Falconry school makes first flight to Medina County

MEDINA — An introduction to birds of prey and the roughly 5,000-year-old practice of falconry took place Sunday at one of the county's most popular nature hubs, Medina's chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, 7085 Lafayette Rd., Medina. Established in 2014, the Columbus-based Ohio School of Falconry is slated to hold monthly classes at the 73-acre property in hopes of establishing a permanent presence in the area. "We're hoping to plant seeds with kids who have aspirations to be the next Steve Irwin or Jack Hanna," said Ohio School of Falconry executive director Joe Dorrian as he showed off a wide array of large birds of prey. "It's about teaching a respect for nature, raptors, and wild life in wild places." Dorrian credited Spencer's Medina Raptor Center, 10420 Spencer Lake Rd., and its director, Laura Jordan, for partnering with his organization to set up the classes. Sunday's event brought out a group of enthusiastic youngsters who came ready with questions about falconry and the raptors they were about to meet. A Eurasian eagle owl and Peregrine falcon were among a handful of species that Dorrian brought with him. Known for its ability to reach speeds of more than 200 mph during hunting dives, the Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird in the world and the fastest member of the animal kingdom. "Through this connection, we really want to find those future falconers," Dorrian said. "We were the first falconry school that had opened in 10 or 15 years. What was around before was more falconry schools for the wealthy. Our goal has been to bring falconry to everyday people. Everyone should have a chance to chase these skills and these passions if it's what they want to do." Falconry, the hunting of wild animals in their natural habitat with a trained bird of prey, is thought to have been established in the middle east, most prominently in Mesopotamia, around 3,000 B.C. before spreading to Europe when armies returned home from the Crusades. There are currently about 4,000 licensed falconers in the U.S. and 70 in Ohio. To become a falconer in the U.S., a person must complete a two-year apprenticeship under a General or Master class falconer. Ohio apprenticeship programs require applicants to be at least 16 years old, pass an Ohio Department of Natural resources exam with a score of 80 percent of better, build a weathering area in line with ODNR code, and procure a sponsor. Once an Apprentice falconers license and trapping permit is secured, newcomers are permitted to trap, train, and fly an American kestrel or red tailed hawk under their sponsor's supervision. Apprentices are barred from working with captive bred birds during their apprenticeship in the state of Ohio. Founded in 1922 and operating in Medina since 1953, the Izaak Walton League of America has grown into one of the nation's most respected nature conservation entities. Brenda Swartz and her husband Tom are on the Medina chapter's board of directors. "We just love giving kids a reason to have fun outdoors," she said. "There's 23 chapters of Isaak Walton in Ohio. We have fishing lakes here too and turkey shoots that we just started today to make up for the ones we had to cancel. In July, we're going to be teaching free archery classes." "These days, we're competing with electronics and sports for kids' attention, and that's not an easy thing to do," Swartz added. "These falconry classes will be something totally unique for the area and, like Joe said, it's a way for young people to maybe find that spark for a new interest." From 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, the site will host a free fishing party for kids that will be open to the public. For more information on activities coming up at Izaak Walton, visit https://sites.google.com/view/medinachapter. Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at 330-721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.