Join the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation (ACLC), the Adirondack Invasive Plant Program (APIPP), Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) and other organizations for an evening to gather, learn and support healthy lake ecosystems.

From 6 pm - 7 pm, attendees will be able to visit with organizations like Adirondack Lake Alliance, Ausable Freshwater Center, Lake Champlain Basin Program and Upper Saranac Foundation. The Wild Center will be on-site with kids’ activities.

From 7 pm - 8 pm there will be brief presentations by ACLC, APIPP and AWI, followed by a panel with the speakers.

From 8 pm - 9 pm attendees will have another chance to interact with organizations at their display tables.

This event is free and family-friendly!

Mark your calendars for the Adirondack Loon Celebration to be held at Paul Smith’s VIC!

The day begins with a guided paddle on Lake Clear with ACLC staff from 9 am - 11 am. Registration is required.

Then join us at Paul Smith’s Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) for an afternoon of fun!

Schedule of Events:

12 pm - 2 pm: Live music by Fulton’s Folly, food for purchase, kids’ games and activities, face painting, displays about ACLC’s research and conservation initiatives, art contest winners, and more. Also turn in your lead fishing tackle to receive a $10 voucher for non-lead alternatives, and purchase your final raffle tickets for the Hornbeck boat raffle!

A Guided Nature Walk by Northern New York Audubon will leave the VIC at 12:30 pm. Participants should wear comfortable shoes and layers for the weather, and expect to walk for about one hour.

2 pm - 3 pm: The winners of the student art contest will be announced before the start of the Loon Call contest!

3 pm - 3:50 pm: Guest speaker Dr. James Paruk, loon biologist and author of Loon Lessons, will present “A Journey Into the Loon World”.

3:50 pm: Raffle drawing for the winner Hornbeck canoe! ‘

Paddle with loons! An ACLC staff member will lead participants on a two-hour paddle to responsibly view and learn about Adirondack loons in their natural habitat. Registration is $75/person and includes a free t-shirt and special gift. Details can be found on our Guided Paddles page, and you can register in our online store.

After the paddle, head over to Paul Smiths VIC for the Loon Celebration!

Rain Date: Saturday, October 4th from 9 am - 11 am.

Driving directions, instructions and more will be emailed out the day before the paddle!

Stop by the ADK Xperience for All at the Adirondack Experience Museum on Blue Mountain Lake to visit the Loon Center table and to hear a presentation about responsible recreation and living alongside loons! Presentation time is still TBD. Entrance to the museum is FREE for the day! Learn more at Xperience For All | Adirondack Experience.

Common loons are symbols of wilderness and the North Country. We love them for their beauty, their calls and their charismatic behaviors. But common loons are also important for helping us understand the health of our Adirondack lake ecosystems. Join us to hear about the common loon's role as a sentinel species and what we can learn from them. 

Paddle with loons! An ACLC staff member will lead participants on a two-hour paddle to responsibly view and learn about Adirondack loons in their natural habitat. Registration is $75/person and includes a free t-shirt and special gift. Details can be found on our Guided Paddles page, and you can register in our online store.

Rain Date: Friday, September 26th from 10 am - 12 pm.

Driving directions, instructions and more will be emailed out the day before the paddle!

Paddle with loons! An ACLC staff member will lead participants on a two-hour paddle to responsibly view and learn about Adirondack loons in their natural habitat. Registration is $75/person and includes a free t-shirt and special gift. Details can be found on our Guided Paddles page, and you can register in our online store.

Rain Date: Friday, September 12th from 10 am - 12 pm.

Driving directions, instructions and more will be emailed out the day before the paddle!

Join us for the 2nd Annual Loon Lakeside BBQ, an event that brings together friends, supporters, and community amidst the beauty of the Adirondacks.

The afternoon begins with an exclusive, limited-admission pre-event from 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm at the Historic St. Gabriel's Church in Paul Smith's, followed by the main event at 4 pm on the Great Lawn at Paul Smith's College. Enjoy delicious local fare, live music and great company as we honor the remarkable Hornbeck family, generational stewards of the Adirondacks and their communities.

Come celebrate summer, community and the incredible people who make our mission possible. Learn more and get your tickets at Event Registration - Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation.

Join ACLC staff for a special presentation, Unveiling the Secret Lives of Nesting Adirondack Loons, that provides a summary of some of the findings of Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation’s nest camera study, as well as information about loon behavior and natural history and an overview of ACLC’s work overall. For this special family-friendly event, there will also be a Build a Loon Nest kids’ craft. This event is free and open to the public!

Unveiling the Secret Lives of Nesting Adirondack Loons provides a summary of some of the findings of Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation’s nest camera study, as well as information about loon behavior and natural history and an overview of ACLC’s work overall.

This event is free and open to the public.

Paddle with loons! An ACLC staff member will lead participants on a two-hour paddle to responsibly view and learn about Adirondack loons in their natural habitat. Registration is $75/person and includes a free t-shirt and special gift. Details can be found on our Guided Paddles page, and you can register in our online store.

