Parrot Behavior, Training and Enrichment Symposium March 1-2
March 1-2, 2008 “Parrot Behavior, Training and Enrichment Symposium” Leiden, Netherlands. Hosted by City Parrots this comprehensive two day event for companion parrot owners features international speakers Barbara Heidenreich and Robin Shewokis.
When: 1 & 2 March 2008 9.00 to 17.00 hours
Where: Wijkgebouw Staalwijk, Herenstraat 45, Leiden
Cost: € 95,- for 2 days, including coffee and lunch
Parrot Behavior and Training Workshop, Presented by Barbara Heidenreich, Good Bird Inc
Course Description
Training with positive reinforcement is a skill caregivers can learn to use to create and modify their parrot’s behavior. Paired with careful observation of bird body language it can be a powerful tool in shaping a well behaved, interactive and entertaining companion parrot. The mechanics of training with positive reinforcement will be explored via lecture, video, games, activities and live demonstrations. We will also explore the drawbacks of using methods based in negative reinforcement that have been traditionally used to create behaviors, as well as learn how to apply the more trust building alternatives. With video examples of parrots voluntarily participating in physical exams, intramuscular injections and blood draws without restraint, participants will be inspired by the power of positive reinforcement training.
Parrot Enrichment Workshop, Presented by Robin Shewokis
Enrich Your Parrot’s Life…Use Your Common Senses
For years parrot owners have been striving to find ways to enrich the lives of the parrots in their care. They have presented device after device either created by them or purchased commercially to keep the parrots busy. This has worked in most cases. But now owners are looking for better and more scientifically based methods of enrichment. Armed with the knowledge of a parrot’s natural history and species specific preferences owners will be able to create and present a wide variety of enrichment options for their avian companions.
Barbara Heidenreich
Barbara has been a professional in the field of animal training since 1990. She owns and operates a company, Good Bird, Inc., that provides behavior and training products to the companion parrot community. These products include Good Bird Magazine, books, videos, and training/behavior workshops. She is the author of “Good Bird! A Guide to Solving Behavior Problems in Companion Parrots” by Avian Publications and also “The Parrot Problem Solver. Finding Solutions to Aggressive Behavior” by TFH Publications. She is also the producer of the Good Bird Parrot Behavior and Training DVD series. She is the past president of the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators.
Barbara’s experience also includes consulting on animal training in zoos and other animal related facilities. She has been a part of the development and production of more than 15 different free flight education programs. Barbara continues to provide consulting services to zoos, nature centers and other animal facilities through her other company Animal Training and Consulting Services. In her career she has trained animals, trained staff, and/or presented shows at facilities around the world.
Robin Shewokis
Robin is the owner of The Leather Elves, a company that designs and manufactures enrichment devices for animals in captivity. The Leather Elves started as a family business that created enrichment for companion parrots. After working with a few facilities that housed collections of parrots Robin realized that there was a need in facilities for enrichment targeting other species. So in 2001 The Leather Elves began working with zoos internationally to enhance the level of enrichment provided. Since then Robin has consulted with zoos in the US and Canada, has spoken at Vogelpark Avifauna in the Netherlands and has distributed enrichment products worldwide. One of Robin’s goals is to work with companion parrot owners to increase their knowledge of the enrichment process through workshops and brainstorming sessions.
Robin is a member of The American Association of Zookeepers and the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators. At the 2006 AAZK conference Robin received a certificate of appreciation for her contributions to the field of enrichment with regard to management of captive exotic animals.
Schedule Parrot Training and Enrichment Symposium
1st of March
Parrot Behavior and Training Workshop
Presented by Barbara Heidenreich
Training Demos are interspersed throughout the day
2nd of March
Parrot Enrichment Workshop. Morning; Presented by Robin Shewokis
This interactive workshop is designed to get participants thinking about enrichment as a multi –dimensional process. It furnishes parrot owners with the tools needed to create stimulating, engaging enrichment from idea to presentation. Participants arrive for the workshop and are immediately involved in a sensory activity that reminds them to be cognizant of how the animals in their care approach novel situations. The workshop is a combination of lecture and hands on activities that take the participants through the process of developing, creating, and assessing enrichment Enrichment can no longer be a piece of wood without a purpose. Participants are encouraged to look at all facets of the birds in their care and then create enrichment that meets the needs of their birds.
Afternoon; Presented by Barbara Heidenreich