Volunteers can help track loons, aquatic health this summer in national park
The echoing call of a loon can be a welcome sound to those who frequent lake country over the summer.
What people visiting the lakes may not know, however, is that the serene and somewhat haunting call can indicate the presence of a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Loons are negatively affected by pollution, human disturbances, and long-range transports that can be hazards to the water.
Since 2009, volunteers have been called on to participate in the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey in the Prince Albert National Park. The survey is part of a larger national program that tracks common loon reproductive success by monitoring chick hatch survival. The program asks citizen scientists to spend a few hours around lakes during the summer to monitor the waterfowl and help assess lake-ecosystem health.
“We also use it to get Canadians involved in our science program in the park, so they develop a stronger connection and gain experiences,” Norman Stolle, a resource conservation manager at the national park, said.