Parrots and the people who live where they naturally range have changed me, as did delivering the keynote address at the Association of Avian Veterinarians in 2024. My interactions with my colleagues affirmed the transforming power and possibility of loving and embracing reality at all costs.
It was a true honor and a highpoint of my life to give the keynote address to the Association of Avian Veterinarians Annual Conference on June 29, 2024, in Kansas City Missouri.
I had been attending these conferences since the 1980s and counted many people in the association as my dear friends. Stress in these relationships, however, developed decades ago, because my experiences working as a parrot conservationist and wildlife veterinarian diverged from the experiences of many of my colleagues. Direct and indirect comments characterized me as “having gone over the deep end” and that the years with wild parrots had made me crazy. Perhaps so, for immersion in the searing embrace of reality in Guatemala during the Civil War, exposed to the death threats to and murder of fellow conservationists, and seeing hundreds of parrots gravely harmed and killed in the trade and their populations plummeting, transformed me. I had learned that having parrots in captive situations was harmful to people, parrots, and the planet. My goal was to share my journey with my colleagues so that we could find common ground to care for one another and a bruised and aching world. In turn I invited the attendees to share their stories and journey with me.
And did they ever!
The bond with humanity and the experience of unconditional solidarity I experienced was truly a great gift. People came to me, some in tears, throughout the conference, telling me their stories of the harm and loss they have experienced as veterinarians caring for parrots in captivity, and how they struggled to deal with the moral stress of being a veterinarian to wild animals. AAV President Dr. Jennifer Graham describes the keynote in the video below and here:
We were honored to have Dr. LoraKim Joyner, DVM, MPVM, MDiv, as our keynote speaker. Her engaging discussions on conservation and its impact on us and the world were truly inspiring. The conversations following her keynote address were a highlight for many attendees. I must admit that her stories brought me (and many others) to tears - hearing about individuals who have literally given their lives to protect birds was both humbling and motivating. Dr. Joyner's dedication and passion remind us all of the profound impact we can have in avian medicine and conservation, and she left us with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to our work.
Dr. Jennifer Graham describes the conference and the impact of Rev. Dr. LoraKim Joyner's keynote address (start at 1:13)
I gave two more presentations, “Ethics in Wildlife Medicine" and “The Science and Wonder of Birds,” during which our shared journey continued to deepen and expand. My colleagues showed me how much they care and the infinite well of human beauty.
We as veterinarians are looking to build a better future together. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, we are not all looking in the same direction (before the conference began we went on a bird walk together).
There is no beauty without tragedy. I know my stories are not easy to hear, nor to experience. Many veterinarians cannot see or feel the reality that tells us that we need to transform our relationship to nature and earth’s beings, and to one another. We also need to change our society so that it is fair, just, and equitable so that no one, no matter the species, is imprisoned by others and that all are free. This means stopping the wildlife trade and the demand for parrots as pets. Yet the trade continues as does the harm, pain, and loss.
Please join us in our pursuit of liberation for all and unconditional solidarity.
You can do so by watching this presentation and sharing it widely.
You can also attend the upcoming “Parrot Crisis Summit” in early October and invite your friends and colleagues to attend as well. You can find more information and register here.
Thank you, and a special thanks to the Harrison Avian Research & Conservation Collaborative (HARCC), and to the Avian and Wildlife Laboratory of the University of Miami for sponsoring this keynote.
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