LSM Webinar 20210730 The Maine Loon Project

Presented by Tracy Hart of Maine Audubon

For nearly four decades, Maine Audubon has worked to conserve Maine’s iconic Common Loon through the Maine Loon Project. This year marks the 38th year that volunteers participated in the project’s Maine Annual Loon Count, which engages over a thousand dedicated volunteers on the third Saturday of July each year in a snapshot census of Common Loons on lakes throughout the state. The data enables biologists to estimate the annual breeding population and track the status of Common Loons from year to year. The data is displayed to the public on the Lakes of Maine data portal. Tracy Hart, the Director of the Maine Loon Project, will talk about the Maine Annual Loon Count, statewide population trends, and some of the tools on the Lakes of Maine site for finding out more about counts and survey efforts on individual lakes over the years. She will also share some fun facts about Common Loon natural history, threats, and loon conservation efforts in Maine, including an exciting new journey that Maine Audubon is embarking on starting this year in partnership with Maine Lakes and Lakes Environmental Association to expand the Maine Loon Project to include a season-long loon monitoring, a statewide lead tackle buyback and exchange program, and additional work with lake associations to protect nesting loons and loon families on our lakes and ponds. Come join us in this talk to find out how loons are doing in the state of Maine, what is unique and special about these fascinating birds, the challenges they face, and how Lake Stewards and CBIs can get involved in loon protection and conservation.