LEWISTON — A talk about common loons will be presented Monday, March 2, at the monthly meeting of the Stanton Bird Club. The presentation will be by Camilla Fecteau. Her program is called “The Common Loon: Protecting a Symbol of Maine Wilderness.”

Common loons have long been a beloved part of Maine’s wild places but now face many threats to their survival and ability to reproduce. This talk will discuss the life history of loons, the biggest risks to their success, how scientists are addressing these issues and actions that people can take to preserve their place on our lakes.

Camilla Fecteau is a laboratory coordinator and instructor for the Biology Department at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. Originally from Vermont, she graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington in 2004 with a B.S. degree in environmental science and the University of Southern Maine in 2008 with a M.S. degree in biology.

In addition to her education work, her primary research focus has been mercury toxicology in wild bird populations. She has worked as a biologist for the Loon Preservation Committee of New Hampshire and the BioDiversity Research Institute of Gorham, where she has studied the effects of mercury on a number of bird species including belted kingfishers, common loons and a variety of sea birds, waterfowl, raptors and songbirds. She is very interested in the use of birds and other living organisms as indicators of environmental health and the effects of mercury on avian reproductive success.

The Stanton meeting and Fecteau’s presentation will take place at 6:30 p.m. at USM L/A, Androscoggin Room, 51 Westminster St. The meeting is free and open to the public.

The Stanton Bird Club is a conservation organization offering monthly free natural history programs and field trips throughout the state. The organization welcomes new members whose dues help to provide land stewardship at three sanctuaries, owned and managed by the club, in Lewiston and Monmouth. For more information, call 888-363-0007, visit www.stantonbirdclub.org or email questions to [email protected].