 2019. The course, led by instructors Mark Kingston Jones and Margaret Whittaker, is split between presentation and practical components. Presentation topics include animal welfare and comprehensive enrichment overview, and practical components include behavioral problem-solving activities, a rope-splicing workshop, and working in groups to brainstorm, design, build, and implement enrichment ideas for the animals at Moody Gardens. More details and a registration form can be obtained by email.

Avian Egg Incubation Workshop

Save the date for two Artificial Incubation Workshops, held by the Houston Zoo in early 2019: one from January 20-24, and one from January 28-February 1. Registration and hotel information to come; please see this flyer for details.

Implementing Your Animal Wellness Program

The Denver Zoo is hosting an interactive workshop that will cover meeting the AZA Accreditation Standards, building an interdisciplinary animal wellness program, developing assessment tools for all taxa (including those housed in large groups), and improving the interpersonal skills necessary for program success. The workshop will include lectures, group discussions, and interactive activities both in the classroom and out in the zoo. The workshop is on January 15-17, 2019, and Early Bird registration is available until December 1, 2018. Please see this flyer for details, and direct questions here.

Please visit the AZA calendar to find the current list of workshops, meetings, and training opportunities that are of interest to Animal Program participants and other zoo and aquarium professionals. To add to this list, please email conservation@aza.org.

Funding and Award Opportunities

Avian Scientific Advisory Group Grants

Are you looking for funding support for your avian research, field conservation, veterinary care, or husbandry project?  ASAG is offering a total of $3500 in funding (potentially distributed among several projects) in 2019 for the ASAG Conservation and Research grant. Applications are due by December 1, 2018.  Please visit the ASAG website for the application form and application instructions.

Visit AZA's Other Conservation Funding Sources page for information about grants provided by AZA-accredited institutions as well as external sources. Please email any other funding opportunities to conservation@aza.org for posting on the website.

New Program Leaders

SSP Coordinator and Studbook Keeper

CONURE, GOLDEN
Tara Sprankle, Phoenix Zoo

MONGOOSE, BANDED
Nora Beirne, Central Park Zoo

SSP Coordinator

BAT, STRAW-COLORED FRUIT
Eran Brusilow, Disney’s Animal Kingdom

CONDOR, CALIFORNIA
Rachel Ritchason, Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens

GOOSE, RED-BREASTED
Joanna Klass, Woodland Park Zoo

Candidate Program Leader

DESERT FISHES
Joleena Jewell, OdySea Aquarium

New Program Leader Vacancies

Find applications and instructions regarding vacancies in the Animal Program Handbooks.  Applications are due December 1, 2018, unless otherwise noted. For a full list of available Program Leader positions, visit the Current Program Leader Vacancies page.

TAG Chair

MARINE FISHES TAG
Please send application materials to Paula Carlson, interim Marine Fishes TAG Chair.

SSP Coordinator and Studbook Keeper

WHALE, BELUGA
Please send application materials to Eric Gaglione, Marine Mammal TAG Chair.

New Publications

Please note that all documents are available for download on the Program's page found by logging in and searching the Animal Programs Database.

Want to contribute to the Update?

All announcements for the monthly Animal Programs Update should be submitted to the AZA Conservation, Management & Welfare Sciences Department at conservation@aza.org by the 25th of the prior month.