Every night in the summer I fall asleep to the hauntingly beautiful sound of loons singing. Their coos are a pleasant reminder of my close proximity to the lake that our cabin sits on and the wilderness that we are in. Loons have often been recognized as “a symbol of unspoiled wilderness,” as they can easily be displaced by human populations. Albeit I can hear them every night on our lake, loon populations have been labeled as a species of special concern in the state of New York. I fear that they will disappear from our lakes because without loons I don’t believe I would feel as close to, or as engaged with, the wilderness. Loons exemplify that the presence of a certain species or biotic element can define if something is wilderness or not, which affects the degree to which that species or biotic element are protected.
In the Adirondacks, loons are protected by a number of different groups, including the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation. This center conducts research and outreach programs to ensure that loons “remain an integral and vital part of New York’s wildlife heritage, and that their haunting calls continue to echo across Adirondack lakes for generations to come.” Loons are considered an important and majestic part of the Adirondack wilderness, and it is important to protect them because the Adirondack environment wouldn’t be the same without them.
http://www.briloon.org/adkloon
I love loons!! Every time I go to the Adirondacks I love lying there at night and listening to their beautiful calls. They're such a key part of the Adirondack wilderness, their current population decline is so tragic!
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