1 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: Ruby. 2 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 2: Bye, I'm Rick Swartz. 3 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 3: But this world I'm Marco Went and this This is 4 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 3: Amazing Wildlife, a podcast where we explore unique stories of 5 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 3: wildlife from around the world and uncover fascinating animal facts. 6 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 3: This podcast is in production with iHeartRadio's Ruby Studio and 7 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 3: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation organization 8 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 3: which oversees the San Diego Zoo and this beautiful location 9 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 3: the San Diego. 10 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 2: Zoo Safari Park. 11 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: I love the Safari Park. 12 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 2: I love the Safari Park too, and especially in this 13 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 2: corner up here, A lot of. 14 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,480 Speaker 1: People usually make their way up to Saigo. 15 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 4: This is one of my favorite spots that we're at 16 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 4: Baja Gardens and for guests who don't know, this is 17 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 4: like the higher area of the Safari Park in some 18 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 4: of my personal favorites, like. 19 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: The condors, the castawarries are up here. Incally, I know 20 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: we got some cameras. 21 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 4: Going on to I know it's gonna be really hard 22 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 4: for me to shut. 23 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 2: And a Vaja guards is mostly plans. 24 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 5: Thank you. 25 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: I know, I know, I know when you're right, I 26 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: got to give hypes. 27 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 4: You know, what is it like one point three million 28 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 4: plants live you're at the part floor. It's a little 29 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 4: that we also, by the way, volunteers, those who are 30 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 4: going to be watching our YouTube episodes are going to 31 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 4: air a little later in the future, So props of 32 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 4: the volunteers. 33 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 2: They're out there watering right now. 34 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 3: They got some of some sprinklers over there going on 35 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 3: this location in the Baja Gardens. From up here, you 36 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 3: can see so much of the Samari Park, and like 37 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 3: you were saying, yes, you do come across a lot 38 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 3: of bird species. 39 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 2: Getting up here. It takes you over by condors to 40 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 2: you so far enough over. 41 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, you might have just heard I was going to say, 42 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: I just heard of certain bird species. 43 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 2: I feel like it was almost a planned intro. 44 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: I think, so I think they know what we're going 45 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: to be talking about. A little birdie in the shoulder. 46 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 3: Well, I don't know if our audience can hear it, 47 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 3: but the thick Fild parents just down the hill here 48 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 3: are currently doing their calls, and well, it just so 49 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:45,199 Speaker 3: happens we're going to talk. 50 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 4: About thicktold parents, I can't wait. I was actually talking 51 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 4: to our interviews earlier that I'm going to try really 52 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 4: hard not to keep talking over and over and over 53 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 4: because I'm super poked about this particular species and the 54 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 4: work that the Alliance does with partners in Mexico. 55 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 3: So I should nudge you if you're talking too much, 56 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 3: talk okay, all right, well with that, then we should 57 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 3: let our guests introduce themselves. There are the specials here 58 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 3: for the thick build parts you're talking about today, so 59 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 3: go ahead. 60 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 5: Good morning, great to be here. Thank you. 61 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 6: I'm James Sheppin, senior scientists in the conservation science Wildlife 62 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 6: Health that San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. 63 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: Oh title, that's a nice title, and good morning. 64 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 7: I am Jenna Steller. 65 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 8: I'm the wildlife care manager here at the San Diego 66 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 8: Zoos Firepark over the bird department. 67 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 2: Nice. 68 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 4: That's great, And I'm really really happy you guys are 69 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:28,959 Speaker 4: here because I feel like you both represent different areas 70 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 4: of this really unique conservation work you're doing with this 71 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 4: particular species. But you know, I think first things first, right, 72 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 4: what's a thick built Yeah, is in case. 73 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: Someone doesn't know, do you either one? 74 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 4: If you want to help our guests or listeners, especially 75 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 4: the kids listening right now, describe a thick build parrot 76 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 4: well makes the spirits so unique? 77 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 5: Well, it's a beautiful little parrot. 78 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 6: It's gorgeous colored that used to fly in raucous flocks 79 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 6: all the way from southern Mexico right up into the 80 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 6: United States. Unfortunately, since the nineteen thirties, the species was 81 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 6: extirpated from the United States. It's no longer found here 82 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:03,079 Speaker 6: due to regulated hunting. It was shot, it was put 83 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 6: in the pet trades, so it's disappeared from its original 84 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 6: habitat in Arizona and New Mexico. So now it's only 85 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 6: found in its last remaining stronghold in northern Mexico. And 86 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 6: so there's only now around two thousand, two thousand, five 87 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 6: hundred individuals in the wild left of this amazing species. 88 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 6: And that's where we come in to help our partners 89 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 6: in Mexico recover and restore the species so that we 90 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 6: can hopefully have it back across the border in the 91 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 6: United States again. So yeah, as I said, it's a 92 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 6: really beautiful little species. As you can hear in the background, 93 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 6: some loud little guys down there. 94 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 5: They're really charismatic. They fly in big. 95 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 6: Flocks in the wild, and they're pretty much restricted to 96 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 6: high elevation mountain forests that they call home. So they 97 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 6: need old growth, big old trees, not only to forage 98 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 6: on their food source, which is primarily pine nuts, so 99 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 6: that they, as Genna will explain, they also will feel 100 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 6: it on a variety of different things as well, but 101 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 6: primarily on the pine nuts. But they also need the 102 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 6: cavities in these old trees to nest and to raise 103 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 6: the young as well. And so if the trees disappear, 104 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 6: the paris disappear. So I'll get off my soapbox. 105 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 3: I want to point out real quick what you said there, 106 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 3: because for me, I remember when I was in high 107 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 3: school and I first learned about the thick bild parrot. 