Maine Audubon's 21st Annual Statewide Loon Count Set for July 17 Monday, July 12, 2004 Data will reveal if plateau of Maine’s loon population continues FALMOUTH, July 12, 2004—More than 1,000 “citizen scientist” volunteers across Maine will be out on lakes and ponds from 7-7:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 17, to record a half-hour snapshot of Maine's loon population for Maine Audubon’s 21st annual loon count. Biologists are especially interested in the results of this year’s loon count because growth of the adult population has appeared to halt in the last three years. “After a slow but steady population growth over 17 years, we’re concerned about the recent plateau,” said Susan Gallo, wildlife biologist at Maine Audubon and director of the organization’s Maine Loon Project. The number of Maine Audubon volunteer counters this year will likely be the highest since the count began in 1983. “The annual loon count is a highlight of our year,” said Gallo. “Not only are volunteers getting out there and connecting with nature, they’re helping take care of it by gathering important information about loons.” Each volunteer is assigned a lake or a portion of a lake to count loons and their chicks from shore or from boats and canoes. After volunteers mark the time and location of each loon sighting on a map of their lake, regional coordinators tally the total number of loons on each lake and report the figures to Maine Audubon to be analyzed. [Reporters/Editors: If you’d like to interview a volunteer counter or coordinator, or if you’d like to accompany one on the count, call (207) 781-2332, ext. 241, or e-mail mmalin@maineaudubon.org.] At 4,300 adults, Maine’s loon population is the largest in New England. However, Maine’s loons suffer from extremely low productivity compared to neighboring states. Shoreline development, high levels of mercury and other toxins, lead sinkers and boats all pose problems to breeding loons and their chicks. Not only did last year’s loon count show a plateau in the adult population, it also revealed a decline in the population of Maine’s loon chicks for the second year in a row. Gallo notes, however, that historically loon chick numbers rebound after two or three years of decline. A keystone of Maine Audubon’s Maine Loon Project, the annual count was launched in 1983 as part of a joint effort by Maine Audubon and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to assess Maine’s common loon population. At the time, many people believed they were observing fewer loons than they had in years past, but no data existed to show whether the population actually was in decline. Today, thanks to the help of hundreds of volunteers statewide, biologists have a good estimate of Maine’s loon population, which until recently has appeared to slightly increase. More than 1,000 volunteers across Maine took part in last summer’s 20th annual count, which was the highest number of counters since the count began, reflecting a growing public interest and enthusiasm for loon conservation. “Our citizen science volunteers are very committed to loon conservation,” said Gallo. “They come out to count loons year after year.” “The loons are like our pets,” said Jeanne Bagshaw Raymond, who counts loons on No Name Pond in Androscoggin County. “We eagerly look and wait for them to come back each spring.” Raymond enjoys bringing children with her on count and teaching them about the project as well as the loons. “They’re such awesome birds,” she said. Maine Audubon is no longer accepting volunteers for this year’s count, but those who would like to participate in the 2005 loon count can call Susan Gallo at (207) 781-2330, ext. 216. Maine Audubon is currently seeking funding for a habitat-quality ranking project to address some of the conservation concerns facing Maine's loon population. The project would train volunteers to identify loon territories and monitor water quality, recreational use, nesting habitat and lakeshore features to create an index of habitat quality for nesting loons. Such information would help identify which lakes are of highest priority for conservation. Maine Audubon has long worked to promote awareness of the impact of people on loons. A recent brochure and poster titled “Living In Loon Territory” highlights action that homeowners, boaters and anglers can take to reduce their impact on Maine’s loon population. Ingestion of lead sinkers used in fishing continues to be a problem for common loons, even though a ban on the sale of lead sinkers weighing a half-ounce or less was passed by the Maine Legislature in 2000. Maine Audubon supports potential new legislation to strengthen the existing ban and curtail the negative impacts of lead sinkers. For more information about the Maine Loon Project, call (207) 781-2330, ext. 216, or visit www.maineaudubon.org. MAINE AUDUBON works to conserve Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people of all ages in education, conservation and action. With a 160-year history of connecting people with nature, Maine Audubon is the only organization in Maine working to conserve wildlife in three ways: providing hands-on environmental education for people of all ages, conducting research and wildlife conservation projects statewide and taking action to help shape effective science-based conservation policy. Support for Maine Audubon comes from its 11,000 members and supporters, including individuals, foundations and corporations. Maine Audubon’s 11 public wildlife sanctuaries on 3,000 acres, along with its environmental-education centers, camps and hundreds of trips, programs and volunteer opportunities throughout the year, offer children through senior citizens wide-ranging opportunities to explore, learn about and care for Maine’s wildlife. For more information about Maine Audubon, call (207) 781-2330 or visit www.maineaudubon.org.