2019 Awards and Grants
HIGH FLYER (Best Paper)
On the Fly: The Process of Redesigning an Established Raptor Center: Jason Beale, CPBT-KA & Abby Flanders, Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
BEST POSTER
Keep Calm and Carrion - Love Vultures Wherever You Are! Jacque Williamson, Brandywine Zoo
EXCELLENCE IN TRAINING
T-Perching: Meg Meyers & Robert Ng, Natural Encounters, Inc.
EXCELLENCE IN TRAINING (Runner UP)
Andean Condor Conditioning: Abraham Nicolas Posadas Rodriguez, Africam Safari
CONSERVATION GRANTS
Conserving Vultures Through Powerline Surveys, Monitoring, and Ground Truthing of Tracked Individuals: VulPro NPC Amount Granted: $5,000
Safeguarding Future of the Yellow-shouldered Amazon Parrot: Echo/World Parrot Trust Amount Granted: $5,700
EDUCATION GRANTS
AV Equipment to Enhance Raptor Educational Programming: Raptors, Inc. Amount Granted: $1,000
Triage for Raptor Mounts: New Hampshire Audubon Amount Granted: $300
What's That Smell? Activity Project: Schlitz Audubon Center Amount Granted: $405
Enhancing Education Programs: Ambassadors of Nature Amount Granted: $200
Watch for full details and update reports of these grant projects in upcoming issues of The Flyer.
2018 Awards and Grants
HIGH FLYER (Best Paper)
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: Looking Past the Labels Miguel Santos, Zoomarine Algarve
BEST POSTER
Tailoring the Messages We Share About Common Species to Save Endangered Ones: Erin Katzner, The Peregrine Fund
EXCELLENCE IN TRAINING
Highlighting Northern Carmine Bee-eaters at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Dave Miller, Disney's Animal Kingdom
ENRICHMENT OF THE YEAR
For Dedication To Enrichment That Soars Above The Rest: American Bald Eagle Foundation
CONSERVATION GRANTS
Re-introduction and Tracking of Endangered and Critically Endangered Vulture Species for Wild Population Supplementation: VulPro NPC Amount Granted: $5,700
American Kestrel Nest Box Project: Brandywine Zoo Amount Granted: $1,500
EDUCATION GRANTS
Wingspan Interactive Board Project: Schlitz Audubon Center Amount Granted: $1,922
Watch for full details and update reports of these grant projects in upcoming issues of The Flyer.
2017 Awards and Grants
HIGH FLYER (Best Paper)
Anthropomorphism and its Impact on Training: Jon Spero, African Lion Safari
BEST POSTER
Snow Penguins of Ski Dubai: Eric John Novales, Senior Penguin Trainer, and Sarah Pillay, Head Penguin Trainer
SHOW BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Bird Explosion: Miryam Sainz Tenorio, Africam Safari
INTERPRETIVE BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Rat Routine: Matt Edmonds, Wonders of Nature
ENRICHMENT OF THE YEAR
Mew Re-design for Merlin: American Bald Eagle Foundation
CONSERVATION GRANTS
The Peregrine Fund California Condor Program: Keynote Speaker Chris Parrish Amount Granted $2,500
The Peregrine Fund for East African Vulture Conservation: Amount Granted $2,500
EDUCATION GRANTS
Bird Beak Adaptations Lab: Orange Grove Magnet Middle School for the Arts (OG), Kenny Coogan Amount Granted - $570.00
What Parrots Do: An Online Library of Parrot Behavior: Korpdalen and Understandingparrots.com Stephanie Edlund Amount Granted - $400.00
Watch for full details and update reports of these grant projects in upcoming issues of The Flyer.
2016 Awards and Grants
HIGH FLYER (Best Paper)
Educating the Uninterested: How Shaping through Positive Reinforcement Changes Mindsets of Children
Kenny Coogan, Science Teacher, Orange Grove Middle Magnet School of the Arts
BEST POSTER
Zoo Guests Carrion On About Vultures!
Jenyva Turner, Lead Animal Keeper- African Rift Valley, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
SHOW BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Turtle Bay Exploration Park: Raven Doing Water Displacement.
HUSBANDRY BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Northern Carmine Bee-eater Exclusion Feed in Free-Flight Aviary.
INTERPRETIVE BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Turtle Bay Exploration Park: Color Recognition in Birds.
ENRICHMENT OF THE YEAR
Brevard Zoo Staff
CONSERVATION GRANTS
American Kestrel Nestbox Program
Brandywine Zoo/Delaware Zoological Society, Jacque Williamson
Amount Granted - $3,800.00
Conserving Southern Africa's Vultures
VulPro NPC, Kerri Wolter
Amount Granted - $2,500.00
Migratory Bird Corridor
Orange Grove Magnet Middle School for the Arts (OG), Kenny Coogan
Amount Granted - $500.00
African Vulture Action Plan
The Peregrine Fund
This grant is funded as part of IAATE’s commitment to Vulture Conservation with additional grant money that remained after 2016’s grants were funded.
