ACTION PLAN 2003-2006

Steering Committee

Chair: Kim Smith, Curator of Birds, Milwaukee County Zoo

10001 West Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226

Phone: (414) 256-5457; e-mail: ksmith@milwcnty.com

Term : Fall 2002 – Fall 2005

Vice-Chair : Joe Barkowski, Curator of Birds, Sedgwick County Zoo

5555 W. Zoo Boulevard, Wichita, KS 67212

Phone: (316) 942-2212 ext. 235; e-mail: jcbski@aol.com

Term: Fall 2001 – Fall 2004

Secretary : Robert Webster, Curator of Birds, Toledo Zoo

P.O. Box 4010, Toledo, OH 43609

Phone: (419)389-6403; e-mail: Robert.Webster@toledozoo.org

Term : Fall 2003 – Fall 2006

Finance Chair: James Mejeur, Avian Zoological Manager, Disney’s Animal Kingdom

P.O. Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Phone: (407) 938-2871; e-mail: james.h.mejeur@disney.com

Term : Fall 2002 – Fall 2005

Steering Committee

Aliza Baltz, Curator of Birds, Philadelphia Zoo

3400 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104-1196

Phone: (215)243-5368; e-mail: aliza.baltz@phillyzoo.org

Term: Fall 2003 – Fall 2006

Susie Kasielke, Curator of Birds, Los Angeles Zoo

5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Phone: (323)644-4745; e-mail: skasielke@aol.com

Term : Fall 2002 – Fall 2004

Jeff Sailor, Curator of Birds, Miami Metrozoo

12400 SW 152^nd Street, Miami, FL 33177-1402

Phone: (305) 251-0400 X 251; email: jsailer@miamidade.gov

Term: Fall 2003 – Fall 2006

Tim Snyder, Curator of Birds, Birmingham Zoo

2630 Cahaba Road, Birmingham, AL 35223

Phone: (205)879-0409; e-mail: tsnyder@birminghamzoo.com

Term: Fall 2002 – Fall 2005

Martin Vince, Assistant Curator of Birds, Riverbanks Zoo

P.O. Box 1060, Columbia, SC 29202

Phone: (803)779-8717 ext. 1159; e-mail: mvince@riverbanks.org

Term: Fall 2003 – Fall 2006

Steering Committee Appointed Positions

Treasurer: Patty McGill, Curator of Birds, Brookfield Zoo

3300 Golf Rd., Brookfield, IL 60513

Phone: (708)485-0263 ext. 470; e-mail: pamcgill@brookfieldzoo.org

Avian TAG Chair: Sherry Branch, Curator of Birds, Sea World Orlando

7007 Sea World Drive, Orlando, FL 32821

Phone: (407)351-3600; e-mail: sherry.branch@seaworld.com

AZA Liaison: Ruth Allard, Conservation Biologist, AZA

8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 710, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Phone : (301) 562-0777 ext. 239 ; e-mail : rallard@aza.org

AOU Liaison: Megan Ross, Curator of Birds, Lincoln Park Zoo

2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614

Phone: (312)742-7925; e-mail: mross@lpzoo.com

AAZK Liaison: Kevin Shelton, Senior Biologist, The Florida Aquarium

701 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602-5614

Phone: (813) 273-4000; e-mail: kshelton@flaquarium.org

Marketing/PR Advisor: Kelly McGrath, Director of Public Relations, Lincoln Park Zoo

2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614

Phone: (312)742-7925; e-mail: kmcgrath@lpzoo.com

Steering Committee Task Forces, and Internal Committees:

Animal Welfare Sub-Committee:

