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

What if we took the AZA definition of "welfare" and applied it to the two-legged creatures we share our days with? Ari and Chris attempt to come up with a human welfare assessment tool in less than 60 minutes. Do we succeed? Listen to find out! Have a question or topic for the show? Email us at podcast@naturalencounters.com!

"Good communication" as a concept is fine and all, but what does that LOOK like? Ari and Chris put their heads together to discuss some of the observable behaviors associated with things like active listening, upholding your half of a relationship, and making difficult conversations "E.A.S.I.E.R." Do you have any tips for being a good communicator? Share them with us at podcast@naturalencounters.c...

Chris and Ari FINALLY make time to sit down amidst the controlled chaos of a one of the most unique parts of bird training: a flyoff! We discuss what it looks like for us humans when our birds decide to fly... elsewhere. How do we find them? How do we get them back? And wait, don't we still have to do shows during all this??? All this and more will be discussed for your listening pleasure! Have a...

Live from the Happy Hour of the final day of the 2021 ABMA Conference, it's the TEC Talk podcast! Chris is joined by newly minted President Elect of the Animal Behavior Management Alliance, Scott Trauger, as we host folks from around the animal behavior world as they reflect on the first ABMA Virtual Conference and share some thoughts about who and what they appreciate in their lives during these...

Ari and Chris are joined by elephant keeper/aquarium builder/horse enthusiast/dog trainer Kat Donald! Kat tells us about her journey to becoming the hardest working person in the animal field (seriously, you won't believe how many different things she does), and along the way we talk about logic puzzles, curly hair care, ghosts, and lizard people. Not bad for an "animal training podcast," huh? Got...

It's a cross-country matchup of "Bearizona East" (aka NEI) and "NEI West" (aka Bearizona) as Chris sits down with NEI Senior Trainer Katie Bello and Bearizona Program Animal Supervisors Amy Zimmerman and Kyle Alexander! We talk about how our project at Bearizona has evolved since its inception, how things are coming together now that our East Coast birds have been out west for about a month, and w...

It's "Tales from the Trailer" time! Ari and Chris share a mic and grab some lunch to discuss that oh-so-wonderful experience of audience interactions that just do...not...go...well. Can you win them back? How can you change things? What can you learn from it? Those of us who do programs have all been there, but what do you do when it's happening in the moment? This is a real peak behind the curtai...

Happy Birthday, TEC Talk!! Ari and Chris reflect on learnings from a year of change, growth, and innovation. Big thanks goes out to everyone that's followed us on this journey - here's to the next 52 weeks! Have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss during YEAR TWO of the show? Drop us a line at podcast@naturalencounters.com!  

This time we're the guests! Ari and Chris join John Scott and the NYC chapter of AAZK to talk about guest interaction, improving relationships and communication, and the importance of creating "defining moments."  Do you have a question, topic, or podcast invite for us? Drop us a line at podcast@naturalencounters.com!

50 episodes, woo hoo!! Ari and Chris are joined by the founders of River Valley Raptors Inc. , Abbey and Joe Krumrie, to talk all things birds of prey! We discuss how they met through work, their experiences with and passion for falconry and wildlife education, running a non-profit organization with your significant other, and how their long-time associate of IAATE has informed their training and...

Chris sits down with the Natural Encounters Conservation Fund's Director of Operations Erik Montgomery to talk about his background working with elephants in the circus, his current role as a "jack of all trades" with NECF and NEI, our shared history as podcast hosts outside of the animal field, and the many hoops and hurdles he helped us navigate as one of the founders of the NEI TEC initiative (...

Ari and Chris put their heads together to discuss the pros and cons - and their personal experiences and feelings - related to one of the great debates of the professional animal care field: five 8s, or four 10s?   

Happy virtual conference week! Chris and Ari are joined by dozens of wonderful animal people from around the world for a Zoom happy hour, live from the virtual hospitality suite of the 2021 IAATE Conference. As everyone shares their current passions, we learn a lot about 17-year cicadas, carnivorous plants, Australian gin, insect jewelry, and alpine cheese. This was super fun to record; with zero...

