Dr.
Jason
Crean
Welcome to DrCrean.com!
This site is meant to serve as a resource for the professional development services Dr. Crean provides to educators and educational institutions including schools, zoos, museums, nature centers, and others as well as those who are looking to improve the lives of the animals they keep. Contained within this website are helpful links to his published works, organizations with which he works, and more.
In the education arena, Dr. Crean specializes in effective and holistic implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards as well as leading professional learning for teachers in phenomenon-driven instruction. This involves workshops across the country that immerse teachers in storylines so that participants can experience how these coherent units of instruction serve as a deeper, richer learning experience for students.
In the zoological arena, Dr. Crean serves as a consultant, specializing in raw whole food nutrition and dietary enrichment. He has consulted for zoos, museums, pet owners, animal breeders, and more.
If you have any questions about how Dr. Crean can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact him at jason@drcrean.com
Thanks!
Jason J. Crean, MS Bio, EdD
Biologist, Educator, Consultant
For All Things Science Education
For All Things Avian Related
TESTIMONIALS
As the Department Chair for the Department of Biological Sciences, I have known Dr. Crean for many years as an instructor of Biology at Saint Xavier University. Since I first met him, I was impressed with his ability, dedication and drive for excellence, and which he clearly also has at the other positions he holds. He has become an integral member of both the Department of Biological Sciences and the Education Department here at Saint Xavier University where he has authored curricula and created one of most popular courses, “Zoo Biology: Animal Nutrition, Husbandry & Diagnostics.” As part of this course, he leads students in research at the Chicago Zoological Society where he has worked since 2001. Students in this course create research hypotheses and collect long-term behavioral data on a focal species under Dr. Crean’s supervision. They also learn about and research biologically-appropriate animal nutrition, design exotic animal diets, and run through genetic simulations that model relatedness testing and paternity. He does all of this while bringing in the scientists with which he collaborates from professionals in zoos, geneticists, behaviorists, and others to provide students with a rich learning experience. Dr. Crean has also been a lecturer in other courses like our Vertebrate Zoology course and my own Genetics course. His impressive educational background in both the biological sciences and pedagogical techniques have made him a valuable member of the faculty in our University’s Department of Biological Sciences.
Tatiana Tatum-Parker, PhD, Department Chair, Biological Sciences, Saint Xavier University
Dr. Crean has been a colleague of mine for many years, beginning our professional relationship in my animal genetics lab where he has participated in ongoing research projects. His vast educational background makes him a great scientist as well as a great educator where he educates students of all ages including zoo personnel, veterinary students, and pet owners regarding appropriate animal diets. He has taken his impressive knowledge and skill to use the data from my own laboratory and others to create educational materials that teach others about animal conservation through animal genetics, animal nutrition, ecology, animal behavior, and more. This demonstrates a high level of dedication to teaching everyone about real wildlife issues and scientific research in a very interesting and fascinating way. He also has coordinated some of the undergraduate and graduate students who have interned in my lab where they learned molecular genetics methods and supported my research work on a variety of animal species. After all of these years working directly with Dr. Crean, I can honestly say I am continually impressed with his professionalism, dedication to scientific truth, and ability to communicate this science to the masses.
Jean Dubach, PhD, Population Biologist, Wildlife Genetics Laboratory, Chicago
"Avian nutrition in captivity can be challenging as we strive to offer a complete and balanced diet. Jason Crean's Avian Nutrition and Teas for Too's seminars help educate the companion bird owner and the professional aviculturist. His thorough break down of healthy foods that contain the most bioavailability and color coded feed chart, make it effortless to pick from a wide variety of healthy food options to feed birds. His tea mixes have been known to improve overall feather condition and health in various avian species, from feather destructive behavior to poor feather quality. I would highly recommend Jason Crean's seminars, they are informative, educational and fun, creating a learning experience for everyone."
Dominick Dorsa / Curator of Birds / San Francisco Zoo
"We run an extremely popular tropical butterfly exhibit and several years ago we were looking into the possibility of enhancing the exhibit with the addition of some birds. I was put in contact with Jason as a possible person to advise us on the feasibility of doing this. He could not have been more helpful. He visited our institution, inspected the exhibit space, pointed out potential problem areas and offered solutions on how to resolve them. Thanks to his support, knowledge and enthusiasm we added several bird species and greatly enhanced the exhibit.
Since that initial meeting Jason has become an invaluable partner to the Nature Museum and I could fill several pages with all the amazing things he has done for us way above and beyond anything we could have hoped for. He continues to source new birds for us, advise us when we have problems, offer suggestions on reliable suppliers, provide nutrition knowledge and educational content for exhibits and for our staff, the list goes on and on. We also use his Herp Tea blends for several of our endangered turtle species, with fabulous results and recently he has loaned us several spectacular birds from his personal collection for a temporary Rainforest Exhibit we have been showing.
