The 2020 ABMA conference will be 29 March - 2 April in BeekseBergen, the Netherlands!
Painting a Picture: Crossing Borders Between Science and Application
Beekse Bergen has cabins on site. Details on lodging are in the hotel folder.
Upload your conference photos here! **By uploading your photo(s) you agree to the ABMA photograph general disclaimer: The undersigned (the "Photographer") hereby irrevocably grants to the Animal Behavior Management Alliance (the “ABMA") full and complete permission to use the photos submitted in any ABMA publication, including, but not limited to, use and display on newsletters, illustrations, advertisements, and internet content. With the exception of the foregoing, ABMA makes no claims to ownership of the submitted photographs and ownership rights are retained by the Photographer.
Quick Links for Conference Information
Lodge maps: https://www.beeksebergen.nl/en/stay-the-night/abma-congress Most of the yellow highlighted lodges around Masai Mara and Ndebele Village are reserved for ABMA.
Lodge layout: https://www.beeksebergen.nl/en/stay-the-night/accommodations/savannah-lodge
ROOMMATES: Everyone will need a roommate for the lodges! We will be coordinating roommates for all attendees for all our assigned lodges. Everyone that registers for the conference MUST submit the following information to our roommate coordinator, Shannon College. A point of contact for each lodge will be submitted to BeekseBergen. Payment for lodges will be on one credit card only. As lodges are filled, our roommate coordinator will email the occupants of the lodge as a group so everyone can get acquainted and work out any details for arrival, departure, payment and anything else. We realize this is a very different method of coordinating lodging and we appreciate your flexibility and patience! There is a deadline to book your lodge- 4 February! Our block is being released on 5 February. If you do not submit for a roommate by the deadline and get a point of contact to book the lodge, we will try our very best to get you booked. However, if the lodges are all reserved you will not be able to stay on-site.
- Do you already know who you want to room with? Please tell us.
- Your gender and your roommate gender preference
- How many roommates you would like to have (remember the price of each lodge is determined by number of occupants- up to 6)
- How many days you need a roommate
- Your name and email
View the lodging spreadsheet to see what lodges are available and how to make a comment on the sheet of where and with whom you’d like to stay. Don’t worry- Shannon can only make changes to the google document so you can’t accidentally delete it! Each lodge that is available for our conference is listed on the left column. Below that you’ll see a helpful indicator, listing “RESERVED” for lodges that are already full, “female only” or “male only” for those with gender preferences for roommates, and “OPEN” for any lodges that are still available or have space available for roommates, and can be of any gender. Lodges that are not listed as “RESERVED” can also flex to be female or male only, we just wanted to make sure we kept the option available for any who desired. The majority of the conference will be close to Karibu Town, so you may want to keep that in mind as you select which lodge you prefer. Once you have decided which lodge you would like to say in, you make comments on the google spreadsheet to put a temporary hold on your lodge. To make a comment, make sure that you are viewing the spreadsheet in Google Sheets and are in comment mode, not just view mode as it will not allow you to enter your information. To start a new lodge, please enter your name as “Person 1.” You can do so by either clicking on the cell and typing your name over it, or right click on the cell, then select “Comment” which is often paired with a “+”, and add your name. It will only show up in comment mode at first, but Shannon will be able to access it to save the changes for you later. If you prefer to have only 2 other roommates, please indicate this by either putting a note below the Lodge Number and “open” lines, or you can edit the spaces for “Person 4-6” as saying “prefer 3”, which will indicate to others that you prefer less roommates. Please note that the cost of your stay will vary based on the number of roommates you choose to have, which may impact your final decision. All prices are listed on the spreadsheet in Euros. Once you have selected your lodge, Shannon will work on helping others to be placed with you based on similar preferences. When your lodge is full, you can coordinate with your roommates about who will be booking the lodge. The spreadsheet is mainly a guideline so we can make sure that everyone’s preferences are met and that we are tracking which lodges are already booked. This is why it’s very important to include your preferred email on the google spreadsheet as Shannon will be notifying everyone in the room to make sure the lodge is paid for. Please be sure to use the Beekse-Bergen link above (by the map) to make sure you have all of the details required for booking.
