Photo by Natasha Bartolotta

By Jennifer Janasie - Boreal Community Media - July 8, 2025

Amidst the many amazing events in the area this summer, an upcoming program at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center is sure to please a whole family of wildlife lovers. On Sunday, July 13, from 2 to 3 p.m., Maddi Nistler from the National Loon Center in Crosslake will be offering the “All About Loons” program. It will be Nistler’s first time in the region and her first chance to explore Chik-Wauk. “This is a unique area that I am excited to visit!” she told Boreal Community Media.

A Minnesota GreenCorps Member, Minnesota Master Naturalist, and loon advocate, Nistler shares her passion for wildlife both at the Loon Center and through on-the-road presentations like the one at Chik-Wauk. As the program’s name suggests, Nistler will focus on taking participants on an exploration of all things loon. Specifically, the focus is the Common Loon, the species of loon present in the midwestern states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan (and also residing in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont). There are five species of loons total, with the other species inhabiting lakes in Alaska and Canada, according to Nistler. “Our Common Loons follow the Mississippi Flyway to the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Panhandle when migrating,” she says.

Nistler offers us a sneak-peak regarding what attendees can expect to experience through her presentation on the Common Loon in the Midwest, known for its eerie yet lovely calls and its distinction as Minnesota’s state bird.

 Loon in fog. Photo by Stephen Janasie

Program participants will learn more about the Loon Center, including its current programs, its history, and information about future programs and exhibits, according to Nistler. The center is breaking ground on a new facility (with plans to be open in late 2026) that will contain state-of-the-art technology and a cool design element, she added. “It is going to blow people away!” The Loon Center’s mission is to be a leader -- both nationally and in the Midwest -- on loon education, conservation, and research.

Program attendees will also take a deep-dive into the physical and behavioral characteristics that are unique to Common Loons. For example, did you know that they can dive as deep as 250 feet?! Nistler will share other fun facts, like this one, that are sure to astound.

As Chik-Wauk visitors learn more about loon biology, behaviors, and ecology, they will examine topics like nesting habits and migration patterns, and navigate the home habitat of the loon – complex and fascinating freshwater lake ecosystems, according to Nistler. “Loons are a part of our freshwater ecosystem, and it is fortunate that we can enjoy (this ecosystem) and loons enjoy it too,” she said before adding, “We can use loons as a champion for protecting our freshwater ecosystem as well.” Program attendees who have loons living on their lakes will get the opportunity to ask questions like, if they sometimes see chicks but don’t know where they are nesting, how can human lake residents help the loons out?

Learning about how to help loons can inherently bring up some somber topics, because these birds do need to contend with threats. It is not all fun and diving lessons living on the lake. “Loons are experiencing quite a few natural threats – both in our area and in our country overall,” says Nistler. “But the main issues right now are human-caused,” she emphasizes. Nistler will share valuable information with attendees about how lead tackle (toxic to both humans and loons) contributes to a loon population decline. “About 20 to 25 percent of all loon mortalities in the United States annually are caused by lead,” she says.

Adult loon feeding young. Photo by Olivia Guenzel

Lead is certainly the biggest threat to loons, but some other factors are also pretty universal -- like boating collisions, warming of lakes in the southern parts of the state (that are pushing loons further north), and human-induced water quality issues that are beginning to present themselves further and further north, according to Nistler. “Humans are unfortunately loving our lakes (and thus sometimes our loons) to death,” she says. Loons are used as an indicator species, according to Nistler. “When we start to see loons leave a lake, that may be an indication that something in the lake is preventing them from nesting, that they are finding that lake unfit to live,” says Nistler.

Boaters should be cautious around loons. “It is easy to assume that because loons are on the water, that they will dive down,” says Nistler. “But loon chicks are so fluffy, they can’t dive when they are young,” she adds.

Nistler’s favorite loon behavior to witness (usually around mid-June) is when loon parents keep chicks on their backs. “They pop their little heads out and you can see them!” she says excitedly about the chicks.

Fortunately, program participants can leave the program feeling hopeful and with a knowledge of best practices for protecting the loon population, according to Nistler. One example of an inspiring educational initiative that will be a focus of Nistler’s presentation is called “Share our Shoreline”. “It is always important to remember that we are in loons’ habitats (when we are on Minnesota lakes),” she says. Nistler plans to provide information in her program on what homeowners and lake visitors can do to keep loons safe while still enjoying and recreating on the lakes themselves.

After leaving Chik-Wauk, inspired to contribute to loon conservation in Minnesota, those interested in later visiting the Loon Center in Cross Lake can experience a floating classroom, on which Loon Center staff share interesting loon information on a boat ride while attendees get to see loons up close and personal.

For more information about loons, attend the presentation: