TEC Talk JUMP SCARE: Dave Okapi and the Mystery of the Haunted Hotel (Live from the 2026 ABMA/IAATE Joint Conference in Cincinnati, OH)

As a treat for anyone who's kept their subscription to the show alive, Chris and Ari are proud to present a very special episode of the TEC Talk Podcast! Your hosts were back together for the 2026 ABMA/IAATE Joint Conference in Cincinnati, OH, so we stole some time away from our many friends and colleagues on the final night of the trip to talk about all the amazing stuff that happened during the week. And hey, we even dressed up for it!Want to hear more episodes of the show that we "retired" in 2025? Watch this space - you never know what might happen next!

In this super secret, extra special bonus episode (actually episode 281, but Chris needed a good round number to end on), Ari rallied as many of Chris’s colleagues, friends, and family as she could, with help from his wife Bethany, to share messages of congrats on his new role as Executive Director of the Virginia Zoo, and a little about how he’s impacted their lives and careers.It’s impossible to capture how much Chris means to all of us, but hopefully this episode offers a glimpse into the immense impact he’s had on people all over the world. Stay tuned at the end for a throwback recording from 2006 of Chris on a popular radio show, plus some extra NEI Mom content!Chris, we will miss you. Huge congrats!

This is it, the last official episode of the NEI TEC Talk Podcast (at least for now)! With Chris headed off to his new position as Executive Director of the Virginia Zoo, he and Ari decided it was time to sunset the NEI TEC Talk Podcast. After nearly 300 episodes, countless incredible guests, and so many conversations about training, enrichment, and connection, they're wrapping things up. We have so many people to thank who supported the podcast over the years, especially you, the listeners! Thank you so, so much. We are forever grateful.Keep us in your feed for future bonus episodes - you never know when one might pop up!

Some announcements are so big that you have to bring in another podcast to help make them. Chris and Ari join Dr Grey Stafford on his incredible show, Zoo Logic, to talk about some big personal changes and what they will mean for our show. We want to thank each and every listener who's been with us since we started this thing in 2020, and hope you enjoy the penultimate episode of the TEC Talk Podcast! If you have anything you'd like to share with us about your experience with our show, please reach out to us at [email protected]!

Ari sits down with NEI's own Michael Van Horne this week to chat about what it's like being a young person in the field. Michael talks about his time at college and his philosophy to help him focus on his own growth while supporting his teammates. He also helps Ari with some Gen Alpha slang and they wrap it all up with the latest NEI team building craze - Marble Olympics!If you have a shout-out you’d like us to share, a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss, or a suggestion for a guest we should have on the show, let us know at [email protected]!

Ari and Chris are joined by their first guest who's had David Attenborough attend their graduation (at least as far as we know): Sarah Bonser-Blake, Animal Welfare Field Manager with Wild Welfare! Sarah shares the journey she's taken from getting paid to point at whales to her current role making real change in people that makes change for animals, the joys of managing a resource base, her history of collaboration and taking risks (even when her body rejected the idea), and the importance of considering many perspectives when looking at "the X, Y, and Zed" of animal welfare. If you have a shout-out you’d like us to share, a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss, or a suggestion for a guest we should have on the show, let us know at [email protected]!

Ari and Chris continue their journey of collecting more amazing people from around the professional animal care world to add to the "NEEU" (Natural Encounters Expanded Universe), and are pleased to be joined by Jessica Sheftel, Applied Wildlife Welfare Manager at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance! Jessica shares her path from collecting behavior data at Zoo Atlanta to her current role overseeing a welfare program, gives us a peak into being on a team at the forefront of the shift from an input- to an outcome-based system of welfare tracking and assessments, emphasizes the importance of having Deciders and Advisors in effective animal care programs, the vital role of mutual respect between leadership and frontline care staff so that mistrust doesn't turn into misalignment, and the importance of always keeping an open mind. If you have a shout-out you’d like us to share, a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss, or a suggestion for a guest we should have on the show, let us know at [email protected]!References from the episode: Enrichment Is Simple, That's the Problem: Using Outcome-Based Husbandry to Shift from Enrichment to Experience - Greg A Vicino, Jessica J Sheftel, Louisa M RadosevichContact Jessica: [email protected]

Ari and Chris are absolutely chuffed to be joined by two amazing gentlemen from South Africa, Ryne Ferguson and Ayrton King, co-hosts of the rebooted Animal Talk Podcast! Ryne talks about his long history with NEI, how our podcast inspired him to start his own, and how the idea to reboot the show with a new aquarist cohost came about after a 5 year hiatus. Ryne and Ayrton chat about the importance of getting people connected to animals and to each other, how podcasting is like getting to have a weekly "mini-conference," their exciting relationship with the recently-founded South African Animal Keepers Association (SAAKA), and the exciting work they're both doing in the fields of behavior management and wildlife conservation. Give these great guys a follow on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and wherever you get your podcasts!If you have a shout-out you’d like us to share, a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss, or a suggestion for a guest we should have on the show, let us know at [email protected]!

With Chris out of commission after being a pressure washing hero at work and mayyyyybe overdoing it a bit, Ari takes the helm and is joined by Dan Carvalho, Lydia Dresel, Jordan Garella, Steven Sibley, and Luis Cortes from the Reptile Department of the St Augustine Alligator Farm! The team talks about their amazing dynamics and inside jokes, and the hard work they pull off every day for their animals and guests. From talking about raiding croc nests and hatching out babies, to how much they all appreciate each other and their leadership for supporting their learning journeys, you don’t want to miss this episode. We even wrap it up with a little Dragon’s Talon at the end! If you want to know more about The SAAF, check out their website, or email Dan at [email protected] you have a shout-out you’d like us to share, a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss, or a suggestion for a guest we should have on the show, let us know at [email protected]!

You KNOW we love talking about training animals that people don't always think of when they think about animal training, so we are thrilled to welcome Melissa Paynter to the show! Mel shares the path that took her from the Moorpark Program to her current role as Assistant Curator of Ocean Journey at Georgia Aquarium, why fish training right now is "a dumpster fire, in the best way," how her desire to make sure the aquarium side of the field gets a seat at the table lead to her current position on the Board of Directors of the Animal Behavior Management Alliance, and the amazing ins and outs involved when a staff of 14 people are responsible for a single exhibit with 6,000 animals in it. If you have a shout-out you’d like us to share, a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss, or a suggestion for a guest we should have on the show, let us know at [email protected]!