3/29: Check into lodges after 3:00pm, Evening icebreaker. **Check-in earlier than 3:00 PM on a Sunday 3/29 is NOT possible**
3/30-4/2: Presentations, Site visit of Beekse Bergen, Awards banquet evening of 4/2
4/3: Check out of lodge by 10:00am. There are no ABMA events today.
PRICING: Lodging prices do not include staying at BeekseBergen before or after the conference. This facility offers packages only, not daily rates. If you want to extend your stay at BeekseBergen before or after the conference you will need to contact them about the number of nights and number of people you’ll be staying with. The following prices are for the entire week (5 nights) for that lodge, excluding city tax € 2,20 p.p.p.n. and including service package with the beds made up, towels and a sanitary kit.
6 persons Lodges
41 Savanne Lodges > € 875 / ~USD 975 (max 6 persons) – price based on 3 persons / + € 60,00 per person extra
16 Lodges > € 875 / ~USD 975 (max 6 persons) – price based on 3 persons / + 60,00 per person extra
For the ABMA reserved lodging layouts and pictures, click here. Pricing is based on the number of occupants. Lodges can accommodate up to 6 people.
There are small kitchens in each cabin. All meals but 1 lunch and 1 dinner will be provided and are included in the full conference registration. There is a small grocery store on site and in town about 15 minutes from the facility.
AMENITIES: Details coming soon.
PARKING: The Safari Resort is a car-free park. Cars may not be parked at the Lodges, but must be parked in the Safari Resort’s central parking spaces. If you are driving to the park, you need to submit your license plate to the office prior to arrival. If the entry gate is closed (after 10pm) your license plate is your entry access.
DINING: Do you have dietary restrictions? The lodge will be happy to accommodate you! Please inform them upon check-in of your dietary needs. Don’t forget to let the ABMA know of your dietary restrictions during the online registration process.
CHECK-IN: Once you’ve paid for the lodge, the park will email you an access code for your lodge. There are no “keys” for the lodges, just a keypad with an access code. You do NOT have to go to the front desk to check in- you have your access code and can go directly to your lodge. The point person for the lodge is responsible for making sure others in your lodge have the access code! Should your code NOT work at your lodge, please call +31 (0)88 9000323 for assistance.
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We are excited to announce two keynote speakers! Dr. Joe Layng and Stephanie Arne.
Dr. Joe Layng
Introduction to the science of behavior
This presentation will introduce the audience to the application of the methods of the natural sciences to the study of behavior. We will begin with a definition of behavior, how that leads to the search for functional relations that describe an organisms relation to its environment [B=ƒ(x) under c], which leads us to the concept of consequential contingency, from which we can define reinforcement (positive and negative), punishment, and extinction. We will then carefully define other relations important to applications of the fundamental principles, such as potentiating variables, stimulus props, conditioned reinforcement, stimulus control, shaping, and schedules of reinforcement. The importance of considering alternative behaviors and contingencies to understanding complex behavior relations will also be discussed.
T. V. Joe Layng earned a Ph.D. in Behavioral Science (biopsychology) at the University of Chicago. At Chicago, working with pigeons, he investigated animal models of psychopathology, specifically the recurrence of pathological patterns (head-banging) as a function of normal behavioral processes. While at Chicago, again working with pigeons, he contributed to the discovery and characterization of the behavioral process known as contingency adduction. Joe also has extensive clinical behavior analysis experience with a focus on ambulatory schizophrenia, including the systemic as well as topical treatment of delusional speech and hallucinatory behavior. In 1971 he founded the Center for Innovative Design and Programed Instruction at Western Illinois University. A few years later Joe established a research/treatment program, the Personal Effectiveness Group, at the Institute of Psychiatry, Northwestern University Medical Center. While still in graduate school he went on in 1984 to found Enabling Technologies, a software firm that produced the first use of gamification to teach business software, as well as an array of business products and advanced 3D modeling software. In the 1990s, Joe was Director of Academic Support and then Dean at Malcolm X College in Chicago where her founded the award winning Personalized Curriculum Institute. In 1999, he co-founded Headsprout. At Headsprout, Joe led the scientific team that developed the technology that forms the basis of the company’s patented Early Reading and Reading Comprehension online reading programs, for which he was the chief architect. Joe has published over 50 articles or chapters, and a book on Signal Detection Theory for behavior analysts. He is a fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and Chair, Board of Trustees, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Stephanie Arne
Stephanie has felt a strong connection with nature. She embraces the importance of living as a part of the natural world, rather than separate from it. And she knows that sharing that connectivity is critical to protecting nature on a global scale. She’s worked with – and learned from – biologists, conservation leaders, CEOs, farmers and fisherman in Africa, Australia, Japan,
Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the United States.