Chair: Ken Reininger, Curator of Birds, North Carolina Zoo

4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27203

Phone: (336)879-7605; e-mail: ken.reininger@ncmail.net

ASAG Action Plan

GOAL: Provide support and encouragement to all Avian Taxonomic Advisory Groups

Goal Categories	Action Steps and Deadlines	Point Person
Encourage completion and regular updating of TAG Regional Collection Plans	Develop a generic decision tree for use in RCP planning. Deadline: Fall 2004 Develop suggested formats for the RCP and action plan and provide examples. Deadline: Fall 2004	Sherry Branch/ Avian TAG chairs Chris Sheppard
Encourage avian TAGs and SSPs to provide position statements and husbandry guidelines for their species that compliment/address animal welfare standards.	Ask TAG chairs to identify a list of species that need husbandry manuals. Deadline: Create templates and formats for recording and collecting critical information. Motivate bird managers in using the templates for gathering information. Deadline:
Assist TAGs having difficulty meeting goals and RCP deadlines.	Identify TAGs that have fallen behind schedule in creating or updating RCPs in a timely manner. Initiate contact with the respective chairs and offer support and assistance. Offer a facilitator from a TAG with an approved RCP to assist. Deadline:	Ruth Allard Sherry Branch
Organize, disseminate and archive avian husbandry and management information.	Utilize ASAG members who have ready access to new research and other relevant information and develop a way to disseminate this information to all ASAG members Deadline: Identify and form linkages with external information sources (academics, field biologists, etc.) to make them more accessible to ASAG members. Deadline:	Sherry Branch, Ken Reininger, TAG Chairs
Encourage TAGs and SSPs to propose workshop topics and paper session topics at AZA and other avian-oriented conferences.	Identify priority husbandry and management topics and propose for ASAG workshop topics Deadline:
Encourage Avian TAGs to participate in TAG Fair at the AZA National Conference	Distribute TAG Fair information prior to National conference and encourage TAGs to participate. Deadline: ongoing
Assist Avian TAGs with identifying appropriate CAPs that affect their taxa and establishing a dialog with those CAPs.	Identify TAGs that do not have CAP liaisons and assist them with establishing contact. Deadline:

GOAL: Encourage and facilitate communication within the avian community. This community includes zoos and aquariums (national and international), private avian managers, biologists and pertinent governmental agencies, as well as related conservation and academic organizations

Goal Categories	Action Steps and Deadlines	Point Person
Maintain a membership listserv for avian managers.	Maintain list serve to aid communication among ASAG membership. Deadline: Ongoing	Chris Brown, list serve moderator
Support ASAG web site and encourage membership contribution to content of the site	Continue to develop ASAG web site use by AZA managers. Deadline: Ongoing	Martin Vince Joe Barkowski
Encourage membership participation in avian programs and conferences outside the AZA community such as EAZA conferences, USFWS meetings, AFA conferences etc.	Designate representatives from ASAG and Bird TAGs to participate in designated non-AZA meetings. Provide updates to ASAG. Deadline:
Publish articles in designated journals that promote ASAG goals and activities as well as encourage participation by zoo and aquarium personnel.	Present paper at AOU conference outlining ASAG leadership programs with particular emphasis issues of interest to AOU members, such as research or conservation. Deadline: Fall 2004-2005 Write an article for AZA Communiqué outlining ASAG programs, accomplishments and the new strategic plan. Deadline: Fall 2004-2005	Megan Ross Kim Smith
Create opportunities for involvement in ASAG and AZA for interested zoo/aquarium personnel to cultivate future involvement and leadership in avian programs.	Propose a general avian paper session at an AZA regional conference to encourage keepers to present husbandry papers at an AZA conference. Deadline: Spring 2004 Develop a program of financial support for keeper staff to attend conferences and workshops Deadline: Fall 2003	Joe Barkowski James Mejeur
Encourage TAGs, SSPs and PMPs to post appropriate plans on the AZA website.	Identify TAGs, SSPs and PMPs that have not posted updated plans on AZA website and provide guidance. Deadline:	Sherry Branch/ Avian TAG chairs
Develop alternative methods of acquiring specimens for zoo collections	Support and monitor the PACCT TAG working group on bird acquisitions. Distribute any ideas that may apply to other taxa. Deadline: Ongoing	Ken Reininger Passerine (PACCT) TAG working group on acquisitions

GOAL: Provide technical assistance and advise on ornithological issues to the AZA Board, AZA Conservation and Science Office, WCMC and other appropriate AZA committees.

