Brer Bear in the late afternoon sun ~ always lookin' for something to eat

The first two weeks at the facility have concluded, and I'm finally feeling as if the period of adjustment is now settling into a routine.  Along with getting to know the resident bears, I'm absorbing the inner-workings of the center, the personalities of the people behind the scene, and a ton of species-specific information.

I've set up 'home' in a small house which is wedged between a back alley and the local hiking trail that wraps around what is commonly called "Miners Lake."  In the 90 F heat / 190% humidity levels we've had this last week, I've passed the lake every day and wished to no avail for a swimmer-friendly beach to appear.  Unfortunately, it's a mirage -meant to torment even the most heat-resistant human being, as the water level is located 50 feet below a sheer drop off. Even if one could survive the impact from such a height, the anticipation of submerging into a cool, blue lake is lessened considerably by the florescent red color of the water ~ a reminder of the iron ore industry that once existed in this region of the country.  The deep, blue lakes, I'm told, are found further outside of town, so I'll wait for the next nice weekend to set off and explore.

The delicate Lady Slipper is found in abundance in the nearby forests

My days have been busy at the center.  I've immersed myself in doing bear observations -an ethogram to help the center track the activity levels of the bears, I've learned the mechanics of delivering food, and made a list of the high value vs. low value food sources.  Most importantly, I've written up a proposal that is intended to help the facility get their training program up and running.  I anticipate having to begin all over again in order to untrain much of what is in place.  I feel that by backing up, we'll be starting from a clean slate, and hopefully this will help re-establish consistency, as well as provide the training staff with the basics of operant conditioning. As it stands now,  the bears have had one year to effectively train the humans, so I  anticipate running into a few problems that are commonly associated with extinguishing unwanted behaviors.  

There is both a positive and negative side to my situation here at the facility: the negative, of course, is being the new kid on the block, who comes in with lots of new ideas and tries to present new information -and even though it is grounded in scientific theory and the practical application of learning principles, it still means a change for people.  I have already encountered the backlash, and have had to write up a proposal -in addition to obtaining approval from all department heads who will oversee the training program.  The positive? -that I am in a place where I am needed, and above all else, the bears will benefit.

Lesson learned: 

(a very valuable one, for me!)

Have a flexible guideline and shaping plan for humans when introducing a new program because:

No matter what you are defining as "a beginner's level,"

No matter how well you've simplified basic information,

if you meet up with resistance or backlash, 

you've come in too high.

Lower your criteria !!

A Summer, Deep In the Woods

The on-going job search has taken in interesting turn this last month.  It oddly enough will be taking me back to an old, familiar vacationing destination where my family used to spend our summer holidays.

The Boundary Waters National Park is a vast waterway that allows outdoor enthusiasts access across the Canadian -

American border via canoes.  The lakes are deep, clear, abundant with fish and other wildlife, and provide the weary paddler with numerous ledge rocks that function as make-shift outdoor cafes, or listening points at the end of a long traveling day.

The Finnish and the Swedes settled in this area during the late 1800's, building their log cabins and establishing a distinctly Scandinavian culture for generations to follow.

                                                            Photo by: Nancy Jo Tubbs / Camp Van Vac, cabin 25

The North American Bear Center and Wildlife Research Institute is located at the Boundary Waters central hub, and for the next few months, this area will be 'home.'   It is an educational and research center that was started by Dr. Lynn Rogers and his wife, Donna  - the latter being likened to the "Jane Goodall of black bears."  What attracted me most to the institute is that Dr. Rogers is an advocate of 'trust based research,' which simply requires the researcher to develop a relationship with the animal -rather than relying on dart guns, traps, or restraining methods to gather data.  The animal always has a choice in the level of participation.  I have felt the benefits of this approach both when dealing with  abused horses as well as when working with the European Wildcats.  Developing a trusting relationship may take more time in the initial stages, but in the long run, your further ahead.

                                                         Photo by: Dr. Lynn Rogers

So, soon I will be off to the great north woods. My activities over the next few weeks involve breaking-in serious hiking boots, understanding the mechanical workings of a compass, and researching odorless bug repellent.   Such topics for discussion! ...but I wouldn't trade this new life for any other!

Lessons learned:

Don't try to break in new boots all at once...ouch!

Don't position your nose too close to the spraying device when testing the olfactory strength of bug repellents!

Training, 18 Feet Up

Note: delayed entry from February, 2012 

San Francisco is one of my favorite cities.   Yes, it's extreme in places, but none-the-less, intoxicating.  I get up for my daily morning walks, which typically take me down to the waterfront where I can breath in the salt air and feel the chill of the fog rolling back out to sea.  Once there, I take time for a quick cup of coffee, and then I loop back through Chinatown to watch the vendors setting up their wares.  If it weren't for the ringing bell of an approaching cable car, I could almost believe I was in a foreign country.