As a wildlife conservation professional, she’s committed to raising awareness about the disconnect between modern society and the natural world. And she’s determined to explore and share how each of us can use our specific talents and skills to bridge that gap to make our planet a healthier place for generations to come.
Today, she is not only the host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom but also a public speaker on global efforts in conservation and sustainability. Her insight has earned her a seat on the International Union of Conservation Nature’s (IUCN), Education and Communication Commission. Recently, Stephanie became a Deep Elite Ambassador for Scubapro; named Ambassador for the Planet by the Wyland Foundation; was profiled in Dive Alert Magazine;
joined the advisory council for Ecology Project International, Alaska Sea Life Center, and became co-founder of The Creative Animal Foundation. Stephanie has become a regular on Harry Connick Jr.’s daytime show, “Harry!” and appeared on The Weather Channel, and Animal
Planet’s, “Animal Nation” with comedian, Anthony Anderson. She’s also been featured on an episode of the HGTV series “Tiny House, Big Living”, kicking off the 2017-2018 tiny house tour for the Creative Animal Foundation.
Simon Prins
Crossing the Border between Science and Application
When I started as a professional police dog handler in 1993 I was puzzled. In my country, in my police organization was no education, no serious training program and nobody used the science. I didn’t understand why the general opinion was to use coercion training. It didn’t felt good and I decided to take a journey into another direction. I was challenged by an interesting commander to work with animals on a whole different level. I started to study and was fortunate to find and work with Marian and Bob Bailey. We build a close friendship.
During my journey I met and worked with many other very talented people and amazing animals. I always focused on operations. Selected, trained and worked with these animals in operations. Bob and Marian closed for me the gap between training and science. They let me see how important science is. How science can help us animal trainers to do a better job. How this benefits the training, the life of animals, the success of operations and lifting the animal trainer from a low rank position into the rank of a specialist. Animals are playing an important role in our security systems. Trainers play an even more important role. They are capable to change the behavior of animals in a way that humans and animals help and respect each other. And trainers educate the general public and our youth to take care for our wildlife and planet.
Training 101 and Advanced Training
Anna Oblasser-Mirtl, CPDT-KA
The live training demo includes training of cooperation signals as well as the presentation of up to 20 husbandry or medical procedures, covering everything from nail clipping to voluntary blood draws on stage.
Animal training has been Anna’s passion since her early childhood. After graduating from Moorpark College in the USA, she founded the Animal Training Center in Austria in 2006. Since then, Anna has created a team of experts that specialize in a wide range of applications of animal training, including: service dog training; pet dog training and behavior consulting; wildlife education; dog bite prevention programs; zoo animal training and consulting; and teaching seminars, including chicken training workshops as well as domestic and exotic animal training and behavior management workshops for professional animal trainers. In addition to the human team that Anna put together, the Animal Training Center is also home to approximately 60 animals, including 25 species, which all play invaluable roles in the company. Anna is not only a very skilled trainer and instructor, but also a state-certified judicial expert for dogs and the author of the book and DVD “Medical Training for Dogs.”
Training 101
Part 1: Puppy Life Skills & Obedience Training
What a dog really needs to learn within its first year in order to become a reliable service dog later on. In this presentation we cover Life Skills for Puppies, a training program designed to create strong, thriving, and satisfied dogs. We also talk about our obedience-training program, which has been incredibly helpful to prepare our dogs for their future as life-changing service dogs. The live training demo includes a variety of Life Skill exercises as well as some basic and advanced obedience behaviors.
Part 2: Husbandry Training With Dogs Utilizing Cooperation Signals
Even though there has been an increase in positive reinforcement training in the dog training world, almost all medical and most husbandry procedures are still done without giving the dog a choice. Very often they are forced into stressful and painful situations, which compromises the dog’s welfare and can severely harm the individual human-dog relationship. We created a program utilizing a variety of easy-to-train cooperative behaviors that give dogs choices and control in scenarios where previously they had none. Our book (published in 2016) and our DVD (2018) have served as guides for many dog owners and trainers who want to improve their pet’s welfare. The live training demo includes training of cooperation signals as well as the presentation of up to 20 husbandry or medical procedures, covering everything from nail clipping to voluntary blood draws on stage.
