- BERG - University of Stirling Mailing Lists

Dr Daoudi to be
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 18 Nov '20

18 Nov '20

Dear BERGers and colleagues I am thrilled to let you know that Sophia Daoudi has just passed her viva voce for her thesis on mixed species groups of primates, and will soon be Dr Daoudi! She still uses her Stirling email address if you want to congratulate her personally (please do not "reply to all"!) - s.m.daoudi1(a)stir.ac.uk Thank you to Craig Roberts who was the internal examiner, and Eva Rafetseder the independent chair - as well as her two external examiners: Prof Andrew Whiten and Dr Andrew Smith. Sophia said she enjoyed the discussion! Phyllis Lee, Eoin O'Sullivan and I supervised her thesis. Like many across the globe, I shall be raising a glass to Sophia tonight! Congratulations! Hannah M. Buchanan-Smith Professor, Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG) Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland E-mail: h.m.buchanan-smith(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:h.m.buchanan-smith@stir.ac.uk> Home page: <https://rms.stir.ac.uk/converis-stirling/person/11925> https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/257464 http://marmosetcare.com/ http://www.animalconcepts.eu/247animalwelfare/ http://refiningdogcare.com/ ________________________________ The University achieved an overall 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings 2020 UK Sports University of the Year 2020 (Times Higher Good University Guide) The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

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Funded PhD on buzz-pollinating bees and flies
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 17 Nov '20

17 Nov '20

Please see attached an advert for a fully funded PhD studentship entitled "Behavioural biology of buzz-pollinating bees and flies" . The funding will be allocated via a highly competitive process including an interview stage for shortlisted candidates across the Doctoral Training Programme. The website has a more detailed description of the project, funding and selection process. https://www.iapetus2.ac.uk/studentships/behavioural-biology-of-buzz-pollina…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iapet…> Any questions to Mario Vallejo-Marin - mario.vallejo(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:mario.vallejo@stir.ac.uk> ________________________________ The University achieved an overall 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings 2020 UK Sports University of the Year 2020 (Times Higher Good University Guide) The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

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Vacancy - RA post -Evolution of Caregiving
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 12 Nov '20

12 Nov '20

This is an exciting opportunity for someone to study chimpanzees and the evolution of careging! Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences is offering a part-time, fixed-term Research Assistant position to work with Dr Sharon Kessler on a Carnegie Trust funded project ‘HumansCare: Evolution of Care-Giving for Sick People’. Please read the further particulars here: https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/work-at-stirling/list/details/?jobId=2406&jobT… The project seeks to understand how the cognitive and emotional foundations for providing care to the sick evolved in humans. It is a cross-species study of how humans and chimpanzees respond cognitively and emotionally to sickness cues in members of their own species. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are currently recruiting for someone to conduct the first half of the project in collaboration with the Budongo Research Unit (BRU), a University of St Andrews research facility based at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo. The postholder will conduct experiments in which we will measure the responses of chimpanzees when they view images of healthy and sick individuals. Training on site at Edinburgh Zoo will be provided by staff at the BRU. Depending on COVID-19 restrictions, there is the potential for this post to be extended to allow the postholder to conduct a similar study on humans. Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Sharon Kessler, email: sharon.kessler(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:sharon.kessler@stir.ac.uk>. Please read the further particulars here: https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/work-at-stirling/list/details/?jobId=2406&jobT… ________________________________ The University achieved an overall 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings 2020 UK Sports University of the Year 2020 (Times Higher Good University Guide) The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

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Fwd: Webinar Tomorrow: The Value of Nature to Our Economic Well-Being
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 10 Nov '20

