Research into my idea

Research

I have emailed Jo Holmes with some question into her organisation and into her life as well to see what stories we could pull out from the idea.

Here we go…

1)  How did you get into working with birds and how long have you had experience with them?

18 years ago we started the company - Leigh had always known that he wanted to fly birds for a living and I joined him a few months later.

2)  What location would we film at?

 Doddington Place Gardens

3)  What job are you currently in?

 I own and run The Hawking Centre with Leigh, and I’m also a writer

4) What jobs have you done in the past? Are they 'bird orientated’?

Prior to working with birds, I was involved in publishing. Leigh has always been working with birds of prey.

5)  What can we film with the birds? 

You could film the birds and falconers, also birds in flight as well as sitting on their perches or on a falconer’s glove

6)  What would you like to see happen with ‘Vulpro’? 

We would like to see Vulpro grow as an organisation and save many more vultures in the wlld in Africa, through field programmes and education. We intend to raise as much money as possible to help them, and have begun to raise awareness with our visitors, and also to provide opportunities to purchase fund-raising items such as Vulpro/The Hawking Centre wristbands, T-shirts and information booklets on birds of prey. I’ll also be witting another book and sales of this will also help to support Vulpro. In january every year we will also provide practical help, by sending two of our falconers (and paying for tickets etc, donating their work time so it’s not out of their holiday allowance) out to Africa to work in the field and help Vulpro in a hands-on way. Julie, the falconer who you will be talking to, is one of the first two falconers who will be flying out next January.

7)  Who is in charge of the organisation and how long have they been?

Myself and Leigh, as above, 1998

8)  What inspired you to join the organisation? How long have you been a part of it?

As above, and quite simply, a passion for birds of prey, to work with them, educate the public about them, and help them in the wild.

9)  How many birds do you have? What types are they? 

Around 30 - all types of birds of prey - Owls, Hawks, Falcons, Vultures, Eagles

10)  What would you like to add to the film to promote ‘Vulpro’? 

Vulpro are making a huge contribution to slowing the decline in vulture numbers in the wild in Africa, but they need help to raise awareness, as if we don’t act quickly it will only be a few years before nearly all species of Vulture in Africa become critically endangered. It would also be good to put on Vulpro’s website details.

11)  What would you like from the film?

To raise awareness for Vulpro, and to further help wild vultures

12)  Who can we interview for this? Could we have a contact detail? 

Jo - 07462 619629 jo_holmes@me.com

Julie, our falconer in charge of co-ordinating our Vulpro work, will also be great to interview. She is very well-informed about the charity and extremely passionate about what we are doing. I will pass you her contact details when we’ve arranged a date etc.

Thankyou for taking the time to answer these questions! 

....................................................................


Vultures originated in South America but emigrated to Africa for the climate and because there was more opportunities for food. The vultures that are still found in South America are:

Andean Vulture

Black Vulture

King Vulture

New World Vulture  

Vultures are now being threatened because of Man's interference. Witch Doctors are using them for medicinal purposes and farmers are leaving pesticide filled carcasses intended for other animals which is what is killing them off. 

Vultures are needed because when they eat the carcasses they are preventing a range of different diseases from spreading across the globe and harming other animals and humans. When Farmers move to different grounds where the lions and other big meat eating animals can't kill livestock, the death rate for vultures increase. This is because there is much less food for them to eat causing them to die out. The main cause of the vultures decline in population is because of the poisoning which is making them die. 


....................................................................