[IATCB] News and updates for Spring 2026 #2

Hello Visitor,

The International Avian Trainers Certification Board and the International Animal Trainers Certification Board, IATCB, offers you a way to gain professional credibility, increase your earnings potential, and advance your career. We live in a competitive world, and animal trainers are no different than anyone else looking for advanced knowledge and skill in their profession.  IATCB endorses voluntary certification by examination for all professionals involved with animals, including trainers, educators, handlers, veterinarians, and all others involved in the care and handling of animals.

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Did you see these faces at the joint conference for ABMA and IAATE?  Three of your IATCB board members attended the conference and flew away with new friends, new ideas, and new plans for future training.  

From left to right - Nicky Plaskitt taught two cooperative care workshops with about 70 attendees!  Robin Ryan presented ‘Recovery of Deceased Alligator through Positive Reinforcement Training’ and was recognized with the Behavior Management Achievement Award for outstanding achievement in the application of behavior management techniques.  Christina Lavallee is on the ABMA Publications subcommittee and helped check-in conference attendees.  It was a great week of networking, learning, and opportunity to see past colleagues and friends.

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📢 Share Your Voice in Our Newsletter!

We’re looking for passionate, insightful, and inspiring contributions from professionals like you!  If you have a story, experience, or idea that could benefit your colleagues, we’d love to feature it in our upcoming newsletter.

Submission Guidelines:

• Articles should be 500+ words.
• Images are encouraged.
• Please attach them separately in a JPG and ensure you have permission to share.
• Submissions can be written in Word or a Google Document.

Topics may include - but aren’t limited to:

• Any of the five domains covered by the certification exam
• Species spotlights featuring animals in your care
• Training challenges or success stories
• Novel enrichment ideas
• Common mistakes and how to avoid them
• Fieldwork opportunities and experiences
• How the exam has impacted your career
• Mentoring insights
• Mental health in the workplace
• Public speaking tips and experiences
• Leadership journeys
• Interpretation and communication through programming
• Ways you’ve utilized exam content in your personal life
• Or anything else you’d like to share with your peers!

Whether you’re a season professional or just starting out, your perspective matters.  Help us build a newsletter that reflects the diversity, creativity, and dedication of our community.  Authors of submissions that are selected for our newsletter will receive 1 CEU per 500 words up to 2 CEUs total.

CEUs:

Still looking for ways to get CEUs?  We are looking for content for future exams!  One CEU is awarded for every 5 test items accepted. Test items are questions and four "answers" to the question. Only one answer should be correct, with the other three answers being distractors. Distractors should seem plausible and not obviously incorrect.

Download the Item Developers' Guide written by our testing company, PTC, for full details of item writing. Email your test items to IATCB.

Connect with us on social media! IATCB is active on Facebook and Instagram.  We share training highlights, species spotlights, funny memes, professional development opportunities and more!

IATCB Certification Grant Program

The purpose of the IATCB Certification Exam Grant is to remove financial barriers to certification for applicants volunteering or working in the field of animal/bird training who are interested in pursuing or furthering a training-related career.

IATCB will offer one bird trainer (CPBT-KA) and one animal trainer (CPAT-KA) grant per testing cycle. Please download the application form for more details. The form, when completed should be emailed to grant@iatcb.org.

This information is also on the web site, International Avian Trainers Certification Board - News (iatcb.org)

https://www.iatcb.org/newhome

Article from Past Grant Recipient:

Pregnancy in the Animal Field

By McKenna Chao, CPBT-KA

Curator of Birds at Carolina Raptor Center

Note From the Author

I wrote this article with the intention of helping other moms or soon-to-be moms feel seen and to share my perspective of a first-time mom working in this field while pregnant. I have noticed a lot of negativity on social media around pregnant people in animal care, especially when physical work becomes difficult and support from teams or management is lacking. I hope to spread awareness through my experiences about not only the physical toll, but the mental challenges that pregnancy and postpartum bring. What worked for me may not work for everyone, and every organization is different, but my goal is to offer perspective and share what helped.

