The Animal Behavior Society will host its 55th annual conference at UWM from Thursday, Aug. 2 through Monday, Aug. 6. There will be scientific talks, workshops, a film festival and several free, public events.

There will an “Adventures in Animal Behavior” outreach fair at the Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center on Thursday, Aug. 2, from noon to 4 p.m. People of all ages will have hands-on opportunities to learn about biology.

There will also be a public symposium, “Giving Pets the Good Life: The Science of Animal Behavior Shows Us How,” on Saturday, Aug. 4, from 2 to 6 p.m. in Kenwood IRC 1150. Experts will present on how to ethically and effectively train and care for dogs, how reduce the risk of horseback riding-related injury, and how dogs try to communicate with their owners.

The society is the largest professional organization in North America dedicated to promoting and advancing the scientific study of animal behavior. Members study behavior across all levels of biological organization, under natural and controlled conditions, and use descriptive and experimental approaches.

For more information about the conference, visit the society’s webpage.