Master falconer Dawn DeCrease holds a peregrine falcon during a program at Succop Nature Park on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. Submitted Photo

Alex Buzard, left, and master falconer Dawn DeCrease stand with a peregrine falcon before a course on falconry on Sunday, Sept. 22, at Succop Nature Park in Penn Township. William Pitts/Butler Eagle

PENN TWP — Some area residents got a chance to get up close and personal with a real-life peregrine falcon on Sunday, Sept. 22, during an Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania program at Succop Nature Park.

Master falconer Dawn DeCrease gave an overview on the history of practice, which dates back thousands of years, before teaching attendees what it truly takes to become a master in the world of falconry. This involves taking a state hunter safety course, obtaining a state hunting license, and going through a two-year apprenticeship.

Then DeCrease and her apprentice Alex Buzard gave the people attending the program some close-up views of live birds.

They showed the group a Harris hawk, a juvenile red-tailed hawk and the peregrine.

A planned live-flight demonstration was canceled due to “changes in the birds’ health and levels of training.”

Succop Nature Park center coordinator Larissa Cassano-Hamilton introduces visitors to the programs at the park during the falconry course on Sunday, Sept. 22. William Pitts/Butler Eagle

Master falconer Dawn DeCrease gives a presentation during the falconry course on Sunday, Sept. 22 at Succop Nature Park in Penn Township. William Pitts/Butler Eagle

Succop Nature Park center coordinator Larissa Cassano-Hamilton introduces visitors to the programs at the park during the falconry course on Sunday, Sept. 22. William Pitts/Butler Eagle

Alex Buzard, left, and master falconer Dawn DeCrease stand with a peregrine falcon before a course on falconry on Sunday, Sept. 22 at Succop Nature Park in Penn Township. William Pitts/Butler Eagle

Alex Buzard, a falconry apprentice, holds a juvenile red-tailed hawk during a program at the Succop Nature Park on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. Submitted Photo

Alex Buzard, a falconry apprentice, checks out a juvenile red-tailed hawk's sternum to determine if it might be overweight or underweight during a program at the Succop Nature Park on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. Submitted Photo