IAF eBulletin Spring Part.II 2022

Important note to delegates, to club representatives and to translators: please don't forget to forward this eBulletin to your club members and all the falconer you know, especially the many language versions, even if it is by a "share" on social media - you will magnify the falconer's voice!

This eBulletin is available in other languages thanks to volunteer translators. If you would like to take part, email muehle@iaf.org . If your language does not appear, we upload late translations onto the Facebook page

Stop press: Due to ongoing developments two items in this eBulletin were modified at short notice and therefore not translated. Subsequent eBulletins will be fully translated while in the interest of releasing this in a timely manner it was decided to publish it as soon as details were confirmed.

2022 Archives of Falconry Spring Rendezvous and the opening of the Sheikh Zayed Falconry Heritage Wing

Between the 7th and the 9th of April IAF attended the Archives of Falconry’s spring rendezvous held in Boise, Idaho at the invitation of the Archives founder and Curator Emeritus Kent Carney.

The Spring Rendezvous is a yearly event at which friends and supporters of the Archive meet and at which a commemoration ceremony is held for members of the falconry community who have passed away in the last year. As part of this ceremony, plaques with the names of those who have passed are attached to a Wall of remembrance and anecdotes of their lives are recounted by those who were close to them.

This year's Spring Rendezvous also saw the official opening of the Sheikh Zayed Falconry Heritage Wing whose restoration had been generously funded by the Mohammed bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund (MBZRCF). The heritage wing showcases the traditions of Arabian falconry heritage and its early origins in ancient falconry manuscripts which are on display in the museum to advanced veterinary and other innovations. As part of the opening MBZRCF CEO Munir Virani spoke opening words and welcomed guests to explore the new exhibits.

As part of the Rendezvous, six presentations were held on various falconry culture, heritage and history topics ranging from falconry in the former Soviet Union member states to falconry in Arabia, ancient Chinese falconry, eagle falconry in the USA and central asia, falconry comradeship, falconry in Latin America, and a keynote speech by Munir Virani on conservation initiatives and successes led by the UAE.

After two years of limited in person contact between IAF and member organizations in the Americas, the Rendevouz provided a welcome opportunity for IAF to engage with member organizations in the Americas, discuss strategies to address future challenges to falconry in international conventions and see old friends again.

IAF congratulates the Archives of Falconry for putting together such a successful event and the MBZRCF for its efforts to enhance communication and collaboration between falconers and raptor conservationists of different cultures.

Please click on the image above to go to the excellent website of the Archives.

Change of Venue for the 2022 IAF Council of Delegates Meeting

Due to circumstances of which we are not completely sure, IAF is unable to hold its 2022 Council of Delegates Meeting in Pakistan. We believe it may or may not have something to do with developments in the political situation in the region. 

It is with deep regret that we inform you of this, since IAF was very keen on a meeting in Pakistan from the very first time it was mentioned. The Pakistan Falconers’ Association and its president, Kamran Khan, have worked incredibly hard over the past twenty years to bring falconry in the region to a very high standard indeed, to inscribe it on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and to work tirelessly with their provincial and federal governments to ensure the future of falconry in the region. 

Fortunately, we do have an alternative venue: the Polish Falconers' Club, Gniazdo Sokolnikow,  has offered to host the meeting in conjunction with its 50th-anniversary and the celebration of the UNESCO Inscription. It will be co-organised by Stowarzyszenie Sokolo - Society Wild Animals.

The meeting will be centred on the town of Pińczów in the south of Poland, one and a half hours drive from Kraków airport, or two and a half from Warsaw. 

Attendees will need to make their own arrangements for transport from the airport to the venue. Car-hire is relatively inexpensive in Poland and cars may be shared for transportation to the hunting grounds.  

Tentative Programme 2022 Meeting

Tuesday, November 8th 

Arrival of IAF Staff and Delegates

Day 1. Wednesday, November 9th

08.30 - 12.30 IAF 2022  Delegates Meeting 

13.00 - 14.00 Lunch 

14.00 - 18.00 Free afternoon and opportunity to join hunting groups

 Free Evening.

Day 2. Thursday, November 10   
 09.00 Formal Opening, welcome speeches and UNESCO IHC Ceremony

14.00 - 18.00 Free afternoon and opportunity to join hunting groups

19.00 - 20.00 IAF president and Guest speeches

20.00 - 22.00 Gala dinner + raffle for Peregrine Project 

Day 3. Friday, November 11 - National Independence Day of Poland 

 09.00 Hunting Day

 20.00 Polish Club social evening - open for IAF guests

Day 4. Saturday, November 12

 9.00 Hunting day

 07.00 Closing Ceremonies

Day 5. Sunday, November 13 

Departures 

Please note that only IAF Delegates, official Club Representatives, and Individual Subscribers may attend the actual Council of Delegates Meeting. Observers are by invitation of the IAF President. Queries to info@iaf.org  

Registration Form to attend the IAF Council of Delegates Meeting

Registration Form to attend the activities offered by the Polish Falconry Clubs

Raptor Research Foundation “Wings to Fly” Travel Awards

The Raptor Research Foundation has announced a new award—the “Wings to Fly” program. With this grant, RRF will support travel from outside the U.S. and Canada for four to five raptor researchers or conservationists to present a paper or poster at our annual meeting.