108 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 2: I was like, wait a minute, parrots are tropical. They're 109 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 2: they're in the jungle there in the rain. 110 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 3: But here's the species that has figured out it's a 111 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 3: true parrot. It lives in much colder climates, sometimes referred 112 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 3: to as a snowparrot because of that. It survives off 113 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 3: of pine nuts, it lives in high elevations. 114 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 2: Like, wait a minute, this guy rewrote the whole book. 115 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 2: So I'm really curious to learn more about that. 116 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 3: But I do want to hear from Jennet to about 117 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 3: what else do they eat and how would you describe 118 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 3: a thick build part. 119 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:52,679 Speaker 4: And even the work here at the park, right, because 120 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 4: we have a long history here at the Safari Park 121 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 4: with thick bill parrot, right. 122 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 8: Jenna, absolutely, and I think James covered a good portion 123 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 8: of that, so well done. But yes, the high elevation 124 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 8: is one of my favorite parts of these birds, Like 125 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 8: it's the only species that you're gonna find in those 126 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 8: high elevations when it snows. 127 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 7: And the closest species to them is. 128 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 8: The maroon fronted parrot as well, which is also an 129 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 8: endangered species or is it critically endangered species? 130 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: Critically? 131 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 7: I think yeah, so very cool. 132 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 8: And when I generally get the question is it an Amazon, 133 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,160 Speaker 8: it's not an Amazon. It looks somewhat similar, but amazons 134 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 8: have that thicker body and a shorter tail. Is it 135 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,720 Speaker 8: a macaw, like a smaller macaw? And it's not a macaw? 136 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 8: You know, it kind of looks like a miniature macaw. 137 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 7: But they're their. 138 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 8: Own subspecies, right, the thick build and the maroon fronted, 139 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 8: so it makes them very unique. 140 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, and particularly I like the long tail that they have, 141 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 4: so kind of unique for that medium, smallest kind of parrot. 142 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 4: But it also makes me think of like you guys 143 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 4: know what Cooper's hawk. It's like this forest kind of hawk. 144 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 4: But they have a long tail as well for that maneuverability. 145 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 4: And I've never seen it before, but I'm sure you 146 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,919 Speaker 4: hopefully have seen it in the wild, watching these parrots 147 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 4: maneuver these pine areas in these kind of like a 148 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 4: arid got a little more rough area I would say 149 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 4: in Mexico, right, So we're talking the Sierra Madre Oxidindal. 150 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 4: It's like a mountain range we would say, like south 151 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 4: of Arizona, in between Shihuahua and where my dad's from. 152 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: Actually, so not a Mexico So it's really really unique area. 153 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 4: But have you been out there? I know, John, I 154 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 4: know you have. What about you, James, You've been out 155 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 4: there with this project. 156 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 6: Yes, I've been privileged to go there a few times, 157 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 6: and it's absolutely stunning part of the world. 158 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 4: It's Describe it, Describe it, I want to know, tell me, 159 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 4: tell me. 160 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 6: So it's officially recognized as a high Biodiversity hotspot and 161 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 6: it runs from basically the Eco tone runs from kind 162 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 6: of the Arizona, New Mexico side of things all the 163 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 6: way down into the southern states of Mexico like Durango, 164 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 6: and it comprises this chain of high elevation mountains that 165 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 6: support a wide variety of endemic species that have just 166 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 6: found there as well. And it's just absolutely stunning beautiful habitat. 167 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 6: If you ever get a chance to go down there, 168 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 6: I highly recommend it. 169 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,799 Speaker 4: That man, my name's on the list. 170 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: I really want it. 171 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,600 Speaker 7: We've tried, James. 172 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 2: You use the term biodiversity. Oh yeah, hot spot er. 173 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,359 Speaker 3: Yes, So for somebody listening who may not know what 174 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 3: those words pieced together might mean, can you explain a 175 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 3: little bit of what that means and why that's the 176 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 3: case there. 177 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 6: Yeah, So in a pine nutshell, it's there's a white 178 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 6: variety of No, there's two. I'm a dad, I'm allowed 179 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 6: to make that. So there's a wide variety of species 180 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 6: found within a relatively small area. 181 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 5: It's basically whatever it says. 182 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 6: So we've been working very hard with our partners there 183 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 6: in the grounds to trying to improve formal protections for 184 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 6: this area to ensure that it is preserved and restored 185 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 6: for future generations and to support not only the white 186 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 6: variety of species, the plants, the animals that make their 187 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 6: home there, but also the local livelihoods for the local 188 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 6: communities there as well. 189 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 4: I'm personally very connected or that, you know. I love 190 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 4: Mexico for a lot of reasons. But all the different 191 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 4: species we've helped supported from the peninsula prong horn and 192 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 4: of course the thick Bilt parrot. By the way, I'm 193 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 4: going to laugh right now because while we're talking, the 194 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 4: sun is on our face everyone who are watching the visual. 195 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: But let me describe a man this working really hard 196 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: trying to get this shade structure off. 197 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 2: You know, what I have found is you can't stop 198 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 2: the sun from doing something. 199 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: You cannot you know, there's a song in there somewhere. 200 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: Oh anyway, I digress, I digress. 201 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 4: So in case our listeners don't know, we have eight 202 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 4: conservation ups around the world. One of my personal favorites 203 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 4: is the Southwest, which encompasses these really unique species. And 204 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 4: last year was it that you got to go out 205 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 4: there to be part of this project as well? 206 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 7: Yeah? 207 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, don you guys tell me the partner. By the way, 208 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: who's the partner in Mexico we work with. 209 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 4: It's OVIS, right, OVIS, that's Organization for Wildlife Or going 210 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 4: to assume to be this invested, I think is in Spanish. 211 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: Right, that's really really cool. 212 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 4: What are we doing with them and what in particularly 213 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 4: we're trying to do to help out this bird species. 