I have a friend who is an…

I have a friend who is an established falconer who also does a great deal to rehabilitate injured birds of prey of all ages. In fact, she is dedicated to the birds to a great extent and is very proud when she can re-introduce a rehabilitated falcon to the wild. This she does after a great deal of education and care.

She also uses her business connections to conduct many educational sessions with the general public on falconry; she teaches people of all ages about the birds she works with but is very careful not to use her birds like "pets in a zoo." In fact, few are given an opportunity to even get a glimpse if she is concerned it may cause any anxiety. She has a great deal of respect for the birds she works with.

I suspect there are very few female falconers in Ontario. In this regard, I would support the opportunity to grow this cultural heritage. I have a great deal of respect for the integrity, care and professionalism of my friend in all her work and particularly in falconry.

Since there are a limited number of falconers and the number of licenses available to capture goshawks will be limited even more, I support this proposal. It will help us learn that much more about this wildlife so that we can be better educated to rehabilitate and preserve them for the future.