Four decades ago, Vermont had only seven pairs of Common Loons left in the state. Now 115 nesting pairs call our lakes and ponds home, and the number continues to increase. This conservation triumph is the result of many organizations and people—including regular folks like you—working together.    For more information on the Vermont Loon Conservation Project, check out this link.  

 

The Lake Eden Association volunteers have been active participants in the program.   The lake has benefited and has had an active pair of mating loons for many years.  Volunteers coordinate with the State of Vermont to put up / take down the loon nesting platform, signage, and participate in monitoring of the resident loons including doing loon counts twice per year.   It is always a pleasure to see a successful hatch and follow the baby loons all summer!  In 2025, there was a successful hatch of 2 chicks using a natural nest instead of the platform.  1 chick survived the summer and we enjoyed watching them grow all summer.    ​For 2026, the loons are back and the platform and signage is in place.   ​Fingers-crossed for another successful year!

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If you have questions about the Loon program on Lake Eden, reach out to the volunteers on the contact us page.  

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Loon Conservation Program Update for 2025 (credit Eric W. Hanson, Vermont Center for EcoStudies) 

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Over 350 volunteers helped the Vermont Loon Conservation Project (VLCP) and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department monitor Vermont’s loons this summer, and collectively we identified 115 Common Loon nesting pairs. 

 

The north central part of the state (from Ryegate to Eden) is experiencing a loon boom; 182 adult loons were counted on LoonCount day in July, over 30 more than in previous years. 

 

Even more exciting: for the first time, loon chicks hatched out and survived on Shadow Lake in Glover and the Cedar Point territory of Echo Lake in Charleston—both had failed nests in 2024. We documented three new nesting pairs at Colchester Pond, Lake Fairlee, and Long Pond in Milton. 

 

After a dip in 2023 and 2024, we’re back up to a higher-than-average nest success rate—a record 103 chicks survived through August, and 15 fewer nests failed this year compared to last year. Loons are resilient! Of the 29 pairs whose first nest attempts failed, 11 re-nested, and six were successful.

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​Please see the full report for all the details here.