214 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 8: So James's been working with them. We've been working with 215 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,199 Speaker 8: them for about twenty five years or more now, and 216 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 8: James can speak on a lot of the work that 217 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 8: they're doing with transmitters, and he's just got a new 218 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 8: partnership to get maps so that we can see how 219 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,439 Speaker 8: the species is doing in terms of fires coming through, 220 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 8: which is really important to make sure that their habitat 221 00:08:58,640 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 8: is still okay. 222 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 7: Is coming through because we can't be there on the ground. 223 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 8: But my part when I got to go back in 224 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 8: I think it was twenty sixteen, was teaching the field 225 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 8: team how to properly handle a thick bill parrot. 226 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: And if anyone experience here, right, yeah, part yeah. 227 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 8: Yeah, And I've grown up with parrots my entire life, 228 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 8: So if anybody has seen a parrot or work with 229 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 8: a parrot, they know that they are. 230 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 7: Hard to handle. They have a harsh bite. 231 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 8: That beak is so strong, so they can crack open 232 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 8: walnuts and brazil nuts, fine nuts, like breaking through all 233 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 8: those pine cones. So trying to prevent further injuries because 234 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 8: their team was having a lot of bites and getting 235 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 8: these birds out, so that I had the opportunity to 236 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,359 Speaker 8: go out and I really enjoyed it. The team was incredible, 237 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 8: And this past year I was able to go out 238 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 8: because we started the Azia Safe thick bill parrot, which 239 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 8: became the forty six Safe Species, which that means safe 240 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 8: is saving animals from extinction and it's run through the 241 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 8: Association of Zoos and Aquarium so AZYA, and it it 242 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 8: brings together all of the AZA facilities and their field 243 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 8: partners to better protect species and save them from extinction 244 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 8: and so on that. 245 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 2: Real quick too. 246 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 3: I want people to understand zoos across the nation that 247 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 3: are part of AZA, and even outside of our nation too, 248 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 3: they all have their own partners that they work with, 249 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 3: and so the Safe program bringing everyone together is just 250 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 3: that much more powerful of an impact. That our partners 251 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 3: now also are communicating with other Zoo's partners and either 252 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 3: through the Zoo Channel or however, and that collective group 253 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 3: of all of us doing this work, sharing that information, 254 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 3: showing up together at the forefront of doing this is 255 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 3: so important. 256 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 8: So that exactly share that, Yeah, you make a much 257 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 8: bigger impact working together than you do trying to go 258 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:44,199 Speaker 8: to Loane and separately. 259 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 7: And we're lucky here. 260 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 8: You know, we have our scientists and our conservation team 261 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 8: and other facilities have that as well. So being able 262 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:55,199 Speaker 8: to bring all of us together, bring those expertise together 263 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 8: and really give this species a lot of momentum has 264 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 8: been in credibly exciting. So it officially became a safe 265 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 8: program at the end of August last year. 266 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:06,199 Speaker 7: SOW four. 267 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:10,440 Speaker 8: I'm the program leader and James here is our vice 268 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 8: program leader. But we work very collaboratively in the whole 269 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,959 Speaker 8: program with our teams. Yeah, it was lucky enough to 270 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 8: go out last year and they started for the first 271 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 8: time a intensive clutch management program. So the field teams 272 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 8: will periodically they keep track of all of the active 273 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 8: nests where they are making sure that they're safe from predators, 274 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 8: checking the nest for parasites. But they were seeing some 275 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 8: desks and clutches that were larger than three, sometimes. 276 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:40,439 Speaker 1: Larger than two. 277 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 5: Real quick. 278 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:46,560 Speaker 7: Clutch, sorry, good, good question. So that is the amount 279 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 7: of chicks in a nest. 280 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 2: It's a group of eggs. 281 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 8: So when you think of a clutch, some birds will 282 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 8: lay one clutch, meaning they lay one egg, or they 283 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,079 Speaker 8: lay two eggs, three eggs, four eggs. For thick Bills, 284 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 8: it's generally up to four war and if all of 285 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 8: those eggs fail. 286 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 7: They will lay a second clutch. 287 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 8: So it's kind of referring to how many they can 288 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 8: have in a given season. So this past year, our 289 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 8: field partners did an intense clutch management program to have 290 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,439 Speaker 8: more success and get the most success of all the 291 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 8: chicks basically surviving in a season. So what they were 292 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 8: looking for was between two different breeding sites, there were 293 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 8: six nests in each and every single day the tree 294 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 8: climbers who up those trees, they collect those chicks. 295 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,119 Speaker 4: Really high off there too, do yeah, trying to climbor 296 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 4: having little beer. Yeah, yeah, I mean, but we're doing 297 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,199 Speaker 4: this for a lot of reasons, right, James's gonna ask 298 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 4: your friend, give me some of the main things that 299 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 4: are really affecting thick Bills right now in areas in Mexico, 300 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:47,559 Speaker 4: Like what's really facing them at the moment. 301 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 6: Sure, So, as Jenna alluded, we've been partnering on this 302 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 6: program since the nineteen nineties. Yeah, and Jenna's team and 303 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 6: my team are kind of different sides of the same 304 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:01,319 Speaker 6: conservation coin, so her teamwork where the population in our 305 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 6: care an assurance population that they're breeding as well to 306 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 6: provide more birds, coordinate with zoos that have thick bills 307 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 6: throughout North America, and then take that knowledge from the 308 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 6: animals in our care and apply that to the birds 309 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 6: in the wild to improve outcomes for breeding success down 310 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 6: there as well. So we've been partnering with this Mexican 311 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 6: conservation in gia Ovis, who are just they're my heroes. 312 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 6: They just do a phenomenal work that they're biologists. They're 313 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 6: so intrepid, so devoted and dedicated to the thick bill parrot. 