LET ’ S GO HAWKING
Heritages of Humanity ” in 17 countries on three continents and generally accepted to be one of the oldest of all human activities . You ’ ll come away with an understanding of falconry on myriad levels , and you may just find yourself fascinated by this unique sport that has suddenly become an important weapon on the frontlines of efforts to fight habitat loss and species decline .
But what leads one to becoming such an expert in this still somewhat obscure sport that they ’ re qualified to teach it to others ? In Anastasia ’ s case , at least , the journey began when she was a little girl in New Jersey who grew up loving animals .
“ I was always passionate about them ,” she said recently over a cup of tea at the Last Cup Café in Rutland . “ My family brought me camping a lot and
encouraged my love of animals . When it was time for college , I came to Vermont to attend Castleton ( now Vermont State University ) to study ecology and never left .
“ Once I graduated college , I worked for Queechee State Park as one of their interpreters . I was an interpreter of the natural world for the guests and brought people on guided hikes , teaching them about the fauna and the foliage , the geology , the natural history of Vermont . I then got a position with Americorps , and they have a stipulation in which you have to volunteer for an organization , and I wound up reaching out to New England Falconry , because I knew I ’ d love to get involved there .
“ New England Falconry makes its Vermont home in facilities located on the Woodstock Inn ’ s property . At the inn there are all sorts of different activities guests can do , and falconry is one of them . Jessica Schneider runs the Woodstock branch for Chris Davis ( the founder of New England Falconry ), who lives in Massachusetts , where he has another branch of the business . She and Chris are both master falconers , which is the highest you can be .”
When Anastasia realized she wanted to become a falconer , she began the process , which can ( and usually does ) take several years . The first step is to “ apprentice ” with a falconer who agrees to be a mentor and take you on their license . The apprenticeship takes two years , and there is no exchange of money allowed . So newbie falconers need to find someone who will take them under their wing , so to speak , and invest training time .
WESTPHALEN PHOTOGRAPHY
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52 VERMONT MAGAZINE