Lara Joseph
Lara is the owner of The Animal Behavior Center, an international educational center that teaches people how to understand behavior through training exotic animals using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. She is a professional animal behavior consultant and trainer with a focus on all animals exotic.
Lara travels internationally, giving workshops, lectures, and providing online, live-streaming learning programs on behavior, training, and enrichment. Lara’s focus is on behavior and training with all species of animals whether in the home, shelter, zoo, or educational ambassador.
She sits on the advisory board for All Species Consulting, The Indonesian Parrot Project, and Nature’s Nursery, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Ohio. She is the president of the non-profit Sam, I Can Foundation, raising awareness for animals and animal organizations in need. She is a professional member of IAATE and ZAA. She has been asked to co-author and is currently working on an international manual of animal behavior and training. She is a guest lecturer in the Zoo Biology; Behavior & Diagnostics taught by Dr. Jason Crean at St. Xavier University; Chicago.
Lara has presented for a wide variety of organizations including The Philadelphia Zoo, The Ohio State University Behavior Club and Exotic Veterinary Club, Michigan State University’s animal behavior club, The University of Wisconsin’s division of exotics and wildlife medicine, The Association of Avian Veterinarians, Best Friends Animal Society, The Pet Professional Guild, The International Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Conference, The Autism Model School, and The Wheaton College division of Applied Behavior Analysis.
Dr. Jason Crean
Dr. Jason Crean is a biologist, educator, aviculturist, and international speaker and author on avian topics. As part of his work in the Department of Biological Sciences at Saint Xavier University-Chicago, he teaches coursework including “Animal Nutrition,” “Zoo Biology: Animal Nutrition, Behavior, & Diagnostics,” as well as vertebrate zoology, introductory biology and other courses he has authored himself.
Always with one foot in the realm of improving science education, Crean has been awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching by the White House and National Science Foundation, the Leadership in Science Education Prize by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Golden Apple Award, as well as recognitions from other state and national organizations.
As an avian expert, he also has consulted for a host of different scientific organizations including the Wildlife Genetics Laboratory, Chicago Zoological Society, Chicago Nature Museum, and has sat on the College Board’s National Science Advisory Panel.
After many years of educating the public about avian nutrition, enrichment and foraging, he launched Biodiversity Bird Blends in 2023, which includes a line of avian teas, foraging blends, and other natural products that are aimed at bringing birds from surviving to thriving. He currently manages his aviaries in Orlando, FL.