10 Nov '20

Dear BERGers Possibly of interest - 2pm Wednesday 11th November, joining link below. From: Ape Alliance Coordinator <coordinator(a)4apes.com<mailto:coordinator@4apes.com>> Date: 10 November 2020 at 20:13:12 GMT To: undisclosed-recipients:; Subject: Webinar Tomorrow: The Value of Nature to Our Economic Well-Being CAUTION: This email originated from outside University of Stirling. Do not follow links or open attachments if you doubt the authenticity of the sender or the content. ________________________________ Dear Ape Allies, Below is an invitation to watch a webinar with Ralph Chami, an economist who is working on valuing nature alongside our chairman Ian Redmond. Currently the work is based on whales and elephants, but there is exciting scope to expand this thinking into other species. It will be about 40 minutes, and includes a Q&A. Suggested Readings/Podcast/Videos for the participants: Elephant article: https://www.imf.org/en/News/Podcasts/All-Podcasts/2020/09/21/Elephants<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imf.o…> Elephant Podcast: https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2020/09/how-african-elephants-fi…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imf.o…> Whale article: https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2019/12/natures-solution-to-clim…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imf.o…> Whale Podcast : https://www.imf.org/en/News/Podcasts/All-Podcasts/2019/09/15/value-of-whales<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imf.o…> Whale Movie: https://youtu.be/rYBwHnz-yZE<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%…> Abstract: The sustainability of our economic system and our own well-being are very much dependent on the sustainability of our ecosystems. For the longest time, humans have assumed that they are separate from the natural world and that nature provides infinite commodities. These two assumptions helped fuel the industrial revolution, but at the same time, resulted in the abuse of nature and in the climate crisis. We need a new paradigm, a new way of thinking which recognizes that humans are part of the natural world and that nature is a finite input into our lives and livelihood. This realization—of the value of nature—allows us to develop a framework for natural capital valuation that also directly addresses the fundamental collective action problem in environmental protection. In this webinar, I will highlight how our valuation framework uses the lessons of financial and behavioral economics to create values that individual decision makers find credible and relatable, in addition to stimulating excitement or concern that is essential to prompting action around environmental issues. I will provide examples of ecosystem services valuation which include carbon sequestration services provided by whales, non-cetaceans, and forest elephants of Africa. The values of carbon sequestration flow for individual members of these species are significant: $1.75 million per forest elephant, and an average of $2 million per whale. I will then discuss how to apply this financial framework to create markets for living forest elephants in Gabon, which will attract private sector in partnership with the public one, and help create employment opportunities for local communities. Finally, I will sketch how we can build a new economy that has a living nature at its core, which will ensure a sustainable, inclusive and nature-friendly economic growth. All the best, Iona Haines Ape Alliance Coordinator Website<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.4apes…> | Facebook<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.faceb…> | Instagram<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insta…> | Twitter<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.c…> ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The iLab would like to invite you to: The Value of Nature to Our Economic Well-Being with ICD’s Ralph Chami and Connel Fullenkamp<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscholars.…>, Professor of the Practice of Economics and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Duke University, Economics Department Wednesday, November 11 @ 2:00 PM When it's time, join your Webex meeting here. Meeting number (access code): 146 922 1003 Meeting password: zPjSEW8dB83 Join meeting<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimf.webex…> Tap to join from a mobile device (attendees only) +1-202-860-2110,,1469221003##<tel:%2B1-202-860-2110,,*01*1469221003%23%23*01*> United States Toll (Washington D.C.) +1-415-655-0002,,1469221003##<tel:%2B1-415-655-0002,,*01*1469221003%23%23*01*> United States Toll In this session ICD’s Ralph Chami and Duke’s Professor Connel Fullenkamp will share their work around how valuing and investing in the protection of nature can generate a more sustainable blue-green economy, help mitigate climate change, and realign economies toward inclusive and nature-friendly economic growth. Read the paper: On Valuing Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change: A Framework with Application to Elephants and Whales<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpapers.ss…>. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The iLab’s “Campfire Series,” a new series of events for staff to Gather, Learn and Explore. The events will feature external speakers to share enlightening ideas. Campfires are credited<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mirror…> with advancing human culture 40,000 years ago. It was how our ancestors bonded, discussed, and entertained each other. They sang, danced, and told stories around the fire—which we still do to this day. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ [Description: cid:image002.jpg@01D6B6E6.112C5660] ________________________________ The University achieved an overall 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings 2020 UK Sports University of the Year 2020 (Times Higher Good University Guide) The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

