Nancy Forrester's Birthday Bash w/ Special Showing of "Parrot Kindergarten"

***FREE COMMUNITY EVENT***
WHEN: TUESDAY JULY 29TH
TIME: DOORS OPEN IN 7:30PM /FILM STARTS @ 8:30PM
LOCATION: WILLIAM HALL,729 FLEMING St

Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden brings documentary film Parrot Kindergarten to Williams Hall (729 Fleming Street) on her birthday day, July 29th 2025, a special date proclaimed Nancy Forrester's Day in 2008 by Mayor McPherson to honor her environmental work.

Nancy believes that Parrot Kindergarten is a must see for everyone who loves animals, is interested in animal cognition, interspecies communication, science and a spiritually uplifting story.

Williams Hall doors open at 7:30 PM, cash bar & pre-film festivities feature parrot mamas and trainers Nancy and Michele and Key West's own Moluccan Cockatoo Mr. Peaches, a longtime enthusiastic student and member of Parrot Kindergarten.

This event is a community celebration combining several things.
Nancy Forrester Day, Nancy's birthday and the birthday of her invaluable friend and volunteer Michele Dodd born on July 28th.
The spotlight is on the intelligence and education of Key West Moluccan cockatoo Mr. Peaches our famous learner and communicator. Offering this film is Nancys way of thanking the community for its support, her volunteers, especially volunteer Sean Vermeer, educator and parrot handler.

Nancy Forrester is an environment artist, activist and educator who has worked with many mediums to activate sustainability of the natural world. She is best known for her site-specific project known as Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden.
https://www.artistnancyforrester.com/nancy-forresters-secret-garden.html
She is a parrot trainer and practices the Art of Story Telling to stop parrot abuse. She is proud to be an honorary conch conveyed to her by Wilhelmina Harvey.

Michele Dodd is an artist. She does window painting for all occasions, murals and small batch resin art. She is a Parrot Mama and Trainer.
https://www.instagram.com/micheledodddesign/
An beautiful example of her art can be seen on Nancy’s van which is painted with parrots and tropical foliage.

Key West Moluccan cockatoo "Sweet Mr. Peaches" has a powerful message to share with the world. He wants you to know that he is capable of learning anything a five-year-old human can learn. He wants you to help make that message as loud as he is. He loves working with books, playing apps on his Samsung tablet and wants new lessons daily. Mr. Peaches is our star educational ambassador. His sweet trusting disposition enables him to work physically with everyone. He has educated countless humans specializing in children for 30 years. He wins the hearts of all who meet him.

The Parrot Kindergarten Program is an online school started by Jen Taylor-O'Connor. She is an attorney, animal cognition trainer, writer, and international speaker, focusing on animal literacy and communication. A "parrot mama" for over 16 years, Jen has been developing cognition training techniques for almost a decade. Her training manuals have been translated and distributed throughout Europe, and she’s been featured in Bird Talk magazine. Jen has twice written articles for the International Association of Applied Behavior Consultants Journal and is a frequent lecturer at science conventions and companion bird gatherings around the world. Jennifer collaborates on animal literacy and communication projects with university researchers, and her research has been published in peer-reviewed scientific proceedings. Her birds, Ellie and Isabelle, have passed university-designed blind tests on phonics and reading comprehension skills and are considered the very first animals who have learned how to read.

The Film Parrot Kindergarten is a documentary by award winning director Amy Herdy.

"Dive into the fascinating tale of a woman raised in a cult, whose journey of healing through teaching her parrot to read reshapes our understanding of interspecies communication".

REVIEWS
"If you love animals, you need to see this film! If you have an animal companion (parrot, dog, horse, fish, duck?), you will be motivated to have real conversations."

"This film isn't just about birds doing tricks. It's about agency, emotion, and the undeniable intelligence of animals we so often underestimate. Jen's deep connection with her birds, especially Ellie, is the beating heart of the story. The documentary highlights not just what these birds can do, and what they have to say, but what animals are capable of once given a voice, and that distinction is powerful.”

“Her work is as much about respect for animals as it is about communication, and it's impossible to come away from this film unchanged. Whether you're an animal lover, a behavior science enthusiast, or just someone who believes in listening more closely - this documentary is essential viewing."

"The topic, the tears. The research. The impact.
This documentary gives the microphone to those who need it- our beloved animals. It's raw, honest, funny, and inspiring.
There is a beautiful balance here between brain and heart, science and love.
It will make you inquire into your own relationship with your cat-dog-fish-horse-
cockatoo."

https://www.keywestparrots.com

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!

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