8th Wellness Retreat parrot conference
Theme: ​"How Can I Help?

May 30-31, 2026
9:00am - 5:00pm
UNC-Asheville

Barb will present three sessions and participate in the Panel Discussion. Peace and Harmony at Home (Training Behavior); Who’s Training Whom? (Training Tricks #1); What, Why, How, When? (Training Tricks #2)

https://www.phoenixlanding.org/wellnessretreat.html

Our 2026 Wellness Retreat will be more interactive, with many opportunities for attendees to participate and learn through interaction, discussion, and hands-on activities.

For example, during the training sessions, some audience members will have the opportunity to learn trick training or techniques for teaching husbandry behaviors. There will be a mini wet-lab for gram stain learners. Together we will build PVC stands and a foraging table which will be auctioned on Sunday. 

Many of speakers will ​present photos, videos, or case studies and ask you to help determine if there is a problem and what possible solutions might be. Perhaps you need to learn the proper way to hold or towel a bird or learn to provide medications and give injections, etc.

Of course, we will have our usual array of helpful lectures about a wide variety of topics. A draft agenda is under construction. We plan to have FOUR simultaneous tracks, similar to our past Wellness Retreats, so there is ​SOMETHING for EVERYONE!