The Common Loon population of Squam Lake, New Hampshire, experienced a precipitous decline between 2004 and 2005, followed by years of almost total reproductive failure, from which the loons have still not recovered. Since the initial population crash, the Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) has been working to uncover the reasons for these declines, following a trail of chemical contamination on a reputedly pristine lake, high rates of adult loon mortality, and the mysteries of loon social interaction that have seemingly contributed to their inability to recover. Tiffany Grade, LPC’s Squam Lake Project Biologist, will trace the disturbing but fascinating history of Squam’s loons and LPC’s efforts to restore a healthy population of loons to the lake.
After receiving a doctorate in medieval history, Tiffany Grade realized that bird conservation was her real passion and completed a master’s degree in conservation biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011.