314 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 6: It's just inspiring and they do an incredible amount with 315 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 6: comparatively little resources. As we said, they climb these trees 316 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 6: regularly to check on the birds to do health checks, 317 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 6: applying the knowledge that gener and a team have gained 318 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 6: about how to improve breeding outcomes for the species. And 319 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 6: then when I joined this program, one of the interesting 320 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 6: things that stood out was for a species that's so charismatic, 321 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 6: so iconic, that's considered an umbrella species for this region, 322 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 6: comparatively little was known about its ecology in the wild 323 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,440 Speaker 6: because they're so hard to observe in the wild, and 324 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 6: they're so mobile, right, they're always moving. For instance, one 325 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 6: of the things that we didn't know is where do 326 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 6: these guys go in the winter. Oh yeah, right, So 327 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 6: there was like anecdotal evidence, Oh they go south, and 328 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 6: we've seen them somewhere in these southern states. Nobody had 329 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 6: any real definitive idea of where they actually spent the winter. 330 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 6: And so one of the big issues facing the conservation 331 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 6: status of the species is the habitat and it's under 332 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 6: increasing threat from wildfires, from illegal logging, drought exacerbated by 333 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 6: climate change, and as they said, they need those old 334 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 6: growth big trees to survive. Unfortunately, there's less than five 335 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 6: percent of that original old growth trees remaining. So it's 336 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 6: critical that we understand where their key habitats are and 337 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 6: then push. 338 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 5: To improve protective measures for these habitats. 339 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 6: Now it's a big challenge to preserve a habitat if 340 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 6: you've only got a vague idea where that habitat is. Right, 341 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 6: and so one of the things that I thought was 342 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 6: I could bring my background as a spatial ecologist, so 343 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 6: I study how animals and plants interact with their environment 344 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 6: through space and time. 345 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 5: Now that's really cool, thank you. 346 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 6: I apply a lot of like cutting edge technology, like 347 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 6: tracking devices, you know, satellite imagery to build a detailed 348 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 6: picture of how these animals are moving around their habitat right, 349 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 6: And so I thought, hey, let's capitalize on recent innovations 350 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 6: in wildlife tracking technologies with the shrunk these tracking transmitters 351 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 6: down to where they can be safely and ethically applied 352 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 6: to a smaller species like birds. And we've been tracking 353 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 6: birds for many decades now, and I thought, well, this 354 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 6: is a great opportunity to help us find out where 355 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 6: these birds spend their seasonal range in the winter. Right 356 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 6: using these tracking devices, I've tracked birds like the California 357 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 6: condor the Hawaiian hawk. 358 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 5: So I thought, maybe the. 359 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 6: Time is right now to apply these transmitters to the 360 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 6: thick pair. Yea, So it's an interesting story. So I 361 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 6: pitched this I dare to our partners at Ovis and 362 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 6: they said, nope, there's no way you'll keep a transmitter. 363 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 4: And I said the same thing when they brought it up. 364 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 4: I remember working down in here and they were bringing 365 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 4: this up to you, and I thought, I admittedly thought 366 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 4: the same thing, Like a parent beak there's no way, 367 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 4: no way. 368 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 6: And so I even contact the tracking device company and 369 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 6: they're representative initially refused to send the devices. She said, 370 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 6: we value you as a client. You're just going to 371 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 6: waste your money. These birds have a cannon for a face. 372 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 6: They'll just rip the device off and I. 373 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 1: Mean no doubt. 374 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 6: So I thought, well, I still think it's worth a shot. 375 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 6: So we actually had a bird come in from the 376 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 6: Living Desert Zoo, who we partner with a lot as well. 377 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 6: They had one bird, lonely bird out there. His name 378 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 6: was Sarge, and he was by himself, and they said, well, 379 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 6: San Diego Zoo, you've got a flock of parrots in 380 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 6: your care. Why don't we just try and integrate Sage 381 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 6: with your flock. I thought, hey, what a great opportunity 382 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 6: to see if we can keep a transit that are 383 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,479 Speaker 6: on a bird. So Sage had to go into quarantine 384 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 6: for a few weeks, and so he was under constant 385 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:09,400 Speaker 6: video surveillance. So I manufactured a dummy transmitter and put 386 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 6: it as a backpack on Sage and then we stitched 387 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:14,920 Speaker 6: that on and gave him like this custom backpack, and 388 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 6: then we put him out there and then him loose 389 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 6: and immediately he just totally ignored it and went started 390 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 6: to like feed his face with some nuts and berries 391 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 6: and stuff that were in this enclosure. 392 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 4: And I know, I want to think because right now 393 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 4: it's actually a National zoo Keeper Week, right, so I 394 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 4: want to give promotions to all the zoo keepers out there. 395 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: We call them wildlife care specialists. 396 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 3: Till now, fairness, when this episode comes out, Oh national 397 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 3: keeper could already have passed, already passed. 398 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 2: It's the week of July twenty first. 399 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 3: What is their third week of July every year to 400 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 3: national proclamation. 401 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 2: So yes, props to the zoo keepersers. 402 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 4: But also just to point out to our listeners, you 403 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,880 Speaker 4: know different things that zoos can do to help benefit 404 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 4: wildlife out in their natural habitats, and this is a 405 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 4: perfect example of that. 406 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 1: So that was really awesome. 407 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 5: Thank you. 408 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 3: So you had mentioned he goes into quartina, which is 409 00:17:57,720 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 3: a normal thing, and he zoo bringing in a new animal, 410 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:01,680 Speaker 3: even for another she always has that quarantine period. 411 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 2: Gave you this opportunity. You get this backpack on sarge. 412 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 3: He's like, yeah, cool, what ELVs do The other birds 413 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 3: were like, we just come from school, guy, did anybody 414 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 3: else try to pick at it or do anything. 415 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 2: Or no, no one cared. 416 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 6: I was alone initially, but yeah, otherwise they just said, hey, 417 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 6: is this jan sport? 