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OUTREACH
Education is the
Foundation’s primary focus. The Foundation improves awareness about
the needs of parrots around the world including those in captivity,
in retail situations, in the wholesale and retail pet trades, in
breeding situations, in rescue, sanctuary and welfare organizations,
and awareness of and about the birds in their indigenous locations.
The Foundation has developed a series of educational classes,
materials and lectures covering varied topics of bird care for the
interested parrot enthusiast and potential adopter. With its
national volunteer liaisons, a broader audience can be reached with
this important educational network. The Foundation educates through
a variety of mediums:
Informational Programs and the Disbursement of Educational Materials — The Foundation conducts informational programs and provides
educational materials to the public — including many retail stores
and bird clubs, veterinary practices, bird marts, shows and
conferences — through aviary tours, original and reproduced printed
educational packets, data compilations, newsletters, Web Site
information, written and e-mail correspondence, publications and
journals, and telephone support and counseling. Staff and birds
often appear at related animal awareness events, make public
appearances at venues such as Rotary Club meetings, senior care
facilities, or upon request to appear from other organizations. The
Foundation’s off-site volunteer liaisons assist nationally with
similar types of appearances providing educational literature,
informational support, and hands-on interaction with birds.
Authorship of Articles and Booklets —
The Foundation’s staff writes articles and booklets concerning bird
welfare. Many original informative articles appear in our
newsletter,
“The Front Perch™” and throughout our Web Site pages. The
Foundation’s Education Packet includes the booklet, “How to Care for
your Companion Bird”, and sells to breeders, hobbyists and other
interested persons, such as veterinary practitioners, to help
educate the public about total bird welfare. The Foundation’s
brochure, Establishing a Parrot Welfare Organization”, provides
substantial examination of this topic with information on
establishing an operating parrot welfare program/facility and
includes basic, non-legal information about becoming a 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt organization. The Foundation also provides information to
interested individuals about how to provide for their parrot’s
future when they can no longer physically provide for them in its
two brochures, “ A Lasting Tribute to a Lifetime of Love”, and
“Providing for your Companion Parrot”.
Lectures — The Foundation staff or
volunteer liaisons generally lecture on bird care and related issues
at least twice a month off premises. Foundation staff or liaisons
lecture several times weekly to numerous school visitors on site and
at the educational facility, providing tremendous resource
information to children of all ages, veterinary technicians and
interns, pre-veterinary and veterinary students, as well as to other
animal welfare organizations, hobbyists, breeders and newly
interested persons, potential adopters and the simply curious.
Symposiums and Conferences — The
Foundation hosts its “Parrots in the New Millennium” symposium which
is attended by people worldwide who are interested in learning about
parrot conservation, welfare, avicultural, veterinary, legal, estate
planning and ethical issues. In addition to the Foundation’s
symposium, some Foundation staff participates in and attends
national and international conferences and maintains affiliations
with organizations which focus on parrots and related animal
welfare, husbandry, education or veterinary topics. National
Continuing Education credits are offered at most of the Foundation’s
symposium and conference events. The Foundation holds other
educational programs, fundraisers and benefits such as the Psummer
Psittacine Pscelebration, Art Affair Extraordinaire, Kids ‘n
Kritters, and Parrots in Paradise that underscore the parrot welfare
cause. Volunteer liaisons hold local Foundation promotional and
educational events to provide this information on a national level.
Many national bird clubs request permission to use our original
material in their newsletters and provide copies of our educational
material to their members at large. Foundation founder, Julie Murad,
and/or other Foundation staff are frequently requested to present at
avicultural venues, pet store and bird club events.
Coordination with Educational Facilities — The Foundation works with local, regional and national school
districts, community colleges, veterinary technician programs and
university veterinary programs. For example, Foundation staff has
participated in the avian care segment of the exotics program to the
highly regarded certified veterinary technician programs at Colorado
Mountain College, and the Bel-Ray Technical Institute, as well as to
other national accredited animal technician programs. Foundation
staff have presented bi-annually to the Colorado Association of
Animal Control Officers and to other interested humane
organizations. Julie Murad has presented at the annual conferences
of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, and to many veterinary
school programs nationwide with an avian and exotics program on
non-medical issues often overlooked in medical practices.
Internship Programs — The Foundation
hosts on-site extended internship programs for college students,
veterinary technicians, and pre-veterinary and veterinary students.
Many persons interested in starting their own parrot care
organization, parrot pet-sitting business or adoption/rehabilitation
program are frequent visitors and interns to the Foundation aviary
and office.
Volunteer Activities — The Foundation
welcomes interested public, rescue, sanctuary, welfare
organizations, veterinarians and members to participate in hands-on
care of the aviary and the birds. The Foundation willingly provides
its materials to interested volunteers to distribute appropriately
in their local area. The Foundation developed a volunteer training
manual for training, teaching, educational and safety purposes. The
Foundation aviary hosts family fun, on-site volunteer work weekends
and picnic lunches at the aviary quarterly throughout the year.
Networking — The Foundation developed
the Veterinary Support Network that continues to increase its
membership. The Foundation continued to develop and expand the
Pfoster Home Network with local and national individuals and bird
clubs to assist with many of the Foundation’s programs. The
Foundation is working with other state animal control
departments/agencies to provide a basic understanding of the
specialized needs and care of parrots entering their facilities in
greater numbers than ever before with educational material, resource
support and transfer of birds. The Foundation has achieved strong
international awareness through its Web Site, and continues to work
internationally with other organizations sharing similar goals,
providing requested information and educational support.
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