Orangutan SSP Husbandry Workshop
August 31, 2009 - September 2, 2009
Updates
Check back here often for important workshop updates.
7/10/09
It is with great excitement that I am pleased to announce that Dr. Willie Smits will be our keynote speaker on the final evening of the 2009 Orangutan SSP Husbandry Workshop. While I am sure he needs no introduction you can see his bio below. If you have not registered for the workshop yet I would encourage you to act quickly! The late fee of $30 will take effect starting next Wednesday, July 15, 2009. If you any questions please feel free to contact me at any time.
7/9/09
Please check our newest sponsors: Orangutan Outreach & the GA Chapter of AAZK.
6/15/09
As I hope everyone is aware by now the deadline for registering for the orangutan workshop without incurring a late fee was today, June 15th, 2009. However, we are happy to announce we have decided to delay the start of a late fee until July 15th, 2009. As a result the $25 late fee has been waived, and starting on July 15th, 2009 a late fee of $30 will apply.
On a personal note I would really like to say thank you to everyone who has registered for this workshop, or who will be registering in the next few days. I know times are tough right now for everyone, no matter the size of zoo your coming from, and it has amazed me how many of you are paying for this workshop out of your own pocket and are coming on your own time. It truly is because of you and your dedication to orangutans that this workshop will be a success. I, along with everyone else here in Atlanta look forward to seeing old friends again and meeting new ones. If you have any questions about anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.
6/8/09
This is just a friendly reminder that you only have 6 more days to register for the workshop before a late fee will be attached! All workshop registrations must be received via email or post marked by Monday, June 15th, 2009. After June 15th a late fee of $25.00 will be attached to all registrations, making the workshop registration total $150.00 for just the workshop, or $165.00 if you plan on also attending the pre-workshop trip to the Georgia Aquarium.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at any time. You can email me at theitz@zooatlanta.org or Thomas.heitz@gmail.com. Additionally you can also reach me at 404-414-9178 (cell), or 404-624-5939 (work).
6/3/2009
It was brought to my attention late yesterday afternoon that there is an incorrect date on the workshop registration form. For the pre-workshop trip to the Georgia Aquarium is says it will take place on Sunday, August 31, 2009. It should say that the pre-workshop trip to the Georgia Aquarium will take place on Sunday, August 30, 2009. The dates for the pre-workshop trip and workshop are listed below for your convenience:
Sunday, August 30, 2009 - Pre-Workshop Trip/SSP Meetings
Monday, August 31, 2009 - Workshop (all day)
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 - Workshop (all day)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 - Workshop (all day)
Additionally, the website registration form has also been updated and I have attached the corrected form as well to this email.
We sincerely apologize for the mistake and hope that this does not effect the plans you may have already made for attending the workshop. Please contact me ASAP if this is going to affect your ability to attend the pre-workshop trip or for any other reason. We would like to thank Dina Bredahl for catching our mistake and again, we sincerely apologize.
6/2/2009
It is hard to believe that it is June already and with that we are approaching another important workshop deadline! After June 15, 2009 all workshop registrations will have a late fee of $25.00 attached to them. The cost for just the workshop will become $150.00 and the cost of the workshop & the pre-workshop trip to the GA Aquarium with behind the scenes tours will be $165.00. If you have any questions about the late fee, or your facility is experiencing extreme financial difficulties which may limit your ability to attend the workshop if you have to pay the late fee and you already know you will not be able to register by the deadline, please contact me for assistance.
As the workshop approaches we are still in need of presenters! If you would like a list of topics people would like to see covered at the workshop please contact me via email. Additionally in an effort to build on what has been done over the past two years we are going to add several hands on activities and demos to this year’s workshop. At this time we will most likely have a day of presentations, a day of group activities and discussions, and a day that will be a combination of the two with demonstrations and activities that will take us out into Zoo Atlanta. It will also be during this time that you will have time to explore Zoo Atlanta which will include behind the scenes tours in the following areas:
-Orangutan Holding (including training & touch screen demos)
-Gorilla Holding
-Small African Primate Holding
-Lion Holding
-Bird Management Building
-Giant Panda Holding
-Hoofstock Barn
-Rhino Barn
-Elephant Barn with a chance to feed an elephant!
And you thought you were just going to get to see our orangutan area! We want to thank everyone who is already registered and those of you who will register! With each passing day we are growing more excited for the workshop and we hope you are as well. If you are going to be unable to attend the workshop but would like to help out we are still in need of silent auction items!
5/12/09
As we head into summer its time to start getting ready for the 2009 orangutan workshop! I am delighted to let everyone know that you now have until August 2nd, 2009 to book your hotel room at the discounted workshop rate. For all those procrastinators out there I just want to remind you that a late fee will start to apply to all registrations after June 15, 2009.
For those of you who will be joining us on our pre-workshop trip to the Georgia Aquarium we are advising that you arrive on either Saturday August 29th or early in the morning on Sunday August 30th. The pre-workshop trip will take place from 1-5 pm on Sunday August 30th with shuttles beginning to leave the hotel around 12:30 pm. The workshop will run all day (8 am – 9 or 10pm) every day, August 31-Sept 2, so please don’t plan to depart before Thursday morning! If you have to leave early to get back to work we understand, however we don’t want anyone to miss a minute of this year’s workshop which will include several new activities, discussions, lectures, and presentations. As we being to finalize our schedule over the next month we will send updates out accordingly.
5/9/2009
Want to win a free registration to the workshop? Find out how you can by looking at the SSP Logo Contest page.
5/7/09
New things added to this years workshop will include activities and round table discussions related to new exhibit design, orangutan vocalizations, and training exercises.
4/21/09
We are excited to announce that the workshop will feature an in depth vet discussion featuring Dr. Rita McManamon, Dr. Sam Rivera, & Dr. Hayley Murphy. Several topics will be covered and there will also be a chance for keepers to ask questions.
Reminder: The first cut off date for registering for the hotel is May 12, 2009 to get the discounted workshop rate. It is likely that the discounted rate will be extended, however I encourage everyone to register sooner rather than later since there is no guarantee.
Presenters Needed! If you would like to present at the workshop please contact theitz@zooatlanta.org. A list of presenters and topics already being covered is also available.
We are also excited to announce that the workshop will feature products from Chandler Farm’s Great Ape Collection. These are a line of high end bath products that are not only Palm Oil Free, but Sulfate Free, and Paraben Free. Additionally, a portion of the profits go to benefit the Phelps Great Ape Foundation. You’ll also be able to meet Ronna Phelps the woman behind these products and hear her story at the workshop.
Have a good fundraising idea? A local restaurant here in Atlanta wants to help us raise funds for orangutan conservation so we are looking for a good fundraiser idea. Any help is greatly appreciated!
4/01/2009
We are glad to have STELLA neighborhood trattoria as a sponsor for the 2009 Orangutan SSP Husbandry Workshop!
2/13/2009
The "Pay Here" section of the website is now working. Please note that if you do decide to pay via paypal on the site, the cost will be $129.04. I extra $4.04 is covering the paypal service fee, and will be applied to all credit card orders. For those of you who wish to avoid this fee I would suggest you pay via check.
The "Register" section of the website was updated, including a new registration form with more information about credit card purchases.
2/9/2009
The "Travel Information" section of the workshop has been updated to include more information about Atlanta's public transportation system MARTA.
2/8/2009
More orangutan links have been added to the website. Please let us know if there are any additional links you think should be added.
2/7/2009
The website went live! Please become a member to make sure you are aware of all the latest updates!