Amount Granted - $4,000.00
EDUCATION GRANTS
Studying Avian Ecology in an Urban Setting
Orange Grove Magnet Middle School for the Arts (OG), Kenny Coogan
Amount Granted - $1,000.00
Providing Visitors Hands-on Learning Experiences: Enhancing Programs with Biofacts
Tracy Aviary, Helen Dishaw
Amount Granted: $250.00
Saving Raptors in Belize for the Price of a Happy Meal
Belize Raptor Center, Sarah Mann
Amount Granted: $5,170.00
Avian Education through Technological Advancements
South Carolina Aquarium, Monty Wallace
Amount Granted: $1,500.00
Watch for full details and update reports of these grant projects in upcoming issues of The Flyer.
2015 Awards and Grants
HIGH FLYER (Best Paper)
From Obstacles to Assets: Improving Programs by Rethinking Problems
Melissa Hill and Brandon Lewis – Draper Museum Raptor Experience
BEST POSTER
Gomez: The Story of a Misunderstood Turkey Vulture
Hannah G. Baker CPBT-KA and LeeAnn C. Goette CPBT-KA – Little Rock Zoo
SHOW BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
The NEI Team at Winged Encounters, led by Chris Jenkins: Flying a group of macaws to show area and back on cue about a half of a mile away.
HUSBANDRY BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Brevard Zoo: Voluntary Injection Training of Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) in a Protected Contact Environment.
INTERPRETIVE BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Columbus Zoo & Aquarium: Craven for a Cause: Nest Building & Recycling.
ENRICHMENT OF THE YEAR
Tracy Aviary Bird Show Staff
CONSERVATION GRANT
IAATE Conservation Grants are awarded to facilitate travel to conservation projects, develop education programs, fund websites and more.
KwaZulu Natal Crane Foundation - Ryne Ferguson
Wattled Crane Rearing and Release Project.
$2,450.84
Gachowk Vulture Safe Zone – Scott Mason
$5,000
Friends of the National Park Foundation – Cerita Mattison
A Post Release Study of FNPF’s Bali Starling Rehabilitation.
$1,500
EDUCATION GRANT
IAATE Education Grants are awarded to members to develop and support avian education programs within zoos and other avian facilities.
Orange Grove Magnet Middle School for the Arts - Kenny Coogan
Introducing BOP to Urban Middle School Youth through Hands on Labs.
$709.21
Point Defiance Zoological Society - Suzanne Akerman
Advancing Avian Conservation Education through Citizen Science
$1,500
Audubon Center of the North Woods
Taxidermy of Northern Owls
$600
KwaZulu Natal Crane Foundation - Ryne Ferguson
Wattled Crane Rearing and Release Education Program
$722.67
Mountsburg Raptor Centre - Sandra Davey
Binoculars for Raptor Camp
$600.00
2014 Awards and Grants
HIGH FLYER (Best Paper)
Peeping Tom – An Intimate Look into the Lives of Bald Eagles
Ryan Van Zant, - University of Oklahoma, George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center.
BEST POSTER
Modeling Scientific Investigation through The Raptor Center’s Research into the Lead Poisoning of Bald Eagles
Michael Billington, Interpretive Naturalist, The Raptor Center, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
SHOW BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Gimpy, the Moluccan Cockatoo Chained Behavior
Zoomarine – Portugal
HUSBANDRY BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Voluntary Radiographs on Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
Jenyva Turner - Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
INTERPRETIVE BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Quaker Parakeet Nest Building
Andy Hallsworth - Banham Zoo
ENRICHMENT OF THE YEAR
Holiday-Themed Interactive Enrichment Demo
Tracy Aviary Bird Show Staff
CONSERVATION GRANTS
$2,600 for video trail cams to donate to Kea Conservation Program
Jackie Bray, Cincinnati Zoo
CONSERVATION DONATION (from vulture t-shirt fund-raiser and Conservation Fund)
$1,500 to VULTURE RESCUE www.vulturerescue.org
$1,500 to VULTURE CONSERVATION PROJECT www.vulpro.com
$1,500 to VULTURE CONSERVATION FOUNDATION www.4vultures.org
$1.500 to ANDEAN CONDOR CONSERVATION www.peregrinefund.org/projects/ecuador-andean-condor
EDUCATION GRANTS
$500 for Fishing for Eagles
Jennifer Drayna, National Eagle Center
$410 for Living with the Landscape: Field trips to local state parks.