418 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 5: This is like a really cooling. They ignored it. They 419 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 5: ignored it. 420 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,120 Speaker 3: So I know, and I'm sure all of us, we've 421 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 3: all worked with animals. Sometimes you have one animal that 422 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 3: does behavior or doesn't do behavior, or cares about something, 423 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 3: who doesn't care about something. But then you're like, okay, 424 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 3: so my test subjects showed this, Now the rest of 425 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 3: the group. Have you had any of the parents go nope, 426 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:41,680 Speaker 3: this is not staying on or everyone's just kind of 427 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 3: like everyone's good. 428 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 5: So everyone's good. Yeah. 429 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 6: So once we proved that we could do it with 430 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 6: such then our patner's and the manufacturers gave us the 431 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,640 Speaker 6: go ahead, and so we ordered a batch and then 432 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 6: we went down to Mexico and when we deployed the 433 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,520 Speaker 6: initial batch of transmitters on birds. These are very very 434 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 6: lightweight transmitters. The profile, they don't interfere with the bird's survival, 435 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,400 Speaker 6: with its flight, with its breeding, with its behavior at all, 436 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 6: and their solar powered which is amazing really. 437 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 5: Once the transmitters attached. 438 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 6: We carefully make a little custom lightweight backpack hardness for them, 439 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:15,960 Speaker 6: and then they're released, the birds just fly off. And 440 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 6: then once the birds are flying off, I can come 441 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 6: back here to my office in San Diego and download 442 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 6: the location of every bird as it's flying around in Mexico. 443 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 6: Which so it's an amazing satellite tracking technology. 444 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:29,399 Speaker 3: So this gives you then the data which was missing 445 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 3: before as to where do they go when they migrate or. 446 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 2: How far et cetera. 447 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 3: Yes, but then this also offers an opportunity to know 448 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 3: how weather patterns are going to influence behavior, fire, my 449 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 3: influence behavior humans in the area, et cetera. So how 450 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 3: many years have you been able to gather this data? 451 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 6: So we're in our fourth year of tracking now, and 452 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,199 Speaker 6: so the amazing thing is we're able to for the 453 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 6: first time quantify like when these birds leave, how they move, 454 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 6: how they moving together, are they following specific highways in 455 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 6: the sky towards their southern migration over wintering sites. Were 456 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,919 Speaker 6: able to for the first time identify and characterize the 457 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 6: dimensions of their southern overwintering habitat in the Southern States, 458 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 6: and then the timing of their return migrations back to 459 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 6: their nest sites in the northern part. 460 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 5: Of their range for the very first time, which was phenomenal. 461 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 6: And we've already used this information to strengthen the case 462 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 6: for a new protected area in some key nesting habitat. 463 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,120 Speaker 6: Based on the tracking data, we could definitively say these 464 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 6: are key important areas for the well being of the 465 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 6: wild population of the species. 466 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 5: These areas need to be preserved. 467 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 6: And that's what happened as a result of the supplied 468 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 6: conservation science, which is why we do this work. 469 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: That's so good, isn't it. 470 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 4: I Mean, I love it all different people getting to 471 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:43,959 Speaker 4: gather different walks of life. This is transcending borders, everyone 472 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 4: united to help. Just a really unique parent species. And 473 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 4: I know we said it earlier, but so our guests 474 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:52,120 Speaker 4: don't forget. This is one of our only native parent species. 475 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:54,920 Speaker 4: We had one here, right, the Carolina parakeet that lived 476 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 4: in the eastern part of the United States too early 477 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 4: nineteen hundreds unfortunately, and just spent hunted to extinct. 478 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 2: And basically, I know, I. 479 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:02,919 Speaker 4: Think feel parents having a lot of issues with that 480 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 4: as well in the past, I think for feathers and whatnot. 481 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,160 Speaker 1: But I know, Jenna, you're everyone knows you unofficially as. 482 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,959 Speaker 4: A pair of girl because you are a parent, But 483 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 4: could you, because I love your passionate about it, can 484 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 4: you tell the world like, why does it matter to 485 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 4: help out a parrot? Basically, you know, they're loud, they're messy. 486 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 4: Why why are we doing this? 487 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 7: I mean they're just beautiful. 488 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 8: I have so many reasons, but I mean environmentally, they 489 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 8: are seed dispersers, so they do benefit our native habitats. 490 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 7: When they eat, they are so messy, and if you. 491 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 8: Have them at home, you don't appreciate the mess, but 492 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 8: out in the wild that mess is very much appreciated 493 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 8: because it is what helps disperse those seeds, make new trees, 494 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 8: get new pine forests. 495 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 7: Everything that they eat they are messy at so they leave. 496 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 8: Maybe they'll eat twenty percent of it and the other 497 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 8: eighty percent ends up on the ground. But that is 498 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:58,360 Speaker 8: really benefiting our forests and rejuvenating those populations. 499 00:21:58,520 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, because you brought it up. 500 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:01,120 Speaker 4: I was and bring it up later, but you brought 501 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 4: it up already that that parents at home can be 502 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 4: really messying. Not that you and I in the past 503 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 4: try to discourage people from having parrots, but you and 504 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 4: I both have parrots. 505 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: For different reasons. 506 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, rescues. I was gonna say, I. 507 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: Wasn't looking to have a parrot in my home. 508 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 4: I mean really quickly, if you're not aware, they're really 509 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:15,680 Speaker 4: long lived animals. 510 00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:17,639 Speaker 1: So you can live like sixty to seventy years. A 511 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: friend of mine had to go with you describing it. 512 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 4: It's like having a two year old with a pair 513 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 4: of scissors in one hand and a blow horn in 514 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:23,400 Speaker 4: the other. 515 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:24,439 Speaker 1: And that means one. 516 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:27,119 Speaker 4: They're so loud and to that beak is constantly growing 517 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 4: and to really, I think, in my opinion, properly have 518 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 4: a parrot in your home. 519 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: It takes a lot, a lot of work, right. 520 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 2: Challenging your place, a whole dedicated. 