Advanced Training
Part 1: Service Dog Training Focusing on Diabetic Alert Dogs
Some may say that dogs “see” the world through their noses and their extraordinary sense of smell is utilized in various well-known ways. However, there is a lesser-known application of this particular talent: Diabetic Alert Dogs. Diabetic Alert Dogs (DADs) are able to detect abnormal blood sugar levels and alert the diabetic or another person when these levels occur. For the diabetic, as well as their family, having a DAD is a life-altering experience and greatly reduces the constant fear accompanying Type 1 diabetes. As in other areas of dog training, the methods used to train DADs have not always been entirely positive. At the Animal Training Center (ATC), we sought to change this fact by developing a program that not only fully utilizes positive reinforcement methods of training and ensures a reliable alerting behavior, but that also allows the dog to truly become a happy member of the diabetic’s family. This program has been used with dogs bred and raised at the ATC, in which case training begins when the puppy is only two days old. It has also been effective, however, with dogs rescued from shelters at various ages. To date, we have successfully trained and placed 60+ DADs and have witnessed their amazing abilities, such as remote alerting. The ATC program has resulted in extraordinary partnerships that bring safety and joy to diabetics, as well as to the dogs by their sides. Our service dog program received the ABMA Behavior Management Innovation Award in 2015. The live training demo includes all training steps from smelling the target scent for the first time up to an alert with a hidden scent sample.
Part 2: Poison Avoidance Training
In various countries, poisoning of dogs has become a major concern among dog owners. Just like in rattlesnake avoidance training, a dog can be taught to gain distance or alert to food items on the ground which potentially could have been poisoned or stuffed with razor blades. While punishment-based avoidance training with shock collars is commonly used, all types of avoidance training can be successfully taught using positive techniques. At the Animal Training Center we provide a modern, reinforcement-based approach to poison-proof a dog. By teaching the dog to point out tempting treats and food items on the ground using positive methods, we avoid unwanted side effects of traditional training. The live training demo includes all steps of poison avoidance training, focusing on alerts, emergency behaviors like recalls, as well as various management opportunities.
Conservation Speaker: Angela R. Glatston, Red Panda Network
Red Panda Network has been actively protecting red pandas in Nepal for around 15 years.
The reasons why this small, elusive and relatively unfamiliar species should become the
main focus of a conservation organization are to be found in its unique taxonomy and
biology together with its conservation status and a cute appearance that makes it an
excellent choice as flagship species for its ecosystem.
Red Panda Network was the brainchild of a young American who was studying in Nepal
when he came across a red panda in the field and became aware of the plight of this species
in the wild. The focus of the organization which he established is the involvement of local
people in the protection of the environment. They are encouraged to become more
involved in the conservation of the red panda and the protection of their forests. The
approach is to employ and train local people as Forest Guardians, to help providing
alternative livelihoods that don’t involve forest exploitation, to facilitate sustainability and
to raise awareness of the importance of protecting their environment.
From the beginning, RPN has been financially supported by members of the zoo community.
Over the years this association has grown with RPN being nominated as the conservation
partner of WAZA’s Red Panda GSMP (the global captive breeding programme for red
pandas). In the USA, the SSP coordinator encourages members to support RPN activities
and, in Europe, the EEP runs its own Forest Guardian Program that has adopted and
sponsors a number of RPNs FGs.
Red Panda Network is also active in raising public awareness of the red panda both with
range states and elsewhere. One of the most successful awareness programmes is
International Red Panda Day, which is celebrated on the third Saturday of September. This
special day is celebrated by zoos as far afield as North America, Europe, Japan and
Australasia as well as by schools and other organisations in Nepal.
Well into its second decade, RPN is now growing and developing and is beginning to attract
major grants. There are exciting plans for the future and hopes of extending activities to
other range states by networking with local NGOs in those countries. All this bodes well for
the long term conservation of the red panda conservation and the protection of its forest home.
Details will be posted as they are finalized. If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact us. We look forward to seeing you in Holland!