The TEC Talk Podcast: Presented by Natural Encounters, Inc.

TEC Talk JUMP SCARE: Dave Okapi and the Mystery of the Haunted Hotel (Live from the 2026 ABMA/IAATE Joint Conference in Cincinnati, OH)

As a treat for anyone who's kept their subscription to the show alive, Chris and Ari are proud to present a very special episode of the TEC Talk Podcast! Your hosts wer

Episode 300: Follow Your Bliss (with everyone, including your Mom)

In this super secret, extra special bonus episode (actually episode 281, but Chris needed a good round number to end on), Ari rallied as many of Chris’s colleagues, frien

Episode 280: Thank You All For Everything (featuring EVERYONE!)

This is it, the last official episode of the NEI TEC Talk Podcast (at least for now)! With Chris headed off to his new position as Executive Director of the Virginia Zoo,

Episode 279: Big Changes in TEC Land (with Dr Grey Stafford, Zoo Logic)

Some announcements are so big that you have to bring in another podcast to help make them. Chris and Ari join Dr Grey Stafford on his incredible show, Zoo Logic, to tal

Episode 278: Kids These Days Say The Darndest Things (with Michael Van Horne, Natural Encounters, Inc.)

Ari sits down with NEI's own Michael Van Horne this week to chat about what it's like being a young person in the field. Michael talks about his time at college and his p

Episode 277: All Animals Can Speak, We Just Need to Learn to Listen (with Sarah Bonser-Blake, Wild Welfare)

Ari and Chris are joined by their first guest who's had David Attenborough attend their graduation (at least as far as we know): Sarah Bonser-Blake, Animal Welfare Field

Episode 276: The Art and Science of Outcome-Based Animal Welfare (with Jessica Sheftel, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

Ari and Chris continue their journey of collecting more amazing people from around the professional animal care world to add to the "NEEU" (Natural Encounters Expanded Un

Episode 275: Fly-Aways, Swim-Offs, and Reboots (with Ryne Ferguson and Ayrton King, Animal Talk Podcast)

Ari and Chris are absolutely chuffed to be joined by two amazing gentlemen from South Africa, Ryne Ferguson and Ayrton King, co-hosts of the rebooted Animal Talk Podcast!

Episode 274: Let's Hope They All Talk About This Over Dinner Tonight (with The Reptile Department of The St Augustine Alligator Farm)

With Chris out of commission after being a pressure washing hero at work and mayyyyybe overdoing it a bit, Ari takes the helm and is joined by Dan Carvalho, Lydia Dresel,

Episode 273: I Guess I'm Gonna Do Fish Stuff (with Melissa Paynter, Georgia Aquarium)

You KNOW we love talking about training animals that people don't always think of when they think about animal training, so we are thrilled to welcome Melissa Paynter to

Episode 272: If You Want Them To Care, They First Have To Know You Care (with Dan Blair)

Chris and Ari are thrilled to be joined on the show by NEI Alumnus Dan Blair! Dan catches us up on his current zoo role as Curator of Birds, and shares his thoughts on th

Episode 271: Happy Jamón Day! (with the Bird and Mammal Team, St. Augustine Alligator Farm)

Are SEVEN people too many to have on a podcast?? Not when it's the Bird and Mammal Team from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm! Chris and Ari are joined by Hannah Caster,

Episode 270: The Portal, The Tube, and The Assisted Lift (with Anaka Nazareth, National Aquarium)

Chris and Ari are joined by fellow training enthusiast Anaka Nazareth, Behavioral Husbandry Coordinator at the National Aquarium! Anaka shares the path that took her from

Episode 269: The "Ponies, Sparkles, and Rainbows" Side of HR (with Dr Taylor Gilley, Houston Zoo)

Chris is joined by NEI's new (but also not really new) Director of Staff Development, Training, and Shows - Ari Bailey - to welcomes Dr Taylor Gilley back to the show! Ta

Episode 268: A Podcast About A Podcast (Radical Candor's "Leading Through Chaos With Stephanie Chung")

In another in our series of podcasts about other podcasts, Ari and Chris share their thoughts on a recent episode of the Radical Candor podcast with Kim Scott, featuring

Episode 267: Observe, Interpret, Improve (with Joey Golden, Maryland Zoo)

Ari and Chris are back together and excited to be joined by Joey Golden, Curator of Animal Behavior Programs at Maryland Zoo! Chris and Joey both attended the recent ABMA

Episode 266: Pursue Your Calling! (with Scott Trauger, Supervisor Emeritus, Natural Encounters, Inc.)

While Chris is away at the International Symposium for Zoo Animal Welfare in Chicago, Ari is hosting solo—but she’s not alone! She’s joined by former (but also still curr

Episode 265: Using Communities to Create Opportunities

Ari catches us up on her time at Croc School before our hosts tackle an email asking for ideas about how to create opportunities in the professional animal care field for

Episode 264: What Does It Mean To "Prioritize Training"? (Live from the 2025 ABMA Annual Conference)

Ari Bailey is busy doing cool reptile stuff at Croc School at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, so Chris takes the opportunity to share the audio from his presentation, "

Episode 263: Zen and the Art of Networking (Live from the 2025 ABMA Annual Conference Zoo Day)

Chris is LIVE from Zoo Day at the 2025 ABMA Annual Conference in Galveston, Texas! Whilst wandering the grounds of our host facility, Moody Gardens, we chat with Chase Al