Early Pregnancy

When someone first becomes pregnant, there are a wide range of physical and emotional changes that can occur. Physical symptoms such as morning sickness, fatigue, and acne can happen in the first few months of pregnancy. In addition to physical symptoms, the torrent of hormone changes can be a lot on someone’s body and can negatively impact the ability to complete normal work assignments. Increased bathroom breaks, absences, or difficulty with physical responsibilities are common, and these changes can be especially hard to explain when someone is not ready to share their pregnancy.

Emotionally, pregnancy can feel overwhelming. A pregnancy could be something that was long awaited, a surprise, or even a rainbow baby after a loss. No matter the circumstance, emotions are often heightened and may temporarily affect workplace relationships. Being mindful of changes in mood or communication can help maintain positive interactions. Building trust with coworkers early on can make it easier to receive support once the news is shared. With so many changes happening, it is important that the work environment is supportive and safe. Unfortunately, the workload in the animal care field can be especially taxing, and facilities are often short-staffed. Pregnant staff may worry about being seen as a burden on the team, while managers may feel pressure when an employee can no longer perform certain tasks. Strong leadership is key. A good manager plans and problem-solves with the team on how to divvy tasks and sets clear expectations of the shifting responsibilities. There are still useful contributions that pregnant staff members can make; some of which may not be working directly with animals, and all staff need to be open to the changes. Leaders must model a supportive mindset and ensure there is no negativity around the pregnant staff member and when responsibilities begin to shift, it’s important that everyone approaches the situation with empathy.

When work assignments change, there is often a feeling of frustration or overwhelm. Pregnant staff often see their new work assignments as some of the less reinforcing parts of their job, while teammates may need to take on extra tasks to still provide optimal care for animals. All of these feelings are normal, but it is important to have open communication to prevent resentment and burnout. No matter the relationship one staff member might have with the expecting staff member, it is important to assume the best intentions when conflicts arise. The pregnant staff member still cares deeply about the animals and team, even if their contributions look different. Pregnant staff must ensure they communicate their needs, while also staying positive about new, less reinforcing responsibilities like desk work. For everyone involved, it is important to keep in mind that these changes are temporary and not a new standard. The early stages of my pregnancy were filled with both excitement and nerves. For me, this was my rainbow baby and while I was eager to share the news, I also felt the need to wait. Holding back such happy news was a challenge. I did not want to share too early in case complications happened, even though I knew that my teammates would be supportive. Luckily, I did not experience morning sickness and wasn’t particularly sensitive to smells, so things like prepping raptor diets continued as normal. The biggest challenge I faced was the need for more restroom breaks, which was fairly easy to manage. I was able to keep my pregnancy to myself until I was ready, but once I shared the news with the team, they were genuinely excited and willing to offer support whenever needed.

During the planning process, our team created an environment that supported transparency and trust, allowing everyone to voice their concerns while maintaining a positive and light-hearted atmosphere. I shared the news of my pregnancy first with my manager, and together we discussed timelines and goals that we brought to the team when I was ready to share with them. I am fortunate to work with a very supportive team that were all excited about the news and on board with the changes that were to come.

Late pregnancy

As pregnancy progresses, physical limitations and fatigue often increase, which can lead to frustration for both the pregnant staff member and their teammates. Frustration can happen from the pregnant staff member not being able to do their typical role and frustration from teammates who feel like they are picking up perceived slack. This is why early planning is so important. When the time comes, the transition of tasks and responsibilities should be smooth (or at least smoother) compared to waiting until frustration or other emotions potentially arise. At this point in the pregnancy, brain fog can be much more noticeable. Approaching these moments of forgetfulness with grace and light-heartedness can make a huge difference. Humor can be a great tool to help a pregnant teammate find the right words they’re forgetting without putting anyone down or making a big deal about it. Light-hearted support from coworkers can also help the person with the brain fog work through it without constantly feeling embarrassed or frustrated with themselves about not being able to communicate as thoroughly as they had been able to.