Jasons knowledge is nothing short of encyclopedic and I feel incredibly lucky to have found such an invaluable partner."
Celeste Troon, Director of Living Collections, The Chicago Academy of Sciences and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
No matter how much I teach, talk, write or research about the nutritional needs of parrots, I am always inspired by Jason Crean and his deliciously crafted ways of delivering quality nourishment for birds. His promotion of the use of teas is also brilliant. I have watched parrots in the wild in several countries. They rarely drink pure water, but rather water that has been peppered with all the surrounding environmental ingredients. Providing quality sustenance and environmental enrichment for our captive parrots can be challenging at best, but giving them access to a varied whole food diet is probably the most important ingredient to the successful long-life they deserve in captivity. Not only does good food make for a healthy body, it enriches the mind. Jason Crean's knowledge, advocacy and dedication are a true gift to the parrot community!
Ann Brooks, Founder and President, Phoenix Landing Foundation
"Jason is an excellent speaker with excellent content that pertains to every animal household or facility. I have had Jason at my center as a guest speaker for the weekend. He received stellar reviews from the audience and was requested to attend as a guest speaker for the next year. I am happy to say, he will be our featured speaker. Jason is professional and passionate about his approach and application to avian nutrition and health and he applies his work and studies to the animals in his care. Jason is at the top of my list of contacts for avian nutrition and its implication on behavior."
Lara Joseph
The Animal Behavior Center, LLC.
animal and avian behavior, training, & enrichment specialist
Professional Member of IAATE & ABMA
Founder of The Parrot Society of NW Ohio
"Jason Crean has worked with and For Brookfield Zoo over the past 15 years. His work has included being a member of pilot teams for new curricula as well as developing and writing the curriculum unit Zoo Genetics: Key Aspects of Conservation biology. Jason has taught graduate level professional development classes for teachers on a variety of topics and, to do so, has written the Aurora University syllabus, planned and developed the class, and evaluated student projects. I have had the opportunity to see Jason teach, both in the High School and Zoo settings. He is innovative, engaging and has a wealth of knowledge about Brookfield Zoo species and resources. Jason Crean is one of our “go to” people who can develop and teach quality classes for educators. His knowledge of animal genetics and nutrition add information and depth to his classes."
Lanis Petrik, Brookfield Zoo, Chicago Zoological Society
"The body can not be healthy, resist disease, feel energetic and vital without the basic building blocks found in good nutrition. Dr. Jason Crean makes it easy to make the right choices."
-Susan Marshall, Seattle, WA
"Dr. Crean is young, fun and with it. He's a straight talker but always respectful to others. His commitment to feeding raw and healthy, combined with his knowledge, is awesome to experience and be part of."
-Handri Mouton, Western Cape, South Africa
"Dr. Crean is one of the greatest educators, biologists, and conservationists I have ever had the opportunity to meet! Since attending my first first workshop with Jason in 2008, I have always gone back to attend every one of his classes that I can. His passion for animals and conservation education is evident in all he does. His teacher workshops are fascinating from beginning to end, and his differentiated curriculum based on real zoo experiences, genetics, adaptations, and ecology are so engaging that student look forward to all of his labs and activities. Every workshop I attend I receive resources that are so creative, well planned, and student centered that I bring them back to my classroom and use them year after year."
-Alyssa Genitoni, Roselle, IL
"Dr. Jason Crean's workshops are wonderful. He's funny, energetic, so knowledgeable and his workshops are so well thought out and are fascinating. I've had the pleasure of attending Dr. Crean's workshops at the American Federation of Aviculture (and have seen him present on many different subject matters at various venues--he's well received wherever he goes). If Dr. Crean is offering a workshop in your area, you should attend. His hands-on workshops are so enriching."
-Diane Hyde, Long Island Parrot Society, NY
"I had the pleasure of attending Dr. Crean's workshop while at the AFA Conference this past year. I found his lecture to be engaging, educational and entertaining! Dr. Crean is a wealth of knowledge, he is passionate about his work and it shines through. I highly recommend if you have the opportunity to attend one of his lectures to do it."
-Jeanne Gilligan, A Helping Wing Parrot Rescue, NJ
"Dr. Crean is willing to freely share his knowledge about nutrition. I started paying attention when he talked about nutrition for birds. He got me thinking about my other pets (dogs & cats) and I am now switching them to a raw diet. Thank you Dr. Crean!"
-Brenda Schirf, Akron, OH