By Dr. Rob Jones, “The Aquarium Vet”

Here’s a question that frequently comes up when management is looking at budget concerns: “What if I spend all this money on professional development for one team member and that person leaves?” The answer is at the end of this article. Read on:

Professional development is a critical part of developing your team members. It is important to note that there are 2 types of people with 10 years’ experience. The first is a person who has regularly attended conferences, has taken appropriate courses in their field, has read the latest professional journals, and is continually growing in their knowledge base. They truly have 10 years of experience. The second is a person who has never attended a conference or taken a course: they actually only have 1 year of experience (times 10), and they are far less valuable as a team member.

Find out about three of the most useful professional development options for aquarists and wildlife care specialists.

Our Academy-Safe Capture program offers in-person, virtual, and eLearning training for the chemical immobilization and anesthesia of domestic and wildlife species. Learn more about our Safe Capture training here.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent June Safe Capture training event, hosted in person by the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy.

These events drew enthusiastic participants from around the US, including domestic animal and wildlife management specialists. We are so glad you could join us!

Registration is now open for the following Academy Safe Capture in-person events:

New Mexico (Albuquerque), August 2–3: This event is being hosted by ABQ BioPark, and is open to all participants.

Texas (Houston), September 7–8: This event is being hosted by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and is open to all participants.

New Jersey (Oxford), October 4–5: This event is being hosted by New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, and is open to all participants.

Wisconsin (Stevens Point): October 15–16: This event is being hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and is open to all participants.

Ohio (Columbus): October 19–20: This event is being hosted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio Department of Agriculture, and is open to all participants.

California (San Diego/Escondido): January 25–26, 2023: This event is being hosted by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Academy, and is open to all participants.

Georgia (Athens), February 11–12, 2023: This event is being hosted by University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, and is open to all participants.

Connecticut (Bridgeport), April 19–20, 2023: This event is being hosted by Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, and is open to all participants.

For more information, or to register for these events, please visit
our Safe Capture website.

Did you know that you can view and download a transcript of all of the courses in your learning account?

Visit the CypherWorx Support Hub for more details.

Have a question about your learning account? Our learning partner, CypherWorx, has a very robust support hub where you can search for help! Visit the CypherWorx Support Hub.

If you need more specific help, you can also submit a help ticket through the support hub, or call 888-685-4440 to speak with a CypherWorx customer support representative.

For more information about the Academy, please send us an email at SDZWAAcademySales@sdzwa.org.

Individual, group, and institution rates are available. Please contact SDZWAAcademySales@sdzwa.org.

Academy Newsletters are archived at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Academy website.

Visit our Archive page.