by Fauna | Aug 13, 2013 | Blog, Workshop
About Barbara Heidenreich After receiving her degree in zoology and trying many different types of animal-related jobs, Barbara Heidenreich discovered the world of animal training… and what a wonderful discovery it was! Finally, a career where she could get to play with animals! In 1990 Barbara began training birds and staff in zoos around the country for free flight educational programs. This eventually evolved into consulting on animal training around the world. Barbara has served on the board of directors for the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators for 12 years and was honored to be the first female president of the organization. “I’ve always known animals were my calling,” Barbara Heidenreich The companion parrot community is one that is near and dear to Barbara’s heart. She has had a companion parrot, a Blue Fronted Amazon parrot named Tarah since 1987, and now has several other parrot additions to the household. Barbara has been a featured speaker on animal training on six continents, over 20 countries, and has been published in nine different languages. Barbara teaches parrot training workshops around the world and is thrilled to have had the opportunity to train thousands of companion parrots. This experience makes Barbara’s teachings truly unmatched. This hands on experience with so many different individual parrots has been invaluable to helping her provide caregivers the tools they need to have a great relationship with their parrots based on trust. Testimonial from Workshop attendee “Just wanted to drop you a note and let you know the seminar today was AWESOME! It is so different to see the training in person and then watch...
by Fauna | Mar 8, 2013 | Aquatics, Blog, Staff
Gen Katz had recently been figuring out what his future could hold. After attending Syracuse University for a year and a half, he decided to search for something that he had a true passion for. During the last semester however, there were two prominent items in his apartment, a 10 gallon freshwater aquarium and an attempted saltwater aquarium. He didn’t put much thought into the tanks at the time until he returned to NYC and had the opportunity to get a much larger aquarium. It was the beginning to a new endeavor that eventually led to a new career. Plastic decorations weren’t satisfying enough for Gen and he felt there was more that he could accomplish with an aquarium. The thought of having a saltwater aquarium was something he considered, but with no true experience it seemed too intimidating. As he started to browse YouTube videos and other online aquarists forums, he found the answer; a planted tank. From the moment Gen aquascaped his first planted aquarium, the passion for planted tanks took off. Gen has since gone through many planted tanks to find his style of aquascaping. As he began setting up tanks he decided to vlog his process throughout all the tanks. Having this video record has allowed Gen to occasionally look back at where it all began. Once Gen found Fauna he quickly became part of the family and decided to plant some roots of his own! After revamping the freshwater plant department, he soon had the store littered with small planted aquariums throughout. Within a few...
by Fauna | Dec 12, 2012 | Blog, Staff
Megan grew up in Fairfield County, CT where she immediately made a connection with the horses under her mother’s care. She began riding horses at a very young age and still manages a quick ride whenever she visits her parents. Throughout her childhood Megan grew up with her dog Abby, a black lab mix, and several cats all of which were adopted from the humane society. Being an only child, her pets were some of her best friends and she gained a deep empathy for the animals she grew up with. From Megan’s influence, her parents currently still have three dogs, three cats and three horses, while Megan has two cats of her own. Megan’s affinity for animals lead her to pursue a Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Science from Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. The summer before her senior year, she was fortunate enough to be selected for an internship at a local aquarium that she visited as a child. During her internship, Megan worked closely with both educators and aquarists and learned many important skills that peaked her interest in animal care and training. It was in the aquarist department that she learned about IMATA (International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association) and continued on to attend an Animal Training Seminar at the Annual IMATA Conference in September 2010. This seminar was an enlightening experience for her; one that she hopes to expand upon in the future. After college, she began working in the education department at The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT. At the aquarium she taught children of all ages...
by Fauna | Dec 5, 2012 | Children's Story Time, Events, Programs
Jose Rodriguez knew that he wanted a career in animal science since he was a kid growing up in the Bronx. While not exactly teeming with nature, the city did provide glimpses of urban wildlife, which actually proved to be instrumental in his upbringing and future interests. He would spend summers collecting insects, and practicing his own brand of bird-watching. Jose would go on to study Small Animal Care at DeWitt Clinton High School, in the Bronx, focusing on rodents, dog grooming and training, and fresh water aquarium maintenance and technology. This laid the groundwork for his college career. He attended Rutgers University, and majored in Conservation Ecology and Natural Resource Management, with a minor in Entomology. His coursework in entomology was especially important to him. Insect diversity is so impressive, and their sheer numbers are mind-boggling. Insects are both beautiful and unforgiving. Extremely important, yet so misunderstood and often-times feared, he felt that taking the time to study and truly understand insects was the first step towards learning to see the natural world as it should be seen; with a sense of awe, wonder, and respect. After college, Jose took advantage of a great opportunity which would allow him to make a living combining two things he loved, teaching and animals. He took a position as Director of after-school programming for various schools through a non-profit organization in New Jersey. Looking to bring something different and unique to his school’s weekly line-up of activities, Jose developed an animal care and environmental science curriculum, with the goal of exposing other inner-city children to the sciences by using animals as hands-on teaching...
