Here is a brief outline of our Michigan Loonwatch Program, to let you know more about us and the things that our Loon Rangers and Alternate Rangers do to help in the protection efforts for Michigan’s Common Loons and their habitat.
Michigan Loonwatch began in 1986 to provide registry, management and protection of the Common Loon. The volunteer Loon Rangers are a vital part of our program, and with their help we are presently monitoring over 300 Michigan lakes and using the information in many ways to help the loons.
Briefly, the duties of the Loon Rangers are:
- to report yearly to the Area and State Coordinator on the loons’ nesting efforts on their lakes: the number of loon pairs, the number of chicks hatched and fledged, and also on the lake environment and habitat as they affect the nesting efforts.
- to act to protect the loons from people, animals and other birds, and to report immediately to the appropriate public agencies any problems the loons may have.
- to provide a protection and public education plan for loons on their lakes for neighbors and lake visitors, such as posting Loon Alert signs and educational materials which are provided by Loonwatch.
- to map loon nesting habitat for use in review of proposed lakeshore projects and the management of water levels. Each spring a packet containing information, forms, instructions and materials is sent out to our Loon Rangers. Throughout the year they will be assisted by an Area Coordinator. The Rangers are asked to return a Lake Report Form to the State Coordinator late in the Fall, so that data gained from their observations can be entered into the Loonwatch database.
If you have any questions or concerns, or if there is more information that you would like, and/or if you would like to consider becoming part of our Loon Ranger Program, please send us an email!
On behalf of the Michigan Loon Preservation Association and Michigan Loonwatch, and for a bright future for Michigan’s Common Loon, we thank you for your interest and look forward to hearing from you!