Sayako Iwanaga, Hawks Aloft, Inc.
$900US for help starting a new program, "The Fable Show."
Joel Romero Lujan, El Nido "Vida Silvestre Jesús Estudillo López A.C."
Watch for full details and update reports of these grant projects in upcoming issues of The Flyer
2013 Awards and Grants
HIGH FLYER (Best Paper)
Interactive Feedings in Large Free-flight Aviaries
Dave Miller, National Aviary
SHOW BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Macaw Fly-over
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo
HUSBANDRY BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Raven Telemetry Stationing
San Diego Zoo Global
INTERPRETIVE BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Toucan Branch-hopping Demonstration
Tracy Aviary Bird Programs Staff
ENRICHMENT BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Jeep Flight Training for Eagle
Michael Simmons, A World of Wings
ENRICHMENT DEVICE OF THE YEAR
Dog Puzzle Toys for Raptors/Corvids
Miguel Santos, ZooMarine Portugal
CONSERVATION GRANTS
$2,500 for Blue-throated Macaw Conservation Program
Joanna Eckles, World Parrot Trust
$1,000 for Monitoring Peregrine Falcon Populations in the Midwestern US
Gail Buhl
$2,300 for Mabula Ground Hornbill Conservation and Research Project
Christine Giannone
$4,183 for Handrearing of Kakapo chicks 2013
Barbara Heidenriech (on behalf of the New Zealand Department of Conservation Kakapo Recovery Team)
$2,500 for Rare Species Conservatory Foundation
Dr. Paul Reillo
EDUCATION GRANTS
$834.94 for Sky Hunters Birds of Prey iFly Project
Ellen Schneiderman and Diane Visty, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
$500.00 for Flyways: Raptor Migration
Natalie Childers, Carolina Raptor Center
For full details and update reports of these grant projects check out 2013/2014 issues of The Flyer
2012 Awards and Grants
HIGH FLYER (Best Paper)
A Scientific Look into the Visual Acuity of Raptors
Mike Billington, The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota
BEST POSTER
Enhancing the Guest Experience with Unexpected Encounters
Helen Dishaw and Stephanie Ashley, Tracy Aviary
SHOW BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Kiting on Cue
Kit Lacy, Cascades Raptor Center
HUSBANDRY BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Voluntary Nail Trim
Kenny Coogan, Aquarium of Niagara
INTERPRETIVE BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Crow Caching
Tracy Aviary Bird Programs Staff
ENRICHMENT BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR
Hiking with Hornbills
Michael Simmons, A World of Wings
ENRICHMENT DEVICE
Feather Duster
Oregon Zoo Wild Life Live Show Staff
CONSERVATION GRANTS
$2500 for World Parrot Trust
Dr. James Gilardi
$2000 for Conservation Ecology of the Globally Threatened Red-footed Falcon
Todd Katzner and Evgeny Bragin
EDUCATION GRANTS
$300 for Biofacts for the Sea and Do Shack
Kenny Coogan, Aquarium of Niagara, NY
$500.00 for Binoculars for Great Outdoors University
Kate Friedman, Tennessee Wildlife Federation
For full details and update reports of these grant projects check out 2012/2013 issues of The Flyer
2011 Awards and Grants
HIGH FLYER AWARD
The SMART Alternative to Traditional Outreach: Utilizing Technology to Create a True Multimedia Animal Experience.
Troy Paisley, Columbus Zoo
BEST POSTER (Tie)
Learning to Walk Again: Paralysis in an African Penguin
Bethany Wlaz, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Flocking with Flamingos
Katie Mixon and Christine Talleda, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR: HUSBANDRY
Voluntary foot inspection on observation platform.
Miguel Santos, Zoomarine, Portugal
BEHAVIOR OF THE YEAR: SHOW
Falcon stooping from a balloon.
Gareth Morgan, African Lion Safari, Canada
ENRICHMENT AWARD: DEVICE
Waterfowl feeder
Alaska SeaLife Center Avian Staff
CONSERVATION GRANTS
$2000 for Vulture Safe Zone, Pokhara.
Scott Mason, Himalayan Raptor Rescue, Nepal
$1000 for Gyps Vulture Restoration Project, Pakistan.
Ashley Smith, The Hawk Conservancy Trust, England
$1,000 for Loggerhead Shrike migrans Subspecies Project
Gareth Morgan, African Lion Safari, Canada
$500 for Breakfast with the Birds Program
Jeff Ewelt from the Beartooth Nature Center, Montana
$2500 for the Blue Throat Macaw Project
Joanna Eckles, World Parrot Trust
Full details and update reports of these grant projects in 2011/2012 issues of The Flyer.
