Social responsibility

We put the welfare of people and birds first

How we take responsibility

Falkecenter Samsø has taken on significant social responsibility in several ways.

Animal welfare

At Falkecenter Samsø we care about the well-being and welfare of the birds, which is ensured through the company's welfare policy for how the center's animals are kept, trained and cared for.

Supporting vulnerable groups

Birds of prey have a relationship-building and therapeutic effect on people. Working with birds can create meaningful and rewarding experiences for people. We often see improved quality of life, promoted health, self-esteem, happiness and well-being - especially for vulnerable citizens of all ages.

Social responsibility & employees

Here we work in a team where you always feel welcome and appreciated. Intuitive leadership creates a dynamic and responsible company with room for everyone.

Meaningful experiences with birds

When we work with birds of prey, it's important to emphasise that regardless of age, background, gender or other characteristics, the desire is always to create a meaningful and memorable experience for all. Everyone can join in and everyone can have a great experience, whether you want to get up close or watch from a distance.

Testimonial

Vesta RAM Crisis Center

It has truly been a gift for the mothers and staff to see the growth in the children's courage and confidence during the experience. The children listened attentively, engaged in the task of holding and flying the birds. As an added bonus, many of the mothers also tested their limits and set a good example for their children.

We are very grateful to have given our children and women an unforgettable experience that they can take with them for life 🙏

Fundraising during events

Falconer school for Vulnerable Children and Young adults

At Horsens Medieval Market 2023, we raised money for the Falconer school for Vulnerable Children and Young adults project.

The Falconer school for Vulnerable Children and Young adults is a project that aims to give vulnerable children and youth the opportunity to work with and learn about birds of prey to facilitate their personal development. This project combines falconry with nature education and aims to create a meaningful and positive impact on the participants

Experiences for young people

The art of flying with birds of prey as an elective subject

Every Wednesday, the students come and learn to fly with the birds of prey. We train concentration, timing, teamwork, collaboration, empathy and focus.

Students not only learn about birds of prey and falconry, but they also develop important skills such as concentration, timing, teamwork, collaboration, empathy and focus through their experiences. These skills can have value beyond their participation in falconry and can be transferred to other areas of their lives, such as education, career and personal relationships.

1) Animal welfare - the well-being and welfare of birds

All our animals must live in the best conditions

At Falkecenter Samsø, it is vital that each animal is well-balanced and has a good life. All our birds of prey and owls have different needs, minds and temperaments, which is why they are housed, trained and fed according to their individual needs. All birds are carefully analysed, and their training and feeding conditions are continuously adjusted to maintain the most optimal condition and lifestyle for each bird.

It is crucial that daily attention is paid to what food is served and how it is offered. This ensures that the birds are neither undernourished nor overweight, and that they are stimulated physically and mentally.

All birds are trained to be confident and calm in their interactions with the falconer and the audience, which helps avoid stress and imbalance. All birds have different levels of interest in excercise, which is why the daily programme is adapted to their requirements and needs.

We always inform our visitors about the importance of animal welfare and the necessary respect between animals, humans and nature.

In the 14 years we have run Falkecenter Samsø, we have always benchmarked with other industry colleagues, gone on inspirational trips, and always been open to showing our animals and how they are kept. Critically-minded guests are always offered a good dialogue and presentation. We want absolute openness about our animal husbandry.

2) Support vulnerable groups - especially children and youth

Making a difference is life-affirming

Falkecenter Samsø has developed a unique programme for vulnerable citizens, aiming to promote their self-esteem and equip them, through concrete tools in working with their mind, to function in society.

The concept is called Falconer school and offers programmes with birds of prey and owls. The birds' unique spirits and therapeutic effect provide relationship-building experiences where emotions such as empathy and responsibility are trained.

The Falconer school offers different types of classes. After an initial assesment, these are combined in a specific programme that is best suited to the individual, from single sessions to longer courses. The Falconer school involves participants in a unique and different universe where participants are falconers themselves and learn about the falconry profession.

First, we go over safety and how to behave respectfully with and around the birds. This is vital when working and flying with the birds.

At Falkecenter Samsø, we have 10 years of experience working with vulnerable citizens, children and young people, including those with diagnoses such as ADHD and autism. We have great insight into building trust and helping people realise their potential. We have received a lot of feedback about increased self-esteem and confidence, reduced anxiety, and more positive thinking surrounding teamwork.

We have worked with groups and individuals, both in series of classes and in single day sessions. We know from our extensive teaching experience that these sessions create memories for life. The participants feel strengthened, and the teaching opens their understanding of nature - that nature, birds and weather are all powerful elements to improve your mood and bring joy to your life.

Annually, we have approximately 300-400 students through the Falconer school program.

3) Employees and volunteers

Sensory skills in practice drive our success

At Falkecenter Samsø there is room for everyone. It is important that there is a high level of well-being and shared responsibility, so everyone is part of running the Falkecenter.

Everyone's tasks are equally important and everyone is responsible for seeing and paying attention to each other. For Falkecenter Samsø, this contributes to a healthy working environment with good communication and respect for one another and each other's tasks.

The company works with intuitive leadership, which is why gut feeling, honesty and being able to speak freely are central to our everyday work.

Trusting you intuition and gut feeling is crucial when working with birds of prey, we must always be ready for change. New dynamics and situations may arise which we must be prepared to handle.

That's why we practice tuning in to our intuition and gut feeling on a daily basis. This helps us read and understand the dynamics that exist between the birds, between humans and birds, between humans and humans, inluding customers and employees. This knowledge and intuition also helps lay the foundation for a good everyday life.

The skills of intuition in practice are part of our success - the fact that we talk daily about paying attention and making room for the impulsive, mastering the balance between intuition and rationality in hyper-complex contexts - that's how birds are and that's how we should be. In our individual work with the birds, the best results come from each employee letting their intuition guide them. This succeeds when we all have a common goal: be present with our animals, each other and our guests.

At Falkecenter Samsø, we actively seek to act and behave responsibly. We want to make a difference through the way we manage and run our business. We take responsibility for our activities and want to promote joy, satisfaction and quality of life for both our employees, customers, partners, the local environment and not least our animals.

As a company, we believe it is our social responsibility to take responsibility for vulnerable citizens who cannot or do not have the opportunity to hold a regular full-time job. Therefore, we want, when possible, to give a helping hand to people who are outside the labor market. For example, unemployed people who need reduced hours, special care, or need to be upskilled, explore new directions or simply need a part-time job.

Falkecenter Samsø wants to retain and look after our employees. We aim to prevent employees becoming worn out, and always look for ways they can be strengthened mentally, physically and socially.

We work in a team where employees can always feel welcome and appreciated.