The TEC Talk Podcast: Presented by Natural Encounters, Inc.

• Episode 258: Don't Panic! Let Your Weird Flagg Fly! (with Josh Flagg)

  Chris is off at the AZA mid-year meeting, so Ari is joined by NEI Senior Trainer Josh Flagg for this episode! They dive into the challenges and joys of being the new person on a zoo team. From making new staff feel safe and welcome to knowing when (and when not) to let your "weird flag" fly, Josh and Ari explore ways to set teams up for success. They also share tips for uncovering a team’s culture even before you start. Check out this episode for valuable insights into building a positive and thriving team culture right from the start in the animal care field!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]!

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• Episode 257: What Does Goal-Based Enrichment Look Like For People?

  Chris once again ambushes Ari with a surprise topic for discussion, thanks to a great email we received: now that the definition of "enrichment for animals" has evolved, what might "modern, goal-based enrichment" look like for the humans we work alongside in the professional animal care field? We chat about the staff-driven professional development offerings that happen during "Growvember", the focused feedback that we get from "intention projects", the important silliness that is the "NEI Off-Topic" WhatsApp chat, and the important skills we're all building thanks to the game GeoGuessr.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]!

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• Episode 256: What Do Great Trainers Actually DO? (with Steve Martin, Natural Encounters, Inc.)

  Ari and Chris steal a bit of time out of a busy day to chat with NEI's Steve Martin to follow up on last week's episode and talk about the practical, observable, and trainable behaviors that we see great trainers do. Focusing both on skills people can build in themselves and help build in others, the trio talks about meeting people where they're at, the importance of having a solid plan (that can change at any time based on feedback from your animal's behavior ), being an "actively adjusting" trainer, understanding that an animal saying "no" is a call to action to forge a path to "yes," letting your ego stay in the car, and the crucial role of flexibility. Also, stay tuned for the WILD origin story of one of NEI's most well-known show bits: the dollar bill routine. Do your best to not throw up!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:"The Top 10 Behaviors of Expert Animal Trainers" by Steve Martin (Paper | Webinar)

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• Episode 255: Grab Your Trowel, We're Cultivating Trainers!

  With Chris busy being immersed in our Immersion Workshop, Ari is joined once more by Adam Geltz (Senior Trainer, Natural Encounters, Inc.) to discuss a listener email asking us to share some thoughts about cultivating great animal trainers. They start by talking about setting up strong antecedents to foster a safe environment for learning, move on to building training skills through offering and accepting valuable feedback, and finally chat about finding reinforcers that encourage more training and learning in the future. Come break it all down with us!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 show: The Jocko Podcast with Jocko WillinkThe Top 10 Behaviors of Expert Trainers by Steve MartinThe Top 10 Behaviors of Expert Human Mentors by Chris JenkinsThe TEC Talk Library of Behavior and Training WebinarsBehavior Analysis and Learning by W David Pierce and Carl D. CheneyLearning and Behavior by Paul ChanceDon't Shoot the Dog by Karen PryorCrucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are HighAnimal Training by Ken Ramirez

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• Episode 254: Changing Jobs and Continuing Connections (with Ramon Castillo, St. Augustine Alligator Farm)

  Chris and Ari sit down with Ramon Castillo, who Ari first connected with through NEI’s work with Bearizona Wildlife Park—when he reached out to chat about reptile training! They discuss his time at Bearizona, his transition to The St. Augustine Alligator Farm, and how he’s working to make animal programs more accessible in both English and Spanish. Tune in for insights on breaking barriers and creating universal connections with wildlife!-----------------------If you have an idea for how you can make our show better, you can let us know by filling out our quick, anonymous survey about our show at ⁠https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tectalkpod⁠ until Feb 28, 2025, or just reach out to us at [email protected] - thanks for listening!

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