Episode 217: Can We Talk About This "Charismatic Megafauna" Thing? (with Jessi Krebs and Greg Lepera)

With Chris stuck in traffic between work locations, Ari is joined by NEI's own Brittni Rice on the eve of her first anniversary with the company! Brittni shares her history in the field, the differences between working as a show trainer and a zoo keeper, the experience of being both a learner and a teacher, why she doesn't want to go back to marine mammal training anytime soon, and the joys of being our Unofficial Official Funtime Coordinator.  If you have a suggestion for a question, topic, or guest you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show, let us know at [email protected]! --------------------------------- The TEC Talk Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Audible.com! To support the show and get a free 30-day trial of everything Audible has to offer, visit http://www.audibletrial.com/tectalk- thanks Audible!

Ari and Chris are back in the office together and are joined (with the recording gods on our side this time) by Jessi Krebs and Grep Lepera! Jessi and Greg share their paths in the zoo field (we're talking 95 combined years of reptile awesomeness, ya'll), their history with the Crocodilian Biology and Management Course at St. Augustine Alligator Farm, the messaging challenges that zoos continue to have with reptiles and other herps compared to more typical "charismatic megafauna", and their hopes for how zoos can embrace a broader picture of biological diversity for the benefit of their guests.   If you have a suggestion for a question, topic, or guest you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show, let us know at [email protected]! --------------------------------- The TEC Talk Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Audible.com! To support the show and get a free 30-day trial of everything Audible has to offer, visit http://www.audibletrial.com/tectalk- thanks Audible! --------------------------------- This episode is also brought to you by Magic Mind! To learn more about the world's first mental performance shot and get up to 48% off your first order, go to https://www.magicmind.com/tectalkpod and enter the code TECTALKPOD20 at checkout. Thanks, Magic Mind! 

It's the return of the two-host podcast! Ari takes some time from her vacation to sit down with Chris to talk about the effects of compliments, recognition, paying attention, and the joy that comes from kindness. Awww! Get in here, everyone - group hug! If you have a suggestion for a question, topic, or guest you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show, let us know at [email protected]! --------------------------------- This episode is brought to you by Magic Mind! To learn more about the world's first Productivity ShotTM and get up to 48% off your first order, go to https://www.magicmind.com/tectalkpod and enter the code TECTALKPOD20 at checkout. Thanks, Magic Mind! --------------------------------- The TEC Talk Podcast is also proud to be sponsored by Audible.com! To support the show and get a free 30-day trial of everything Audible has to offer, visit http://www.audibletrial.com/tectalk- thanks Audible!    

We had so much virtual fun with one out-of-state NEI bird show last week that we decided to send Chris out to visit the other one in person! We are so happy to welcome Morgan Lopes, Josh Sanko, Hunter Peck, and Anthony Rossi to the podcast to talk about the ins and outs of our bird show at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island, Flights of Fantasy!  If you have a suggestion for a question, topic, or guest you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show, let us know at [email protected]! --------------------------------- The TEC Talk Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Audible.com! To support the show and get a free 30-day trial of everything Audible has to offer, visit http://www.audibletrial.com/tectalk- thanks Audible!

After an intro in which Chris demonstrates the evils of AI to an unsuspecting and horrified Ari, we're celebrating "Opening Weekend Eve" with Katelyn, Lucy, Meg, Laurel, Emily, Skyler, Emma, Ian, and Dan from the Minnesota Zoo Bird Show Crew! In this guest-packed episode we discuss the final prep going into the training of the birds, the joy of "plant school," the experience so far for the awesome crew of seasonal staff joining the show for the first time, the zoo birds making their triumphant return to Minnesota after going through training boot camp in Florida, and the team's guesses about what routines guests are going to be the most excited about. Happy Memorial Day, and happy opening weekend everyone! If you have a suggestion for a question, topic, or guest you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show, let us know at [email protected]! --------------------------------- The TEC Talk Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Audible.com! To support the show and get a free 30-day trial of everything Audible has to offer, visit http://www.audibletrial.com/tectalk- thanks Audible!

And lo, the Internet Gods and Goddesses decreed "we shall ruin your recording, thereby preventing this week's uploading of training and behavior content!" But nay, your hosts shall not abide! While Chris and Ari scurry behind the scenes to figure out what the heck went wrong with this week's recording and do their best to fix and rebuild it, we bring you a throwback to our conversation from January 2023 about the dangers of relying on prompts too heavily in shaping behaviors. A timeless topic for trainers of all ages and levels of experience! If you have a suggestion for a question, topic, or guest you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show, let us know at [email protected]! --------------------------------- The TEC Talk Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Audible.com! To support the show and get a free 30-day trial of everything Audible has to offer, visit http://www.audibletrial.com/tectalk- thanks Audible!  

The state motto of Arkansas is "Regnat populus" - Latin for "the people rule" - and you know what? The people here DO rule! Chris sits down with Hannah Baker, Sydney Byrd, LeeAnn Goette, and Kate Neal from Little Rock Zoo to talk about all the fun training going on during Chris' 10-day consulting stint, the ways we've all learned to help build (and avoid degrading) trust with animals, fun stuff coming up for the zoo in the near future, and the awesomeness of pouched rats. Happy 100th birthday, Little Rock Zoo!  If you have a suggestion for a question, topic, or guest you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show, let us know at [email protected]! --------------------------------- The TEC Talk Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Audible.com! To support the show and get a free 30-day trial of everything Audible has to offer, visit http://www.audibletrial.com/tectalk- thanks Audible!

Ari and Chris welcome Jennie Janssen (National Aquarium, MIASZ) back to the show to share her take - and a great new initiative from MIAZS (Minorities in Aquarium and Zoos Sciences) - relating to the challenge our field is facing of creating the leaders of tomorrow.  References from the episode: MIAZS - Minorities in Aquarium and Zoo Sciences  AMLAZ - Advancing Minority Leadership in Aquariums and Zoos Understanding Barriers and Opportunities for Women and People of Color in Zoos, Aquariums, and Related Fields: A Research Initiative (Full Report, Executive Summary, and Infographics) If you have a suggestion for a question, topic, or guest you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show, let us know at [email protected]! --------------------------------- The TEC Talk Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Audible.com! To support the show and get a free 30-day trial of everything Audible has to offer, visit http://www.audibletrial.com/tectalk- thanks Audible!

Ari has The Ick, so Chris is joined by NEI Supervisor Scott Trauger to share our notes - figuratively and literally - from the 2024 ABMA Annual Conference in Nashville, TN!  If you have a suggestion for a question, topic, or guest you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show, let us know at [email protected]! --------------------------------- The TEC Talk Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Audible.com! To support the show and get a free 30-day trial of everything Audible has to offer, visit http://www.audibletrial.com/tectalk- thanks Audible!

With Chris in Nashville to listen to other people talk into a microphone at the Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) Annual Conference, Ari keeps the show going with the help of future animal care professional Lauren Vieira! Lauren emailed us to say that she was a listener who would love a sticker from the podcast if we ever made one - we did (thanks to our friends at Slapco), so we asked her to be on the show! Lauren talks about her story of shifting focus from the hospitality world to the professional animal care field, chats about the joys of moving to Florida, shares a bit about some of the interviews she's had for her first full-time zoo job, and grills Ari on some stuff she wants to know about our world - such a great conversation! (#ForeverSpeakingIntoAMicrophone) If you have a suggestion for a question, topic, or guest you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show, let us know at [email protected]! --------------------------------- The TEC Talk Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Audible.com! To support the show and get a free 30-day trial of everything Audible has to offer, visit http://www.audibletrial.com/tectalk- thanks Audible!