How a Maine Lake Community Is Protecting Common Loons, ABA’s Bird of the Year

On the left is Tracy Hart from Maine Audubon and on the right is Edith Cornwall, East Pond Association president. They are preparing the raft with plants and moss.

Birders are often aware of the important bird conservation work being done by large organizations or government agencies, but small organizations, local communities, and even individuals often do critical conservation work as well. Part of the mission of the ABA’s Bird of the Year Program is to elevate the profiles of the important conservation initiatives performed by smaller groups that birders might otherwise not know about, like the East Pond Association in Maine.

The East Pond Association is a volunteer nonprofit formed in 1948 that works to preserve the delicate ecology of East Pond, an 1,800-acre lake in central Maine. Through education and volunteer initiatives, East Pond Association members protect the water quality and wildlife of East Pond, including Common Loons.

Before the organization’s founding, an observation among community members was that essentially everyone on the lake loved the loons, but that often meant approaching the loons and their chicks in watercraft too closely, without realizing the danger such activity poses to loons. Through a combination of signs, pamphlets, and articles, the Association spread awareness of how best to enjoy the loons without endangering them. The initiatives have been so successful that, last year, East Pond Association began giving presentations to other lake associations with loons.

This year, East Pond Association launched its first loon nesting raft in a loon territory with a recent history of failed nesting, but which used to regularly produce chicks. Loon chicks have declined in East Pond over the last forty years: previously there could be up to six chicks per year but now it’s more like two or three. The lake has a rather large loon presence: occasionally group gatherings of loons can reach 15–20 individuals.

In cooperation with Maine Audubon, East Pond Association has encouraged local businesses and property owners to display loon awareness signs so residents and visitors can be aware of the loons and how to help safeguard them from dangers like high-speed recreational boating. The Association also posts updates on its Facebook page and articles in its member newsletter. Additionally, the organization helps prevent invasive plant species from overwhelming the ecosystem through local events, “plant paddles,” and an Adopt a Shoreline program, where volunteers receive training to recognize invasive plant species and report any observations.

These activities have helped preserve the presence of loons on East Pond despite the increasing threat of more and faster boats, among other challenges for loons. Occasionally, injured loons are spotted by watchful residents and taken to a bird rehabilitation center and partnering organization, Avian Haven, but the birds do not always survive.

Birders interested in East Pond Association can learn more about this organization and their conservation efforts by visiting their website, eastpond.org. Maine Audubon and Avian Haven are also important partners to the East Pond Association.

The ABA salutes the East Pond Association for their advocacy and conservation action, because community-powered conservation helps birds and birders everywhere. The author thanks Candie and Jack Leunig for their generous correspondence, interest in the ABA’s Bird of the Year Program, and leadership in protecting Common Loons.

In northern lakes throughout the ABA Area, Common Loons are a beloved sight. In East Pond, Maine, residents have taken special interest in protecting their local Common Loons, so that generations to come can continue to enjoy these magnificent waterbirds. Image by Andrew Patrick.