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BERGers, if you've Got It, Haunt It!
by Sarah Kraemer 03 Nov '20

03 Nov '20

Happy Halloween, BERGers! 🎃👻 (Or should we say, All Hallows Eve-olution?) We hope you and your pump-kin *selected* a fun disguise, and had a weekend filled with as many treats and as few tricks as possible. If anyone has any animal-related costumes to share with the group, please forward them along! Taxonomically-confused monsters may also apply. The world spins madly on, and today is particularly scary for all the wrong reasons. But we do have a few beacons of good news to share to light-up your lanterns this week! Scientists Have Made the First Large Coral Reef Discovery in 120 Years, and it is taller than the tallest skyscraper in New York City! "Marine scientists have discovered a coral tower in Australia's Great Barrier Reef that stands more than 500 meters (1,640 feet) tall, exceeding the height of the Empire State Building. It’s the first time in 120 years that a reef so large has been found in this famous ocean region, according to scientists at Schmidt Ocean Institute, who spotted and filmed the giant living structure. ... And as if this news wasn’t delightful enough, the vehicles used to find and explore the new reef appear to be named after characters from The Neverending Story. Beaman and her colleagues spotted the structure while onboard research vessel Falkor, and the team remotely operated a camera-carrying dive vehicle called SuBastian." -Excerpt from article https://www.vice.com/en/article/epddda/scientists-discover-coral-reef-talle…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vice.…> You can read more about this immense discovery on the Schmidt Ocean Institute's Website dedicated to the exploratory project!! https://schmidtocean.org/cruise/northern-depths-of-the-great-barrier-reef#n…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fschmidtoc…> Also, for your viewing pleasure, here is a video of some of the scientists collecting specimens of the reef!* (*please note that the sound is cut-out until roughly 2 minutes into the video, and then commentary can be heard): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnUVnNX7yrw<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtu…> A Record number of baby Olive Ridley Sea Turtles hatched in one Mexican town and traveled into the Gulf of California! This year 2,250 turtle babes made the journey, compared to the regular 1,000, and this is probably due to lessened human disturbance. "This year, an Indigenous conservation group in Sonora released a record number of sea turtle hatchlings in its community on the Sea of Cortez. And it’s probably a result of the pandemic. The group Tortugueros del Desemboque has released more than 2,250 Olive Ridley sea turtle hatchlings on the Mancha Blanca beach in the tiny seaside town El Desemboque. ... In a normal year, the group might release 1,000 hatchlings, if they're lucky, said turtle conservation group coordinator Mayra Estrella Astorga, adding that in the coming weeks even more turtles may still hatch and make their way back to the sea. ... 'This year has been one of the hardest for our community. The pandemic brought sickness and death to our people and complicated the economic situation here," she said. "And that’s why we are so happy that, in the middle of this tragedy this miracle of nature happened as a result of fewer fishing boats and tourists. But also through the efforts of the community.' " Excerpt from article: https://www.azpm.org/p/home-articles-news/2020/10/28/182961-indigenous-comm…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azpm.…> You can learn more about the mass-nesting rituals of these turtles from National Geographic, with an informative video clip found here!!: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/o/olive-ridley-sea-turt…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.natio…> After a Super Typhoon, and numerous landslides, one critically endangered primate species got their own rope bridge to Safety! 🌴🐒🐒🌴 "Hainan gibbons are the world’s most critically endangered primates. They are endemic to the Hainan island of China and only about 30 of them remain on the planet. In July 2014, when the Super Typhoon Rammasun hit Hainan Island, landslides created forest gaps up to 30m wide. This fragmented the habitat of the Gibbons forcing them to dangerously leap across the passage. To avoid accidental injuries or deaths, a team from Hong Kong constructed a canopy rope bridge across the damaged way in 2015." -Excerpt from article https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/how-a-rope-bridge-…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehi…> The team just published their findings on the effectiveness of the bridge in Nature and noted that they never recorded or observed the bridge being used by the alpha male in the group, only by females and juveniles. The alpha male preferred to rely on his long-jump skills! Click on the link ^^above^^ to enjoy a video and explanation of the Bridge project, and click the following link for the peer-reviewed article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-72641-z<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.natur…> That's all for now, BERGoblins, BERGhouls, and BERGuisers. Good fright, and Good luck this week! -Sarah and Hannah E-mail for Hannah [Professor of Psychology at Stirling; Organiser of BERG]: h.m.buchanan-smith(a)stir.ac.uk E-mail for Sarah [PhD Student at Stirling; occasional coordinator of BERG]: s.b.kraemer(a)stir.ac.uk The link to add people to the mailing list or unsubscribe to these e-mails is here: http://lists.stir.ac.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/berg<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.stir…> ________________________________ The University achieved an overall 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings 2020 UK Sports University of the Year 2020 (Times Higher Good University Guide) The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