Over the course of these past 7 days, I've been at the International Giraffe Symposium.  There are both moments of hope and frustration while listening to the researchers talk about dwindling numbers and tireless efforts being made to help Giraffes survive in the wild. I am brought up to date about new veterinarian methods to treat common ailments specific to the species, and I listen to the new discoveries being made surrounding familial and social behaviors of giraffes in the wild. We are also invited to view husbandry training sessions at the zoos in the area.  Using acacia, bananas, grapes and an abundance of other delicacies, giraffes will gracefully and graciously go through their repertoires of husbandry behaviors.  They do seem rather proud of the fact that it takes 2 trainers to work with them -one on the ground to cue and tend to the task at hand (such as hoof trimming or vet procedures), and the other 18 feet up on a ladder to deliver the reinforcer.

Chart above provided by:  

http://www.wildliferanching.com/content/giraffe-giraffa-camelopardalis

Some key points from the conference came from the pro and con discussion surrounding the AZA approval of crossbreeding the Rothschild and Reticulated giraffes in captivity.  While the AZA has approved this method in order to assist the dwindling gene pool, the BIAZA (British/Irish Zoos) are taking a strong stance against crossbreeding.  Because research in the wild has not yet been able to determine if crossbreeding occurs naturally, there are many unknowns.  I also found identification process techniques for field research to be fascinating.  Through the use of photography, spot shapes and designs researchers are able to identify a specific giraffe.  I can only imagine the number of spots I'd see before my eyes after a long day of identifying giraffes in the hot African sun!

Lessons learned:
One can have a good run and still enjoy the view (San Francisco doesn't disappoint).

and
When working with a giraffe, move like they do (slowly and gracefully)!

A New Chapter

The sound of champagne bottles popping their corks has been somewhat foreign in my life ...but not this week.  As of December 15th, this blogger completed her 5th degree - a three-year BSc.ABC.  That translates to:

Certified Professional Animal Behavior Consultant !!!

The thesis was accepted, and received the evaluation comment of being a "dedicated and outstanding project."   It was only the sound of popping corks that brought me out of my stunned (and unusual) state of silence.  

 

Five women came together 3 years ago ...each with different histories and backgrounds, each with different dreams and goals. Mette will begin her work with horses on her new farm.  Tina, will continue enhancing the relationships between dogs and their owners, and wants to become involved with training rats for the African bomb deactivation program. Ayoe, will focus on improving the lives of felines -in shelters, in homes, or anywhere else that cats who need her help can be found. Liv will head for an unknown tropical  location, in search of marine mammal work -and as for myself, my sights are set on wildlife training and conservation efforts -wherever that may take me.

Five glasses were raised last night as we came together for the last time, and while we have now set off on our separate ways, I have no doubt that we will continue to be the voices of encouragement, support, ideas, and possibilities for each other for a very, very long time to come.

So, for my amazing colleagues, take one last piece of cake for the road:

We'll need it for the job search!

My thanks to Liv, Ayoe, Tina, Mette, Bettina, Gita, Maiken, 

Marnie, Samantha, Dustin, and my mother (the humans)...

 Winkin', Blinkin', Nod, and Tail-Up-Straight (the thesis animals)...

&

 Wilma, Gunnar, Benjamin, Destiny, Bessie, Totte, Penny, Bryan, 

and numerous other animals that have taught me more than any book ever could ...

A special "thanks" to Brandy, Patches, Sniffles, Nacho, Mud, Minnie, Laddie and Taffy -they are the reasons "why."

Lessons Learned:

Following one's dreams can be as easy as breathing, 

or the hardest thing you ever might try to do.

But, what a moment- 

when an artist's image 

suddenly comes to life.

The Gentle Giants

There's something very peaceful about watching a giraffe simply stroll about.  It's almost as if someone has set the world on 'slow motion.'  I felt the same hypnotic fascination some years ago while watching the palm trees bending and swaying with the wind in Hawaii.  But credit must be given here to the giraffe, as he is able to trigger the same endorphin-like state in my mind ~without the help of a pina colada.

I will be attending the International Giraffe Symposium this year in San Francisco -not that I've ever worked with a giraffe, but I am curious to see and meet the people who have developed training techniques for an animals who tower 18 feet over them.  One interesting fact I obtained from the San Diego Zoo was that their giraffes' favorite preference is to work for pieces of red onion.  I can only imagine the boxes of tissues I'd go through every day at the food preparation station!

