In this heartfelt and insight-packed episode, Hillary Hankey sits down with winter intern Levi Soucek, a wildlife rehabilitator, educator, and outreach coordinator at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center. Levi reflects on her transformative 12-week internship at the Avian Behavior Ranch, sharing how hands-on progressive training experiences reshaped not only her approach to ambassador bird care—but also reignited her passion for the work.

We explore:

• What it means to truly train with positive reinforcement (beyond the buzzwords)

• The power of choice-based training and offering degrees of freedom

• Levi’s “aha” moments while working with challenging birds like a Great Horned Owl and Andean Condor

• How foundational concepts finally clicked in real time

• Practical takeaways she’s bringing back to her rehab center—from training strategy to team communication

This episode is also a reflection on team dynamics, mentorship, emotional labor in animal care, and what it means to feel valued and connected in your work. Whether you're a rehabber, falconer, educator, or companion parrot trainer, Levi’s story will leave you inspired, informed, and energized to take your own training to the next level.

You, too, can become a member of the Avian Behavior Lab. Start off with a free 14 day trial with coupon code AVIAN