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Fw: Saints Talk: Professor Christian Rutz
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 31 Oct '20

31 Oct '20

Professor Christian Rutz is giving a presentation on Studying wildlife responses to reduced human activity during COVID-19 lockdown. Tuesday 3rd November 5pm - please see teams link below. [https://sparc.st-andrews.ac.uk/image/uosa-email-template-images/founded-log…] [https://sparc.st-andrews.ac.uk/image/Christian_Social_Media_Email.png] We are delighted to welcome you to our next Saints Talk lecture by Professor Christian Rutz, taking place live on Tuesday 3 November at 5pm GMT via Microsoft Teams<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsparc.st-…>* Studying wildlife responses to reduced human activity during COVID-19 lockdown. Earlier this year, many countries around the world were forced to go into lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19. Brought about by the most tragic circumstances, this period of unusually reduced human mobility — which Professor Rutz’s team recently coined “anthropause” — provides an unprecedented opportunity to study human–wildlife interactions. How do animals behave when there are fewer humans out and about? Do they “reclaim” habitats they would normally avoid? Do terrestrial and marine animals respond in the same manner? In this talk, Professor Rutz will explain how the International Bio-Logging Society, which he is serving as Founding President, recently launched a global research initiative to investigate wildlife behaviour before, during and after COVID-19 lockdown. Specifically, the team is using data collected by so-called “bio-loggers” — miniature animal-attached tracking devices that record detailed information about an animal’s movements and activity patterns. The scientific insights gained during this devastating crisis will allow us to develop innovative strategies for sharing space on this increasingly crowded planet, with benefits for both wildlife and humans. We hope that to see you on Tuesday at the online event. With best wishes [https://sparc.st-andrews.ac.uk/image/signatures/Robert-Signature-100pxl.png] Robert Fleming Director of Development *Please note you can join a Teams event, whether or not you have a Teams account. [http://sparc.st-andrews.ac.uk/smtp.mailopen?id=10944101] ________________________________ The University achieved an overall 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings 2020 UK Sports University of the Year 2020 (Times Higher Good University Guide) The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

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A Little BERG Update, & a Call for More
by Sarah Kraemer 01 Oct '20

