At some point in our lives
we have all been stamped with the title of being a “first timer.” Whether it is
your first time attending college, working at your first real job, or being a
part of a major accomplishment, there is always a first
time for everything.
This year especially has
resulted in a lot of “firsts” for me, including my first time as a speaker and
bird trainer for the World Bird Sanctuary bird shows presented at the Milwaukee County Zoo. I started off as an intern for the World Bird Sanctuary, or
WBS, during the fall after I graduated from college.
My internship taught me a
lot about handling, and caring for birds of prey, as well as all the
educational aspects. I learned a
lot, but I still wanted to learn more, so I entered into my next “first” as a trainer
for the Milwaukee County Zoo bird shows.
Clark the Bald Eagle ready for takeoff (photo: Sandra Lowe)
I fell into the role of a
trainer immediately when arriving at our bird show headquarters. There, I began establishing
relationships with all the birds.
Each bird had a different personality. So, while one method may work for one bird, that same
approach did not work for all of them.
For instance, I learned
that talking in a stern, dominant tone of voice worked well for Vader, our
black vulture, and Skinner, our turkey vulture in order for them to obey my
commands. However, Hugnin, our
white-necked raven, as well as Carmen and Trinidad, our military macaws
required a more up-beat, happy tone of voice. Along with the tone of voice, I had to have a strong,
confident demeanor with all the birds. This is because birds of prey can sense
any signs of tension or fear, which can ultimately result in a negative
response from the bird.
Clark the Bald Eagle
launching into a spectacular flight practically at eye level for the audience
(photo: Sandra Lowe)
Learning all of this
helped boost my confidence when it came to my next “first” as a speaker. However, speaking in front of crowds
was my number one fear, so learning to overcome this obstacle challenged my
confidence once again. With the
help of my coworkers, especially my supervisor Leah Tyndall, my confidence in
speaking strengthened with every practice show I did.
I received a lot of tips
that helped me along the way. One
particular tip I received was from the director of WBS, Jeff Meshach, after an
extremely embarrassing and nerve wracking practice show in front of him. I was extremely confident and full of
excitement throughout the show, until I reached the part where I needed to use
my glove, or Kalem, for the first time and to my dismay I did not have it with
me! I quickly asked for one of the
other trainers to fetch my glove as I tried miserably to form coherent
sentences.
However, once I received
the glove I began to break down even more, so much so that I asked for a moment
to recuperate. First, I heard Leah in the background yelling “It’s ok
Candice!” Then Jeff, sounding
completely surprised, encouraged me to keep going. I took a deep breath and then continued on. My voice became more confident with
every bird I presented. Once the
show was over, everyone gathered around Jeff to hear his thoughts and
recommendations. He was extremely proud of the show I presented despite the
minor hurdle I had to overcome.
The tip that Jeff gave to me was to keep speaking and remain calm no
matter what happens.
I took this encouragement
to heart, which helped fuel my confidence for my first show in front of an
audience. My first show was one of
the many great shows that I would be presenting for the remainder of the
summer.
The experience at the
Milwaukee County Zoo bird shows has helped me to overcome my fear of speaking
in ways that I can’t even fathom.
I would like to thank my boss and Director of the World Bird Sanctuary
Jeff Meshach, Supervisor Leah Tyndall, and everyone else who has supported me
for helping me overcome my fear and making this summer one to remember.
Submitted by Candice Aton,
World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer
