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You Can
by James F. Gesualdi
You can make an even more significant and positive difference in the lives of animals. You can.
Working in the zoological community presents numerous opportunities to make a difference. Important responsibilities include caring for (and about) the resident animals and their counterparts in the wild. Collaborating with other people—including board members or directors, leaders, colleagues, volunteers, interns, contractors, vendors, guests, government officials, and even critics—adds to the complexity of caring for other living beings (and that includes human visitors). Sometimes it is more than enough to faithfully discharge the day’s duties, and none are more important than those relating to animal welfare and animal/human safety.
Thinking about all the effort expended daily on these matters can all too readily make the high-minded commitment to continuous improvement in animal welfare seem like it’s just too much to ask. An attorney advancing the cause of animal welfare probably makes it seem even more unrealistic. I understand that, and I certainly have much to learn about animal welfare. Yet time and time again, I have been privileged to work with all sorts of zoological professionals and zoological organizations, and they have made their commitment to continuous improvement in animal welfare a daily practice, which builds and sustains itself into amazing results.
Past columns have laid the foundation. “Name It” makes continuous improvement in animal welfare an explicit priority. “Be There” for the animals and each other. You and so many others have already made a positive difference for animals and people. You can make an even greater difference and certainly a bigger one than I can even dream of making from behind my desk.
You can. Let’s start this together, right here and right now. What is one simple thing you could improve? Is there one thing you could learn to do better that could positively impact animals’ lives? Is there one thing your organization could do better or differently to have a greater effect upon animal welfare? Bring that idea forward or make that change. That’s all. Then re-examine these and similar questions and keep moving forward to continuously improve animal welfare. You can.
Getting better all the time.
© 2015 James F. Gesualdi, P.C. The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author. This is not, nor should it be construed as, legal advice.
For more information on Excellence Beyond Compliance® click here
To order the ebook, click here
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Experiences in Animal Law
Teleseminar June 23
Join us on June 23, 2015, 3:00 p.m. EST, for Experiences in Animal Law, a special teleseminar featuring guest speakers Lynn Clements, Executive Director, and Mark Swingle, Director of Research & Conservation, of the Virginia Aquarium; Keith Winsten, Executive Director of the Brevard Zoo; and Lee Ehmke, Director and President of the Minnesota Zoo and President of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), each speaking about their experiences and thoughts on Animal Law.
Register at info@excellencebeyondcompliance.com
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 The Aquarium Vet
Webinar: Pain and Stress in Fish
by Dr. Rob Jones
Fish welfare is an increasingly important subject, and my aim is to ensure that you gain an understanding of what it is and why it is so important to be concerned about the fish under your care. Do fish feel pain? This has been a contentious issue for the past decade. We will also look at stress in fish. What is stress from a physiological viewpoint? What are the factors that cause stress? What effect does it have on fish? What can we do to decrease the stress in our aquatic environments?
Register for this webinar here
Equarist™ Courses—Academy Subscriber Special!
The San Diego Zoo Global Academy is excited to share an additional Academy subscriber benefit regarding our collaboration with Dr. Jones: as an Academy subscriber, you are now entitled to a discount on the e-quarist™ courses.
For more information about the SDZGA discount, contact katrina@theaquariumvet.com.au
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Courses, Webinars, and Meetings
Administrator's Users Group Webinar
Please join us for the next Administrator's Users Group Webinar, hosted by Academy partner CypherWorx on Wednesday, June 17th at 11 a.m. PDT.
To register for the webinar, click here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
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Academy News
The San Diego Zoo Global Academy Puts the Buffalo Zoo in the Spotlight!
The Buffalo Zoo has joined the Academy’s collaborative learning environment with two privately branded custom sites, one for their employees and one for their volunteers. Welcome!
Academy Platform Capabilities: New Discussion Feature
Academy partner CypherWorx has a new discussion feature on the Academy platform. The learner can click on the discussion desired in less time than it would have taken previously. Try the new way of communicating with your peers. You’ll be glad you did.
Have questions regarding this feature? Ask Julie Bittner at jbittner@cypherworx.com
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Helpful Hints and Ideas
My Academy: Podcasts
Do you have a podcast you would like a member of your team to hear? If so, download it via the resources tab in My Academy.
Have questions regarding the helpful hint? Ask Stephanie Crise, My Academy, at scrise@sandiegozoo.org
Volunteer Connection: Webinar "Thinking Outside the Box to Meet Your Organization’s Needs"
Formal and inflexible volunteer programs are things of the past. How do you keep up with ever-changing trends in your community population as demands on people's time continue to increase? Gain ideas on how to morph your volunteer opportunities to meet the needs of both your volunteers and your organization. Learn a variety of ways to update your onboarding, mentoring, recognition, assignments, and even utilize technology to help create a more flexible and functional program for all parties involved.
Have questions regarding the helpful hint? Ask Tammy Rach, The Volunteer Connection, at trach@sandiegozoo.org
Safety Training: Lightning Safety Awareness Academy Course
This course will define facts associated with lightning, describe ways lightning can kill, and illustrate how to protect yourself and co-workers against lightning hazards. In general, lightning will travel the easiest route from the cloud to the ground, which means that it often strikes the tallest object. Therefore, a simple rule is to not make yourself the tallest object or stand near the tallest object in your immediate surroundings.
Have questions regarding the helpful hint? Ask John Prange, San Diego Zoo Global Academy, at jprange@sandiegozoo.org
San Diego Zoo Global Academy's Idea Hatchery
The Academy’s collaborative learning environment is already “hatching” innovative ideas: let's continue to make it easier to do so. You’ve got the ideas—let’s collaborate on innovation! Please share your online training ideas at: sdzglobalacademy@sandiegozoo.org
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Zoo & Conservation News Highlights
Check out the roundup of zoo, wildlife conservation, and natural science news stories compiled by the San Diego Zoo Global Library here
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