01 Oct '20

Dear BERGers, A new semester is upon us, and we persist. We soldier on. We will not go gentle into that good night. As we say in America, We Keep on Truckin'. Perhaps in Scotland it might be, "Keep on Lorrying," but that sounds too much like "Keep on Worrying", which nobody needs any reminders to do. BERG as a group is adjusting to this strange new world, the same way its members are individually adjusting. We want to check-in with you before we proceed with any meetings this semester! So, if any BERG members would like to share any ideas for meetings, inspirations, stories from their summers, or general words of encouragement, [better than these recycled old phrases] please e-mail them to us! Now is a unique time to be in Academia-- we stand at the crossroads of science and politics, and we are equally scared and hopeful for the future. That is okay. That is to be expected. Normalise it! Time for some Positive News in the Animal Kingdom BERGers, We want to know what you know! What have you/ your labmates been working on, what are your collaborators publishing, etc. In the meantime, here are some intriguing findings from around the world in the animal kingdom. Male Flamboyant Cuttlefish mostly pretend to be rocks all day long, but when they get to courting the ladies, it is a sight to behold. In a new article for Science News, Hanlon & McManus (2020) described studying the courtship displays of these colourful creatures: 'After spotting a female in the distance, a male will flaunt bright colors and undulate their mantle stripes in a move called “the passing cloud.” Researchers also observed two types of gestures during this colorful routine: arm waving (reminiscent of a human bowing) and kissing (a tap on the female’s arm with his arms). “These displays are really elaborate and dynamic,” says Hanlon. “And they’re comparable to what some of the most sophisticated birds do and even some primates.”' -Quote from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/flamboyant-cuttlefish-video-mating-defe… Published paper in Science Direct: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022098120300642 Watch a video of their flashy flirtations here!! You will not be disappointed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AwFr5lmhcw African Grey Parrots are just as fed up as you are, and they have some choice words to share. In an amusing news story for the BBC, Chief executive Steve Nichols the of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Park described how five of their African grey parrots would cuss at guests, and then feed off of the energies of guests, whose reactions they took as encouragement to continue swearing. The parrots "swear to trigger reaction or a response" so if people look shocked or laugh, it just encourages them to do it more, he said. "With the five, one would swear and another would laugh and that would carry on," he said. -Quote from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-54340425 In a further interview for The Guardian, Steve went on: The parrots – named Billy, Elsie, Eric, Jade and Tyson – joined Lincolnshire Wildlife<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/wildlife> Park’s colony of 200 grey parrots in August. But soon after, they started encouraging each other to swear. “We saw it very quickly – we are quite used to parrots swearing but we’ve never had five at the same time,” Steve Nichols, CEO of the wildlife park, told PA. “Most parrots clam up outside, but for some reason these five relish it.” Now the parrots are in quarantine together, in the hopes that they don't distribute their naughty behaviours to the other grey parrots at the park. Lincolnshire already had a famous parrot, "Chico", who can sing Beyonce's "If I were a Boy." Click here to enjoy an interview with the Steve Nichols who not only manages Chico's singing talents, but also shares why the wildlife park has so many parrots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ04mXbCgC4 One Hundred and Ten Pilot Whales have been Rescued from a recent mass stranding in Australia-- the largest on record. The Guardian has been covering the mass stranding of the whales since last week, when they were discovered. 'Some 270 long-finned pilot whales were discovered stranded on sandbars on Monday morning and another 200 were found dead further inside the harbour two days later. The stranding surpasses a beaching event in 1996 involving about 320 pilot whales in Western Australia. [Incident Controller Robert] Buck praised rescuers for their tireless work in icy waters and rough weather.' -Quote from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/27/tasmania-rescuers-guide… You can follow along with the story, and listen to a short 30-minute podcast on the rescue missions HERE: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2020/sep/28/inside-the-res… A Whale of a Tale... The Grey Parrots' Regale... And the Seductive Displays of the Cuttlefish Male! [While the female awaits to judge pass-or-fail ✔️] We hope that these stories give YOU hope to prevail. Stay Safe and Sane out there, BERGers, and we are eager to receive any updates and/or ideas you might have to share with us, on a rolling basis. -Sarah and Hannah E-mail for Hannah [Professor of Psychology at Stirling; Organiser of BERG]: h.m.buchanan-smith(a)stir.ac.uk E-mail for Sarah [PhD Student at Stirling; occasional coordinator of BERG]: s.b.kraemer(a)stir.ac.uk The link to add people to the mailing list or unsubscribe to these e-mails is here: http://lists.stir.ac.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/berg ________________________________ The University achieved an overall 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings 2020 UK Sports University of the Year 2020 (Times Higher Good University Guide) The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