Goal Categories	Action Steps and Deadlines	Point Person
Work closely with AZA advisor to provide needed assistance	Continue active dialog with AZA office through liaison. Deadline: ongoing Keep track of ethical values and trends through AZA summaries and reports. Report on any upcoming issues to steering committee and at ASAG meetings Deadline: ongoing	Ruth Allard
Chair of ASAG maintains direct communication with WCMC, and the ASAG steering committee will work closely with WCMC to provide technical assistance on avian programs.	Establish contact and provide assistance to WCMC on avian issues. Deadline: ongoing	Kim Smith
Establish contact with various AZA committees and offer technical assistance when needed	Provide liaison to Animal Welfare Committee and report to ASAG membership. Deadline: ongoing Identify other AZA committees that ASAG could assist. Deadline: June 2003 Identify registrar liaison and work closely with registrar association to provide input on record keeping standards. Deadline: Identify liaison from ASAG to IDMAG to provide input and assistance on IADISC and ZIMS development. Deadline: Ongoing Identify liaison from ASAG to GROUPS advisory group to provide input on avian issues. Deadline:	Ken Reininger Kim Smith Bob Seibels Patty McGill, Susie Kasielke
Provide position statements on issues that affect the avian zoo community and submit to the appropriate audiences.	Define needed position statements and develop timelines for their submission (e.g. statement on collecting birds from the wild or evaluating mixed taxon vs. mixed avian exhibits). Deadline: Prepare a position statement on Atoxoplasmosis and submit to avian TAGs and veterinary group. Deadline: Review position statements that have been developed by other AZA groups such as Zoo Vets; if appropriate make available to ASAG members (e.g. position statement on pinioning) Provide feedback to ASAG and the group. Deadline:	Bob Seibels, Martin Vince

GOAL: Support conservation and research projects that affect avian populations in the wild that provide long-term goals and solutions that the zoological community can support.

Goal Categories	Action Steps and Deadlines	Point Person
Encourage avian TAGs to develop long-term conservation projects benefiting wild populations	Compile TAG conservation projects and submit to AZA in Action Web site. Post these projects on the ASAG web site Deadline: Identify TAGs that do not have functional conservation projects and offer guidance. Deadline: Review examples of conservation programs in other taxa; evaluate successes and challenges in order to apply principles to avian programs. Deadline: Develop workshop topics that deal with conservation of species in the wild. Deadline:	Sherry Branch
Initiate a research proposal-funding program to support original research that benefits avian species both captive and wild.	Develop guidelines for research proposal submissions for funding by ASAG. Deadline: June 2003	James Mejeur, Finance Chair
Track trends of wild populations and alert the appropriate groups.	Review IUCN Red Data and other external information for higher level of analysis of avian conservation issues and seek appropriate partners (TAGs, CAPs, SAGs) once patterns have been identified,

GOAL: Encourage and promote avian programs in zoos and aquariums

Goal Categories	Action Steps and Deadlines	Point Person
Promote avian programs and activities to non-bird audiences	Initiate moderated sessions at AZA National Conferences on avian related topics that apply to broader audiences. Deadline: Sponsor lunch break at an AZA regional conference for AZA Board of Directors and do a presentation on avian programs within AZA. Deadline: March 2003 Compile information on birding audience and potential financial impact for zoos if tapped. Distribute to AZA Directors. Deadline:	Tim Snyder Kim Smith/steering committee Robert Webster
Encourage institutions to participate in educational events and activities that focus on avian issues.	Develop workshop topics on events and educational opportunities that successfully promote avian conservation issues. Deadline: Compile successful avian graphics and conservation messages; post on AZA and ASAG website. Deadline:
Support the use and development of off exhibit space for avian propagation programs	Collect and evaluate data regarding success of existing policy statement. Deadline: Publicize benefits experienced by institutions that have followed the policy recommendations. Deadline: Develop needs statement, listing reasons for needs such as ethics and collection planning. Deadline: Support original statement developed by ASAG by publishing in strategic plan Deadline:
Recognize the potential impact of emerging ethical issues, changing societal value, regulations and technologies on the way we manage our collections and develop proactive approaches to these issues.	Sponsor information and training workshops for ASAG members to identify external trends and their relevance to collection management. Use existing summary reviews by AZA and external sources. Deadline: Report on emerging ethical issues and trends at ASAG meetings. Deadline: ongoing