Each grant will include support for airfare, visa fees, and food and lodging, as well as waived conference registration fees and a one-year membership to RRF. The amount of the grant will depend on travel costs from the recipient’s home country. Awards will be $2,500, $2,000, or $1,500. Click on the above image from their website for more information.

Red-footed falcon restoration in Hungary

A group of falconers with IAF connections, has been working in Hungary with National Park Hortobágy Rangers and the Pustaeldorado Wildlife Resort on a restoration project for red-legged falcons.

The project was coordinated by Sjors Streur, the Pustaeldorado wildlife manager, with advice from János Tóth, IAF delegate for Hungary.

The project saw the fitting of 14 nest boxes near the park to encourage red-legged falcons to nest. Their previous decline was due to the disappearance of old rook and crow nests, which had been formerly reused by red-legged falcons. Addressing the lack of useful nesting sites has allowed the red-legged falcons to make a return. At another location, a tower hut and cupboards were installed to facilitate nesting spaces.

Often a species may be helped by addressing the initial reason for its decline, be this a lack of prey, persecution, or inadequate nesting sites. IAF congratulates Pustaeldorado wildlife for their conservation initiatives and we hope to hear more from similar projects in which active falconers are taking part.

International Festival of Falconry 2023

Applications are again invited for funded places to the Fifth International Festival of Falconry, scheduled for early December 2023. People who have already applied for this festival, which was postponed due to Covid travel restrictions, do not need to reapply, we will revive their applications.

Funded guests will be decided on several criteria, with a preference for young people who have not been to a previous festival. See form to apply for a funded place

Festival events will include:

1. Five introductory workshops in the central hotel, given by well-known falconers from across the globe
2. Twenty-seven activities and practical workshops over two days in the desert tented village
3. Hunting trips into the desert with the Emirates Falconers' Club on all festival days for everyone attending
4. Fifty-six falconry activities over three days when the festival will be open to the public

Selection for funded places will be announced to the successful applicants.

Everyone is welcome to participate. Visitors traveling at their own expense can register to attend the Festival using this form. They will be able to take part in hunting trips, all of the workshops and public days, airport transfers on the official transfer days, communal meals etc. and will be given a code that allows them to avail of special hotel rates in the Festival hotels. Please register here if you are traveling at your own expense.

Meeting of the Visegrad "V4" Falconry Clubs

V4 is a group of 4 countries in Central Europe - Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary. The presidents and board members of their falconry clubs and IAF board member Janusz Sielicki met to discuss further cooperation. The clubs have traditionally cooperated for 50 years, since their beginnings.

A successful meeting planned for the future of falconry in the V4, which are all listed countries in the 24 that constitute the Falconry Element of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. One of the important items to come out of the meeting was an agreement to start a working group, with IAF cooperation, to prepare a common set of standards to be published next year with the assistance of the Education Working Group.

FACE Event in Brussels - Is Africa being heard?

Parliamentary Intergroups in the European Parliament allow stakeholders access to MEPs and law-givers. FACE is the European federation of hunting organisations with whom IAF has an important MoU and with whom we work closely, attending and contributing to many of their events.

Since its first establishment in 1985, the EU Intergroup "Biodiversity Hunting Countryside" had the capacity to gain the active support of hundreds of MEPs from all parts of the political spectrum, and to promote excellent dialogue between decision-makers and stakeholders on wildlife conservation, sustainable hunting as well as the sustainable management of the countryside and cultural heritage.

The goal of the latest event was to bring together European and African decision-makers, with stakeholders from across the spectrum, to understand the leadership of African countries in the management and conservation of their wildlife and the role that local communities play.

The panel consisted of a broad range of stakeholders, representing different views on the subject, in particular African representatives, European Commission, NGOs and scientists.

The event discussed key African conservation approaches, including sustainable use, for which hunting is an important activity. The voices of local communities were represented, which are at the forefront of preventing poaching and enhancing community and incentive-based conservation.

The purpose of the conference was to help attendees and their agencies and organisations understand:

• The ways in which African communities lead and must be allowed to lead;
• How the EU and the rest of the world can assist African governments and local communities in that leadership;
• Strategies to avoid that could interfere and harm African countries’ efforts;
• The lessons that we can learn from Africa.

Countries that have hunting bans do not allow falconry, so this is why the IAF felt it important to take part.

Links to the results of the conference will be published on IAF's Facebook page and other social media.

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