Food for Thought program to host loon project coordinator

Tracy Hart Submitted photo

Food for Thought, offered by the University of Southern Maine Lewiston-Auburn College, is set to be back on Zoom at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29. Tracy Hart, the coordinator of the Maine Loon Restoration Project at Maine Audubon, will be the guest speaker.

The presentation aims to answer a variety of questions, according to a news release from Diane Clay, Senior College board member. Have you ever heard the mournful call of a loon and wondered who it’s calling to and why? Or have you wondered why a loon who fights fiercely with other loons all season lets down its guard this time of year to socialize in large groups? How is Maine’s loon population doing? Where do loons go in winter? Why do they make those haunting calls at night?

The presentation also will cover the threats loons face, and conservation actions people can take to help ensure loons thrive in Maine’s lakes and ponds.

Hart has been with Maine Audubon for three years and leads a five-year project in partnership with Lakes Environmental Association, Maine Lakes, the Penobscot Nation, and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, aimed at increasing loon productivity and addressing causes of mortality.

She works with partners and local residents to help loon pairs that struggle to hatch chicks by placing artificial nesting platforms, and she reaches out to lake users about steps they can take to reduce loon deaths from boat strikes and lead fishing tackle.

Hart grew up on the coast of Maine and has worked in conservation for the last 30 years throughout the U.S. and internationally. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Brown University and a master’s degree in conservation biology and sustainable development from the University of Maryland.

To sign up and for more information, email laseniorcollege@gmail.com by Wednesday, Sept. 28, to receive a link. The presentation is free and open to the public.