Adding humor to education programs with the public and ambassador animals is helpful too. Whether a pregnant trainer or keeper is doing a program in a show setting or more formal education setting, being able to laugh at themselves is important if wording gets missed or movement is slower. The brain fog moments when talking can be relatable to audience members and make programs memorable and authentic. While training and setting up programs, it is important to acknowledge physical limitations that pregnancy can bring. Safety becomes an even higher priority late in pregnancy to ensure the safety of the trainer, baby, and animals. There are many factors to consider when doing programs, training sessions, or husbandry tasks, while pregnant. Weather conditions like hot, humid summers can be dangerous if precautions are not taken. Balance and mobility are greatly affected during pregnancy, so tasks requiring climbing onto ladders, or high places, should not be completed. Lifting heavy objects or training with large birds on the glove are tasks that may shift to different staff members. In addition, mobility is slowing the further the pregnancy gets, so training with agile animals such as free-flighted birds may need to look slightly different.

As my pregnancy progressed, the strong relationships within the team made it easier to approach challenges with humor, especially during moments of forgetfulness without leaving me feeling embarrassed. On days when I was unable to perform certain tasks, I felt that I could communicate openly without feeling like I was disappointing anyone. The team’s support also made the transition away from hands-on animal care much smoother.

It was difficult to step away from my animal responsibilities, but I collaborated with my manager to come up with creative solutions to still be involved with bird training. One example was my role as the lead trainer for a Golden Eagle, with the goal of preparing her for educational programs. As my pregnancy progressed, I started mentoring a newer trainer who did not have prior experience working with eagles. This was a great way for me to stay involved in the training progress, while gradually stepping away from my physical involvement. It was incredibly rewarding to watch both the eagle’s confidence increase and the trainer’s skills grow alongside her.

Another large responsibility of mine was overseeing our summer bird show. Since I was due in July, I needed to gradually step away from my speaking role onstage due to the physical demands of standing for long periods of time. I transitioned to releasing birds behind stage and eventually moved into a role observing the show from the audience. It was difficult to no longer be an active participant in the show but was an opportunity to see the show as a whole and come up with new ideas to try to make the biggest impact for visitor experience.

While I missed being more hands on with animal related tasks, I did come across other opportunities that were still meaningful and fulfilling. My pregnancy allowed me to continue certain tasks longer than I anticipated, but everyone’s experience is different. Pregnancy can greatly vary, so flexibility and understanding should always be prioritized.

Postpartum

Returning from parental leave should be approached with patience and understanding. While it is good to set expectations and goals, the transition back to work can be filled with mixed

emotions. There might be excitement to work with animal ambassadors again, happiness to catch up with coworkers, sadness to be away from the baby, relief to be out of the house, and overall stress as they are getting back into the swing of things. Not to mention, there is variation in sleep schedules at home as the baby grows. Hormones might also be awry, making kindness and clear communication necessary for a smooth transition back. Managers play a key role in setting the tone for a successful return and are the ones responsible for leading the support system. The team should be ready to welcome the staff member back and ensure that any retraining that may need to happen is done with patience. Open conversations about personal needs, such as pumping schedules, help establish routines, and reduce stress.

Pregnancy and having a baby have been a very exciting chapter for me and creating a supportive workplace made the experience meaningful. Working while pregnant was still enjoyable, even while navigating through the bumps in the road. When I first returned from maternity leave, blocking out time on calendars made it easier for me to balance the returning responsibilities and expectations to communicate when tasks can be completed in a day. To help with  the transition back at work, I was lucky enough to have a supportive manager who prioritizes creating a workplace that adapts with empathy, flexibility, and an open mind. My hope is that this experience encourages other facilities to provide additional support, assess protocols and create a shift in mindset around pregnancy in the animal field.

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GET CERTIFIED:

To find the list of recommended reading material go to International Avian Trainers Certification Board - Home (iatcb.org) and go to “Get Certified”

2024/25 Testing Dates

*Applications will not be accepted after 11:59pm Eastern on this date

To find the list of recommended reading material go to International Avian Trainers Certification Board - Home (iatcb.org) and click on “Get Certified”