521 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 4: Oh we have the same builder, by the way, but 522 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,920 Speaker 4: everyone who's listening can work, yeah, for a very very 523 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 4: long time. So not to discourage people, but this is 524 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 4: one of the big things I think, especially me, I 525 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 4: can speak to this a lot in community. It's a 526 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 4: big thing ingrained in the culture I grew up as 527 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 4: a little kid. There's always a bird in our home. 528 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 4: I hear stories of my alb w Ealita. You know, 529 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 4: we have this amazon, But in my head I cringe 530 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 4: a little bit like where'd you get the bird? It 531 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 4: reminds me for people, one, do your research regardless of 532 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 4: what animal you're going to have in your home. Right 533 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 4: And if you're really heart set on a parrot, like, 534 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:10,880 Speaker 4: find out where that animal is from. 535 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 1: Right, would you have any of the recommendation? 536 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 8: And I would say go to a rescue. Oh, that's 537 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 8: a great, go to a restume many parrots. There are 538 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 8: probably more parrots in rescues than there are left in 539 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 8: the wild. So I would say, if you are dead 540 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,679 Speaker 8: set on it, do your research and go to a rescue, 541 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 8: because there are parents that desperately need homes. 542 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:29,919 Speaker 7: Wow, rescues are at. 543 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:31,439 Speaker 3: And as well as issue where you want to encourage 544 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,159 Speaker 3: people to actually go to the location where the bird is, 545 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:35,119 Speaker 3: meet the bird. 546 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 2: Meet the facilities. 547 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 3: Sometimes people like they get a namel or something in 548 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 3: the pet store and there's no telling where that thing 549 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 3: came from and what you're supporting. 550 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:41,879 Speaker 2: But yeah, go to rescues. 551 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:44,680 Speaker 3: Absolutely, you know you're the rescued pets are always the best, 552 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:45,919 Speaker 3: whether it's dogcat. 553 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:46,360 Speaker 2: Or birds. 554 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 8: And I have all rescues, and I will say I've 555 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 8: had many, many more that I've fostered in place. 556 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 4: It's sure I've seen it, and he's got more than me. 557 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 7: You know, you never know what it is. 558 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,120 Speaker 8: It's somebody found an Amazon in their backyard being attacked 559 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,439 Speaker 8: by rave ends, or you know what. 560 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,399 Speaker 7: Every story is different and hard. 561 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 1: Is the way. 562 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 4: That's the hardest one. 563 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 8: To Yeah, and I would just say that every parent's 564 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 8: personality is different, and I let them choose who they want. 565 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 8: So it's not like this person has interests and they 566 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 8: get placed into a new home. 567 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 7: If they're with me, they get to choose. 568 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, they have personalities. 569 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 7: That's fascinating you right away. 570 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I've worked with them over the years. 571 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 3: Obviously, Marco has two. They all have their own personalities. 572 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 3: They all have that. So mentioning that you let them 573 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 3: pick who they get to go with after you've taken 574 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 3: care of them foster and whatnot, it's a great idea 575 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 3: because there is that possibility for personality conflict. 576 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 2: I've seen it at work. They'll pick and choose who 577 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 2: they liked, They'll discriminated who they want to be around. 578 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 7: The hair color. 579 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:47,119 Speaker 1: Is divorcing because of a parent. 580 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 3: So honestly, we're talking about a lot of anecdotal, silly stuff, 581 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 3: but that does play in the fact These are intelligent animals. 582 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 3: They have bonds, they create, they have personalities with the 583 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,160 Speaker 3: work that you guys are doing with a thick build parrot. 584 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 3: Is there anything else that we haven't touched on that's 585 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 3: important for this project or the species. 586 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 6: Yeah, there's plenty of conservation issues. So big one is 587 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 6: those nest cavities. 588 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 5: In the trees. 589 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:13,239 Speaker 6: There are enough of them to put it plainly. So 590 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,919 Speaker 6: what the Oversteam have been doing is they've been constructing 591 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 6: artificial nest boxes and then climbing up into the trees 592 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 6: and attaching these nest boxes to the side of the trees, 593 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 6: and then the birds will come in lay their eggs, 594 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 6: successfully fledge and then the checks of the heart, and 595 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 6: it's really successful. It not only provides a great kind 596 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,640 Speaker 6: of like nesting substrate, but also protects the nests from 597 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 6: predation by things like bobcats and so oh yeah, what 598 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 6: Jenner and I and our partners have been doing is 599 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,280 Speaker 6: enabling the Ovis team to build more of these boxes 600 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 6: through the safe program as well through some of those 601 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:48,359 Speaker 6: fantastic donations there. 602 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 1: And it is a direct effort our listeners can help 603 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 1: out right. 604 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 4: Just go to our website at San Diego zoo wilef 605 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 4: lines dot org and you can find the link out 606 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:57,919 Speaker 4: there for Thick Builds and give some parrot support. 607 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 8: Yeah, it's a thick built, safe, dedicated PA. And one 608 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 8: thing I want to add to that is, you know, 609 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 8: we've had some of our AZA partners reach out and say, 610 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 8: well what if we construct some of these with the 611 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:10,200 Speaker 8: design that you've had and send them down, which is fantastic. 612 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 8: We love that that passion, but getting them built in 613 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:18,199 Speaker 8: Mexico is actually providing jobs and it's bringing the community. 614 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:19,879 Speaker 1: Into it something we talk about it. 615 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,919 Speaker 8: Then it's creating pride within the community to be a 616 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 8: part of the project. 617 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 7: So they've really done an amazing job. 618 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:30,119 Speaker 8: It's a environmentally safe way of getting that wood, so 619 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:33,120 Speaker 8: it's not like illegal right right, And just the fact 620 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 8: that they're bringing the community in and the community is 621 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 8: helping construct those there's already a pride of the species. 622 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 8: They are the flagship species, like James said, but this 623 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 8: is just bringing it to a new level and creating 624 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:49,880 Speaker 8: much needed jobs for there. So yeah, this campaign over now, it's. 625 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:50,639 Speaker 7: Like two years. 626 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 8: So in twenty twenty four to twenty twenty five season, 627 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:56,160 Speaker 8: the goal was one hundred and twenty new nest boxes 628 00:26:56,200 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 8: to be deployed into five breeding sites, and we're getting close. 629 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 8: We're getting very close, and we're able to get fifty 630 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 8: thousand dollars grant through Azya. 631 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 7: Thank you James. He is a master grant. 