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New Platform Launched
by Mark Kingston Jones 20 Jun '20

20 Jun '20

Dear all, I really missed the Wednesday meeting yesterday, but I hope you are all well! I just wanted to share something we have just launched as it might be of interest to some of you, plus it might make a unique last minute Father’s Day gift! After the amazing feedback we received from the funders of our recent work at Lakeview Monkey Sanctuary, it was suggested we should take it further and allow people to contribute monthly. So that is exactly what we are doing with a Patreon account, where each month we will use the subscription to build a new feeder, new enclosure furniture, or do a whole enclosure renovation, for different animals at different locations, in order to progress our mission of assisting keepers to continually improve the lives of animals at zoos and sanctuaries. It will mean we can prototype devices and conduct builds that may not be suitable for our Team Building events, and we will be creating our very own Team who will share in the highs and lows of developing enrichment! In exchange our Team Members will get exclusive videos of the process, and of course the results, to provide that genuine feel good factor as they see what they have made possible! As an extra bonus, our first 15 subscribers will receive an exclusive invite to a private Open Day at Lakeview Monkey Sanctuary (in Ascot) to see first-hand the work they have funded at this private facility. To find out more or just to see our new design for Kinkajous we used to kick things off, visit: https://www.patreon.com/TeamBuildingwithBITE Any help spreading the word would be sincerely appreciated and if anyone is interested I also have an idea for a new ‘Institutional’ tier, which might be useful for those teaching students about enrichment and welfare. Many thanks and best wishes, Mark Mark Kingston Jones, Co-Founder - Team Building with BITE Workshop Coordinator - The Shape of Enrichment www.teambuildingwithbite.com 2nd highest rated provider two years running on Coursecheck for 2015 and 2016, and highest rated for 2017 and 2018. Vanarama Customer Service Hero 2017! See our latest reviews from course and workshop participants at: http://www.coursecheck.com/provider/39/team-building-with-bite

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Our new enrichment platform
by Mark Kingston Jones 18 Jun '20

18 Jun '20

Dear all, I really missed the Wednesday meeting yesterday, but I hope you are all well! I just wanted to share something we have just launched as it might be of interest to some of you, plus it might make a unique last minute Father’s Day gift! After the amazing feedback we received from the funders of our recent work at Lakeview Monkey Sanctuary, it was suggested we should take it further and allow people to contribute monthly. So that is exactly what we are doing with a Patreon account, where each month we will use the subscription to build a new feeder, new enclosure furniture, or do a whole enclosure renovation, for different animals at different locations, in order to progress our mission of assisting keepers to continually improve the lives of animals at zoos and sanctuaries. It will mean we can prototype devices and conduct builds that may not be suitable for our Team Building events, and we will be creating our very own Team who will share in the highs and lows of developing enrichment! In exchange our Team Members will get exclusive videos of the process, and of course the results, to provide that genuine feel good factor as they see what they have made possible! As an extra bonus, our first 15 subscribers will receive an exclusive invite to a private Open Day at Lakeview Monkey Sanctuary (in Ascot) to see first-hand the work they have funded at this private facility. To find out more or just to see our new design for Kinkajous we used to kick things off, visit: https://www.patreon.com/TeamBuildingwithBITE Any help spreading the word would be sincerely appreciated and if anyone is interested I also have an idea for a new ‘Institutional’ tier, which might be useful for those teaching students about enrichment and welfare. Many thanks and best wishes, Mark Sent from my iPhone

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Animal connections survey
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 15 Jun '20

15 Jun '20

Dear BERGers Some of you may remember Alaina Marci from Discovery and Learning at Edinburgh Zoo. She is now a PhD student in Queens University Belfast and would really appreciate your help with this ~15 minute survey....[cid:43c21655-5875-44af-a05e-dc94f1c36e6f] https://qubpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cSWLJKQKcchXjk9 ________________________________ The University achieved an overall 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings 2020 UK Sports University of the Year 2020 (Times Higher Good University Guide) The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

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