There are a number of opportunities for others to help us, if they wish to do so. Collaborations with professional scientists, including postdocs, are always welcomed, as there is much yet to learn about loons. (See Current Goals page.) We are always excited to hear about interesting and odd loon behaviors and also loons that are injured or sick in our study area and which we are sometimes able to help.

Five to seven field research assistant positions are available each year collect data on loon ecology in Minnesota or Wisconsin. Assistants are usually college students or recent graduates interested in animal behavior, ecology, or wildlife studies. Students apply for the positions in January for field work between May and August of the same year.

There are opportunities for graduate study of loons through Dr. Lauren Riters at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, who is a collaborator.

Folks who live on or visit our study lakes and observe interesting territorial behavior or reproductive events such as nesting or chicks can e-mail me, especially if they are able to see most or all of the colored leg bands on loons’ legs or get good photos of color bands. Most valuable are reports of territorial battles and nests. We often miss such events and must piece together what happened afterwards.