Upcoming Professional Development

Principles of Elephant Management Directors - 2022
Date: August 27, 2022
Location: Baltimore, MD
Description: Directors at elephant holding facilities are invited to join us in Baltimore, Maryland for a session of Principles of Elephant Management – Directors Edition. This course will take place prior to the AZA Annual Conference. This course is only open to Directors of facilities holding elephants.

Principles of Elephant Management II - 2022
Date: October 24 — 27, 2022
Location: Houston Zoo, Inc.
Description: Principles of Elephant Management II focuses on the skills necessary to safely accomplish all of the AZA-required elephant behavioral components. Live training demonstrations and hands-on experiences will be utilized to combine the teaching of advanced elephant principles with best occupational safety practices.

Creating Successful Exhibits - 2022
Date: November 7 — 12, 2022
Location: Clayton Plaza
Description: Creating Successful Exhibits provides an integrated overview of a team-based exhibit development process. The course follows the phases of an exhibit project from the formation of the team, through concept planning, design and construction, to operation, in chronological order of the tasks. Full attention is given to techniques that improve an exhibit's impact on visitors.

Managing Animal Enrichment and Training Programs - 2022
Date: November 7 — 12, 2022
Location: Clayton Plaza
Description: Managing Animal Enrichment and Training Programs provides students with the tools and skills needed to set up and manage a successful enrichment and training program that meets AZA accreditation standards. While some time will be spent on the concepts of training and enrichment, this course is not a workshop to develop enrichment ideas or learn animal training skills.

Population Management I - 2022 Nov
Date: November 7 — 12, 2022
Location: Clayton Plaza
Description: Population Management I: Data Management and Processing provides the fundamentals needed to maintain and manage population databases for zoo and aquarium Animal Programs. Students will receive training in science-based aspects of population management as well as the methods to best understand and manage an AZA Animal Program using software required to maintain such databases.

Population Management II - 2022
Date: November 7 — 12, 2022
Location: Clayton Plaza
Description: Population Management II: Data Analysis and Breeding Recommendations teaches the integration of demography, genetics and husbandry to set population goals and make breeding recommendations for zoo and aquarium populations. This course produces competent managers for zoo or aquarium populations.