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

Dec 29, 2022

For the last episode of 2022 we're featuring...everyone! The staff of NEI share some of their highlights of the year as we stare down the barrel of 2023. Thanks for listening, and here's to another great year!

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Dec 22, 2022

Ari and Chris get a second sit-down with Bearizona Wildlife Park's "Grand Poo-Pah" Dave O'Connell! Dave "returves" to the show to talk about what he and the other staff at BZ do to create high functioning teams: encouraging people to be themselves when they're being interviewed, training humans like they're animals,...


Dec 15, 2022

After a quick review of the 2022 NEI Holiday Party, Chris and Ari chat about the importance of specificity when praising and recognizing others, the line between social niceities and behavor strengthening, and the problems with the statement "just let me know if there's anything I can do to help." 

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Dec 8, 2022

Ari and Chris go face to face via "Internet tubes" to talk about keto ketchup, Frank Lloyd Wright, birds that aren't Harris hawks, the 2022 ZAA Annual Conference, and NEI's Professional Contemporary Bird of Prey Training and Management Workshop. 

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  • NEI Training Workshops:


Dec 1, 2022

Welcome to Workshop Week, Bird of Prey Style! Chris sits down for a quick chat with fellow workshop instructors Adam Triska, Dan Blair, and Amy Fennell to talk about the history of NEI's Professional Contemporary Bird of Prey Training and Management Workshop, to reflect on Amy and Dan's experience of being a part...