The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is looking for volunteers to help them monitor the loon population in Cook and Lake Counties between June 29 and July 9.  Volunteers would be needed for just one day during that monitoring period.

Volunteers can choose one or more of the following lakes to count the number of adult and juvenile loons seen and report these observations to the DNR for data analysis.

Cook and Lake County lakes that need volunteers include:

  • Homer
  • Bonanza
  • Cross River Lake
  • Lake T
  • Thunderbird

Per the DNR, the time commitment is one to four hours per lake and surveys must be done between 5:00 a.m. - noon on one day during the monitoring period.

Surveys can be conducted from shore on smaller lakes, or by boat or canoe on larger lakes. The Minnesota DNR will provide detailed instructions, training materials, maps and a data form.

Volunteers play an important role in monitoring the health and welfare of the Minnesota state bird.

If you're interested, contact Ashley Kastner, 218-328-8823, or ashley.kastner@state.mn.us.

Follow the link below to get more details on the loon monitoring program.

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