None the less, off I will go to San Francisco in February -to observe, to network, to listen and to learn, as I enter for the first time into their gentle, slow-motion world. 

Lessons learned:

Keep your pockets filled with red onions, 

and don't look down when training a giraffe

Into the Heart of Sweden

It was a typical late afternoon in November, where the clouds leave no space between the ground and the sky.  But it wasn't the limited visibility, or the damp chill in the air that formed my lasting 'first' image of Dalarna ...it was the 24 hour silence that exists in the high country of central Sweden.

The houses are woodsy and welcoming -whether they be large ...

or small.

The artistry and detail of even the most functional of things caught my eye, 

as well as my reflection

Small tea lights were everywhere -helping to offset winter's long hours of darkness,

and the intoxicating aroma of birch wood fires,

and afternoon coffee brewing proved to be just the appetizers ...

for the saffron bullar and pepperkakor waiting inside.

While hiking on trails in Dalarna, If you're lucky, you may pass by a doorway such as this ~

where carvings deep in the metal hinges convey thoughts known only to the Viking hand that carved them over 1,000 years ago.

In the heart of Sweden, even the modern-day graffiti commands respect. (circa 1793)

Any trail, in any direction will take you through untouched, ancient forests ~

where one can still taste the sweetness of natural spring water.

Lesson learned:

I wonder if the marks we leave will ever communicate 

such a sense of wonder and connection?

Turing the Pages, One by One

It's not much, but it's everything I would need ...

The upcoming thesis presentation and exam dates are fast approaching, and with each passing day, the butterflies multiply.  I'm not alone with this condition, which in some twisted sense, makes me feel better, but I won't entirely be back to normal until this event has passed.  The small group of students that embarked upon this journey 3 years ago has managed to pull together through thick and thin, and our last gathering together is a combination of mixed, bittersweet emotions.

It's times like these when I feel I could so happily slip away into the fantasy of a Bohemian lifestyle ~ and without a doubt, I would do it in one of these.  It's my definition of the original Mercedes Benz ...the ultimate cadillac of contentment.  The vision is so real at this particular segway in my career shift, that I would swear my daughter is perched on the wagon's ledge below ...strangely enough, it really does resemble her.

I've recently begun the long process of looking for work.  Sometimes, I'm convinced that the sole purpose of the job search is to elevate the status of the 'employed,' and for the aging applicant ...it is entirely an exercise designed to test the  strength ones self-worth!  I have to chuckle here -in almost every posting I see for wildlife animal related work, the one constant is that the applicant must be able to lift 75 pounds.  There's nothing much mentioned about what goes on inside ones head, but this test of strength apparently is crucial.  So yes, finding work will not be easy  -mainly because wildlife facilities still tend to hire zookeepers, and then encourage them to learn animal training by attending a seminar or two on the subject.  

My concern with hiring zookeepers to train animals can be exemplified from my recent experience in the Swedish wildlife park.  The senior carnivore zookeeper, when talking about the stress-related behaviors of their wildcats, stated: "I don't know why they behave like this ...they know I bring the food everyday."   It sounded logical enough - she did bring the food, but given the cat's 'netting and crating' history with humans, their avoidance behaviors were firmly in place, and 100% self reinforcing at this point.  When I constructed the cat's entire behavioral chain, and then grounded it in theory, her conclusions were not logical at all.  In truth, the scenario  looked like this: 


1. the sound of the approaching food truck was the cats cue to RUN! -which resulted in (R-) [negative reinforcement, usually associated with the feeling of 'relief'] 


2.  the zookeeper's approaching footsteps and the sound of the enclosure gate opening was the cue for the cats to engage in the avoidance behavior of their choice (run or hide) - which resulted again in R-


3.  the closing of the enclosure gate and the zookeeper's departing footsteps was the cue to come out of hiding to forage and eat - which resulted in R+ 


So, when you understand the theory behind the surface behaviors you see, contrary to the senior zookeeper's logic, positive reinforcement for the cats didn't occur until she actually  left !  Everything else she did, up to the point of her departure, was an aversive (a positive punisher).


Understanding learned patterns of behavior is the foundation for effective training.  I rest my case -it is in the facilities and the animals' best interest to have behaviorists or trainers on staff.

But for tonight, I'll step out of this transitional phase between 'obtaining knowledge' and 'using knowledge,' and I'll allow myself to temporarily slide into the mindset of a carefree, vagabond life ...just for a few brief moments anyway.

Lesson Learned:

One must write the unknown page by page, 

and with the turning of each page, the chapters will someday tell your life's story