632 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:12,160 Speaker 8: And we've gotten multiple other donations as well, so it's 633 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:14,440 Speaker 8: just enabling us to get more and more nests out there. 634 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:16,240 Speaker 2: This is the way our listeners can get involved. 635 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 3: Go to the website SZWA dot org, go to the 636 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 3: safe link and then find the page dedicated for thick 637 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 3: Bills and our listeners can get involved by donating, which 638 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,160 Speaker 3: goes directly then to the community there where they can 639 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 3: get paid to build these boxes. And that's what we've 640 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 3: talked about multiple times and heard multiple times. I should 641 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,399 Speaker 3: say from our guests that it's about community involvement there 642 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 3: in the location where the species lives and that's where 643 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 3: the impact really happens. 644 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 8: It's also paying for those field biologists to monitor that 645 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 8: box for two seasons as well, so it's employing that cones. 646 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 3: Then even though we might get all the boxes built 647 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 3: we need, there's still that need for that fun to 648 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:54,919 Speaker 3: then keep the monitor, to keep donating, keeping what a 649 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 3: great opportunity. 650 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 2: That's cool. 651 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 7: I already seen birds move in this. 652 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: Season, already moving it. Yeah, because that's wonderful. 653 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 8: I mean, I'm so excited about that. I think it's 654 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 8: a huge success. 655 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 5: Yea. 656 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 6: And to build on that, you know, this is not 657 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 6: only an ecologically important species, but it's also a culturally 658 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:15,199 Speaker 6: important species. More all about local capacity building to you know, 659 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:18,880 Speaker 6: encourage local engagement. There's a lot of pride from especially 660 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 6: the local hetero communities for the species, so they're all 661 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:25,159 Speaker 6: in and we're already seeing dividends. So to add a 662 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:28,120 Speaker 6: hopeful note, we've started to see a change in the 663 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 6: conservation trajectory of this species the last population census or 664 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 6: an increase of ten percent, which is just phenomenal. 665 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 1: We can say that that's right. 666 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:39,680 Speaker 7: Yes, the work is paying. 667 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:41,800 Speaker 4: And to listen to I know you get you're pumped 668 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 4: up about parrots. I know you are sitting in your 669 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 4: car listening to this. And make sure you come to 670 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 4: the Safari Park in case you're not aware we mentioned it. 671 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: But go to Condoor Ridge. 672 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 4: You go past Hagers or Australia and you're going to 673 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 4: hear them before you see them. But I recommend just 674 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 4: sitting there for a little bit and just watching them 675 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 4: because they're so animated. It's so much character. 676 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 3: It's fair to say too, with their green red color 677 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 3: in their habitat. If you walk up and you're like, okay, 678 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 3: you may not see all of them, they blend it. 679 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 2: Because they blend they spend some time because as they 680 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 2: start to move around like. 681 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 5: Oh wait, there's one, there's one that's awesome. 682 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:12,960 Speaker 2: So yeah, and yes, you'll definitely hear them before you 683 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 2: see them. 684 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 8: And right now there are six kids on habitat really 685 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 8: and they are all our offspring, so they're all siblings. 686 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: All right, It's going to get extra squawky soon. 687 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 8: We are hoping that they will get paired off and 688 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:29,040 Speaker 8: like dating game, go meet their future mate at other facilities. 689 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 8: And we're just in the beginning of the breeding season 690 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 8: right now, so we might have more chicks joining them soon. 691 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 2: Nice, very nice. 692 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: I'm excited. This is going to be very great. 693 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:39,720 Speaker 3: Well, one thing we always like to wrap up with 694 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 3: is by asking our guests, how did you get to 695 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 3: the unique spot where you are when it comes to 696 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 3: your career. Obviously, we have listeners that are maybe thinking 697 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 3: about getting into this line of work or maybe even 698 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 3: switching out completely from the career. They're into something else. 699 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 3: So Jena, let's start with you. How did you find yourself? 700 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 2: What was it? The parent queen you. 701 00:29:55,920 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 1: Call girl and that you guys, it's just so obviously. 702 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 3: You know your stuff. You know birds very well. You 703 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 3: did mention you have always had parrots in your life. 704 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 3: But so for someone who maybe doesn't have the opportunity 705 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 3: of parrots in their life, what would be the career 706 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 3: pathlet how did you find yourself here? 707 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 8: I mean in terms of other people looking for a 708 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,719 Speaker 8: career path in this field, I would say volunteer anywhere 709 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 8: and everywhere you can. There are local rehabs, rescues, research 710 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 8: going on in your local communities. 711 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 7: Look for it. We have a ton of it here. 712 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:28,600 Speaker 8: I grew up in the Ventura County area, so I 713 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 8: did a lot of working at sanctuaries and rehabbers and 714 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 8: volunteering at the zoo locally. So that's kind of how 715 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 8: I got my foot in the door. But I will 716 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 8: say it's probably. 717 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 7: From my father. 718 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 8: I mean, he grew up on a farm and he 719 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 8: grew up with lots of animals, and when I came 720 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 8: into this world, he had a double yellowheaded Amazon. When 721 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 8: I was three, he had an umbrella cockase. He brought 722 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:54,960 Speaker 8: an umbrella coxt the the pictures super cute. Yeah, always 723 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 8: parrots and lots of animals around. So I think that 724 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 8: that really barked my interest very young, and we grew 725 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 8: up in farm areas looking at owls and hawks and 726 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 8: everything around us. And then when I was a teenager, 727 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 8: I stumbled upon Alex the African gray parrot and then 728 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,240 Speaker 8: work with Tyrene Pepperberg, and I was like, oh my god, 729 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 8: they're so smart. Like like a five year old time, 730 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 8: I could not. 731 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 7: Believe how intelligent they were. 732 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 8: So from that point forward, I was like, Okay, I 733 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 8: know I want to work with animals in some capacity. 734 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:24,680 Speaker 8: I didn't know if I wanted to work with them 735 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:27,400 Speaker 8: like in the animal training field for movies and whatnot. 736 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 8: So I volunteered with a company doing that when I 737 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 8: was really young, like sixteen, and then I started volunteering. 