2009 Animal Education Foundation Symposium
and
Dr. Susan Friedman's Living and Learning Workshop

 

AEF Symposium ~ Saturday, July 18, 2009
8:00 am - 8:30 am Registration
8:30 am - 8:45 am Opening Remarks
8:45 am - 9:45 am Dr. Susan Friedman
Behavior Works: The Functional Assessment of Behavior
9:45 am - 10:45 am Gay Noeth
Facets of Enrichment: The Jewel of Care
10:45 am - 11:15 am Morning Break, Light Refreshments
11:15 am - 12:15 pm Mark Stafford, DDS
Parrots International Conservation and Field Research Projects
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm Lunch on your own
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm World Parrot Trust video presentation
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm Julie Murad
Avian Welfare
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm Michael P. Jones, DVM
Avian Husbandry and Health
3:45 pm - 4:15 pm Afternoon Break, Light Refreshments
4:15 pm - 5:15 pm Sid Price
Training...Making Choices
5:15 pm - 5:35 pm Dr. Susan Friedman
Behavior Works: The Functional Assessment of Behavior
5:35 pm - 6:00 pm Closing Remarks
Scroll down for abstracts of the presentations

 

Living and Learning Workshop ~ Sunday, July 19, 2009
8:00 am - 8:30 am Registration
8:30 am - 8:45 am Opening Remarks
8:45 am - 10:45 am Part I
10:45 am - 11:15 am Morning Break, Light Refreshments
11:15 am - 12:15 pm Part II
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm Lunch on your own
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm Part III
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm Afternoon Break, Light Refreshments
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Part IV

 

 

Abstracts

Behavior Works: The Functional Assessment of Behavior
Susan G. Friedman, PhD
Several obstacles stand in the way of connecting the dots between parrot behavior and the school of psychology known as applied behavior analysis. These obstacles are theological influences, biological determinism, the madness of single causes, and our over-reliance on diagnostic constructs. Each of these obstacles is briefly discussed. A scientific, working definition of behavior is offered as the centerpiece of a behavior support model called functional assessment. Great applications from the field of applied behavior analysis are reviewed and a hierarchy of behavior-change procedures is described to ensure that training procedures are both effective and humane. Several short videos are shown to exemplify these strategies.

Facets of Enrichment: The Jewel of Care
Gay Noeth
Just as every true gemstone has many facets, so does enrichment. An understanding and implementation of enrichment is truly the jewel of animal care, regardless of the animal. My desire is that this presentation help you unearth this jewel by understanding what is truly meant by enrichment, why we even consider enrichment and how to incorporate it in our daily lives. It will look at 4 different categories of enrichment which we can easily utilize to enhance the overall daily lifestyle of our birds.

Parrots International Conservation and Field Research Projects
Mark Stafford, DDS
Parrots International is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to the conservation of endangered parrot species and improving the welfare of both companion parrots and parrots in the wild. This presentation will discuss Parrots International's mission and purpose as well as the Conservation and Field Research Projects it supports.

Avian Husbandry and Health
Michael Jones, DVM, Dipl. ABVP
This lecture will focus on the responsibilities avian veterinarians have in promoting and educating others regarding avian husbandry and health issues. Specific health and husbandry issues will be discussed as well as the role of the veterinarian-patient-client relationship in avian wellness.

Training...Making Choices
Sid Price
This presentation examines the nature of training and describes the basics of the science that underpin it. After introducing and defining the terminology used it goes on to discuss making the best, least intrusive, choice of strategy to achieve ones training goals.