Ari and Chris (who will learn to check his mic settings one day) are joined by one of their favorite people, Marco Zeno! Marco talks about his crazy history in the animal field, starting with his experience as a WORLD CHAMPION alligator wrestler, through to his foray into bird training with NEI, and up to the present with his amazingly unique position with the Northern White Rhino Initiative at th...

Ari and Chris are back together, socially distanced of course, for another episode! This week we dig into the NEI archives to discuss Steve Martin's paper "What's the Motivation?" We talk about how it's influenced the way we look at behavior, and the great outline it provides for how we can be better trainers, caretakers, and teammates.  What's the Motivation? by Steve Martin; presented at the 201...

Ari is joined by NEI Supervisor (and resident Man Who Never Sleeps) Scott Trauger to talk about professional development as it relates to some of the major professional animal care and training organizations. They discuss their experiences both as members and as leaders within the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (IAATE) and the Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA),...

Live, from Arizona, it's TEC Talk Nights! Chris is joined on location by NEI Senior Trainer Adam Geltz to talk about his history in the animal field, our experience working together to build a new show from the ground up on a tight timeline, the importance of disagreeing well, the lessons he's learned on his journey as a mentor, and the excitement of starting a new project with the awesome folks a...

It's another "Tales from the Trailer" episode as Ari and Chris discuss the problems with labels! This one touches on a lot, including anthropomorphism, problems solving, team communication, and functional assessments - so much good behavior stuff!  Articles referenced in the show:  The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Looking Past the Labels by Miguel Santos The Struggle for Dominance: Fact or Fiction...

Comedian/writer/all around awesome guy Len Austrevich joins us to talk about his background in standup and comedy, his connections with the animal field, and the amazing work he's doing with Jokes4Miles . He talks about the history of the program that he started for his son, the amazing ways it's grown over the last 10 years, and how everyone around the world can get involved! For more information...

With Chris on a top secret mission for NEI, Ari goes solo to reflect on the insanity of the last week, to share some things she's excited about, and to reflect on the joy (and importance) of being alone. Oh, and she does some dog training at the same time! Do you have a question, idea for a show topic, or want to be on the podcast so we're not too lonely? Email us at podcast@naturalencounters.com!

Happy 2021! For the first episode of the new year we have something special: the audio from this week's NEI TEC in Conversation panel discussion, "What We've Learned and Where We're Going." We gathered the NEI TEC faculty for a conversation about all the cool stuff that grew out of the NEI TEC initiative over the last 9 months and our hopes for where it will go in the future, and answered some que...

Ari and Chris kick 2020 to the curb with our final episode of the year! We talk about some changes coming to the show in 2021, some wrap up thoughts on the inaugural of the podcast, and reflect on our hopes for the future. Thanks for joining us, this show has been a joy and it's because of YOU, dear listeners! Have a question? Something you'd like us to discuss? Do you want to be on the show?? Ema...

Ari and Chris are joined by long-time TEC Talk supporter Hardy Kern to talk about his role at the Columbus Zoo, his connection to both current and former NEI staff members, working alongside Jack Hanna, and the joy with creating "defining moments" for zoo guests. He also talks about how he became known as "The Wig Guy," and turns the tables on the hosts by interviewing them. Hey, only seems fair w...

Flannery O'Brien returns along with fellow former NEI-er Kevin Zimmer to discuss life after leaving the animal field. They talk about the ways their animal experience helped prepare them for the "real world," about adapting to not just being "the animal person," and give advice to those who might be thinking about making a similar transition for themselves. And if you liked Growvember and Enrichma...

Chris (INFP-A) and Ari (ENFP-A) sit down with NEI Supervisor Scott Trauger (ESTJ-T) to discuss the ins and outs of the "personality types" survey at the website 16Personalities.com. We discuss and compare the results of our personal surveys (and discuss a special 4th survey result at the end), and reflect on how our differences can make us all stronger.  Have a question, idea for a future topic, o...