738 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:34,920 Speaker 7: At the zoo local zoo. 739 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 8: And when I started working at a zoo and realizing 740 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 8: all the conservation work behind the scenes that was taking. 741 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:45,080 Speaker 7: Place, that's what sold me and I didn't look back. 742 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 1: I'm lucky to have you friend. Yeah, that's awesome. 743 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 5: How about you, James, So I blame Attenborough. 744 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 1: I blame him too. 745 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,720 Speaker 5: Yes, what a terrible man. Now he's a living treasure. 746 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 6: And I grew up his little boy watching David Atenburgh 747 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 6: documentary and that's how I got the bug for pursuing 748 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:05,800 Speaker 6: career in conservation. And just to build on what Jenna 749 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 6: was saying, if you are interested, and you do have 750 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 6: a passion for wildlife care and conservation, then just put 751 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 6: your hand up. Volunteer, get that experience, decide you know 752 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 6: what kind of avenues and opportunities to explore, and you'll 753 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 6: be amazed if you do do this path. Just how 754 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 6: non linear it can be, and so you can bounce 755 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 6: around from different species to different projects, doesn't matter. It 756 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 6: gives you the confidence and the experience you need to 757 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 6: make yourself more competitive for specific jobs opportunities that you 758 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 6: can grab. So yeah, just put yourself out there and 759 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 6: go for it. And it's incredibly rewarding. And if it's 760 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 6: a passion, then it's not really a job. 761 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 1: Really keep saying that, saying that, right, just find what 762 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 1: you love, make a career out of it. 763 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:47,959 Speaker 2: You're golden. 764 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:49,719 Speaker 3: I like what you said, James O too, as far 765 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 3: as being open to exploring different avenues of it. Two 766 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 3: and put your hand up for opportunity. Because we've talked 767 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 3: to so many people on this podcast. 768 00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:58,400 Speaker 2: Well I went in with this. 769 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:01,480 Speaker 3: Love for tigers, but now I'm baby birds in the 770 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 3: APC or whatever. You never know what's going to strike 771 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:06,240 Speaker 3: your fancy until you're exposed to it is. You only 772 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 3: know what you know at the time. So yeah, I 773 00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 3: love that idea, like just put your hand up and 774 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 3: keep exploring and Jenna following your passion and all that. 775 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 3: And also too, you went to the movie television world 776 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 3: side of Things and then the zoo and like, oh wait, 777 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 3: no this you know? 778 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 2: So yeah, absolutely absolutely love those stories. 779 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 5: Guys. 780 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:23,520 Speaker 2: Thank you so much. Thank you for the. 781 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 1: Work, you know, for spending time with us talking about it. 782 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:27,640 Speaker 4: And I look forward to the future to see how 783 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:29,960 Speaker 4: much more advanced we are in that conservation program with 784 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 4: thick build parrots. 785 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 1: That's awesome. 786 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:33,280 Speaker 2: Thanks guys, really appreciated, Thank you. 787 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: Thank you. 788 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 5: Man. 789 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 4: I'm so happy that was so good we contained it. 790 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:40,920 Speaker 4: I was gonna say I was going to be an hour. 791 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,080 Speaker 4: I was really restrained. I wanted was talking to. 792 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 2: One time I almost had Jenna jumped in and saved you, but. 793 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: They're so great and they inspire. 794 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:50,960 Speaker 4: So many parrots are just awesome for a lot of reasons, 795 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 4: but this particular species really hits home for me too. 796 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 3: So the one thing I really love about the thick 797 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,560 Speaker 3: build parrot. And again, I love all parrots. I've worked 798 00:33:57,560 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 3: with so many different species over the years, but just 799 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:03,000 Speaker 3: the fact that they are sort of that North American representatives, 800 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:04,800 Speaker 3: you know, in the parent world and giving us the 801 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:08,560 Speaker 3: opportunity to reflect, like, wow, they're almost gone. They are 802 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 3: gone from the United States, but thankfully we have that 803 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:13,839 Speaker 3: population in Mexico. But even they're like just holding on. 804 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:16,480 Speaker 3: So the work that's been done not only very important, 805 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,799 Speaker 3: but what a great lesson to think about how we 806 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:22,560 Speaker 3: as humans are activity impacts other species. 807 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 2: Around us in our environment. 808 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:26,000 Speaker 4: Even like the last episode we talked about human elephant 809 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 4: conflict and what issue is there, and here we're seeing 810 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:29,840 Speaker 4: a different scenario with humans and the filled parents. 811 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:31,600 Speaker 1: But you know, we can work together, we can make 812 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:32,040 Speaker 1: a difference. 813 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:34,239 Speaker 4: Right, I'm getting a little more excited story because I 814 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:37,040 Speaker 4: just realized that we're not going anywhere, but we're saying 815 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:37,880 Speaker 4: right here for the next. 816 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: Episode, Am I right? I'm right about this? 817 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:40,120 Speaker 8: Right? 818 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 1: Here, well, I mean we might move low, okay? 819 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 2: Or will we get to survive? 820 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 3: And yes, because we are talking about a bird that 821 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 3: has had a lot of challenges due to human behavior, 822 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:53,720 Speaker 3: which then humans come in and change the behavior. 823 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:55,520 Speaker 2: And I'm making a difference. Yep. 824 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 3: I could be talking about the thick bild parent or 825 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,080 Speaker 3: I could be talking about our next species. 826 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:00,359 Speaker 2: I don't know for pump. 827 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:01,880 Speaker 4: Maybe you guys have to just wait and see what 828 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 4: bird we're gonna be talking about. But we're gonna say 829 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:05,120 Speaker 4: right here at the Safari Park, and it's gonna be 830 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:06,520 Speaker 4: a great time regardless of absolutely. 831 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:12,960 Speaker 3: All right with that, Marco went and I'm Rick Schwartz. 832 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 3: Thanks for listening and for watching. For more information about 833 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:21,839 Speaker 3: the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 834 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:26,440 Speaker 3: go to SDZWA dot org. Amazing Wildlife is a production 835 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:30,960 Speaker 3: of iHeartRadio. Our supervising producers are Nikia Swinton and Dylan Fagan, 836 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,120 Speaker 3: and our sound designers are Sierra Spreen and Matt Russell. 837 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 3: For more shows from iHeartRadio, check out the iHeartRadio app, 838 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:45,200 Speaker 3: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.