Rain Date: Friday, August 15th from 10 am - 12 pm

Join us for a special paddle event with wildlife photographer Andrew Hudnut, who will provide tips and tricks for capturing compelling wildlife photographs while also viewing wildlife responsibly. There are two times for this paddle: a sunrise paddle and an evening paddle. Choose the session that appeals to you the most! See samples of Andrew’s work at his website.

This paddle is open to all photographers at any stage in their craft. It is recommended to bring a lens that can zoom to at least 300mm to provide the best chances for excellent images. (Larger lens can be more difficult to hold stably in a kayak, so please choose what you are most comfortable using.) It is also recommended to bring a camera poncho or dry bag to protect equipment from water.

Participants must provide their own boat and PFD. Registration is $150/person and includes a free t-shirt + free gift. Location is TBD but will be within a 20-minute drive of Saranac Lake and will be announced as soon as we know where the loons will be this year. Rain date is Sunday, August 10.

To register: https://adkloon.square.site/shop/presentations-paddles/24

Join us for a special paddle event with wildlife photographer Andrew Hudnut, who will provide tips and tricks for capturing compelling wildlife photographs while also viewing wildlife responsibly. There are two times for this paddle: a sunrise paddle and an evening paddle. Choose the session that appeals to you the most! See samples of Andrew’s work at his website.

This paddle is open to all photographers at any stage in their craft. It is recommended to bring a lens that can zoom to at least 300mm to provide the best chances for excellent images. (Larger lens can be more difficult to hold stably in a kayak, so please choose what you are most comfortable using.) It is also recommended to bring a camera poncho or dry bag to protect equipment from water.

Participants must provide their own boat and PFD. Registration is $150/person and includes a free t-shirt + free gift. Location is TBD but will be within a 20-minute drive of Saranac Lake and will be announced as soon as we know where the loons will be this year. Rain date is Sunday, August 10.

To register: https://adkloon.square.site/shop/presentations-paddles/24

Paddle with loons! An ACLC staff member will lead participants on a two-hour paddle to responsibly view and learn about Adirondack loons in their natural habitat. Registration is $75/person and includes a free t-shirt and special gift. Details can be found on our Guided Paddles page, and you can register in our online store.

Rain Date: Friday, August 8th from 10 am - 12 pm

Join ACLC staff at the Wild Center during Adirondack Water Week to learn about how common loons are affected by climate change, and what this might mean for the future of loons in the Adirondack Park.

This event is free for members of the Wild Center, or included with admission to the museum.

Visit our booth at the 2025 EcoArts Fest in Old Forge! This event celebrates Adirondack Water Week and is sponsored by Maintain the Chain and held at the View Arts Center. Stations feature free, hands-on art and science activities. Come check out our booth as well as those of other great Adirondack organizations! Learn more at EcoArts Fest.

Like many species, common loon populations have been impacted by climate change. Over the last two decades, Adirondack loons have experienced increasing nest failure and migration disruption due to climate change. Are Loons on Thin Ice with Climate Change? provides an overview of the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation’s observations of how climate change is impacting Adirondack loons, as well as information about loon behavior and natural history.

This event is free to members of the Adirondack History Museum and $8 for non-members. Check their website for more information and to register: https://www.adkhistorycenter.org/

Join us for a virtual presentation by Jack Widness of Responsible Lakes for Vermont Lakes titled “What Loons and People are Learning about having Wakesports on their Lakes”. Mr. Widness will discuss lessons learned from assessing the impacts of wake boats on Vermont lakes. This presentation is part of our Loon Friendly Lakes Certification Program series for 2025, and is open to the public. Attendance is free but requires registration. Please register at the link to receive the presentation link.

REGISTER HERE

The 2025 NY Annual Loon Census will take place from 8 am - 9 am on Saturday, July 19th. Community scientists (that could be you!) can register to observe loons on any lake in New York and contribute data to this yearly snapshot of the loon population in the state. Sign-ups open on May 21st and close on Friday, July 18th at 5 pm. The earlier you sign-up the more likely a lake of your choice will be available. Several Loon Census events occur around the Adirondacks after the census; stay tuned for more information about these events!

To sign up, visit ACLC’s Census Page and follow the instructions. Sign-ups open on MAY 21.

Join Denise Silfee, Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation, and Gary Lee, Experienced Adirondack Loon Rescuer, to learn more about the important role loons play in the ADK ecosystem, and the sometimes wild adventures that ensue during rescues. 

Join us during Art Walk on July 17 to meet author Julie Betts Testwuide and get your copy of her book Loon Life: Loonlets’ First Summer! This adorable children’s book features photographs by Julie as well as narrative and loon sounds in an audio feature of the book. We will have light snacks and visitors can peruse our exhibits and shop in the Loon Center gift store.

Paddle with loons! An ACLC staff member will lead participants on a two-hour paddle to responsibly view and learn about Adirondack loons in their natural habitat. Registration is $75/person and includes a free t-shirt and special gift. Details can be found on our Guided Paddles page, and you can register in our online store.

Rain Date: Friday, July 18th from 10 am - 12 pm

Join ACLC’s Director of Education and Communication Denise Silfee and Dancing Turtle’s founder Debbie Philp for a joint presentation about the importance of loons and turtles for lake ecosystem health. We’ll cover loon and turtle natural history and biology, as well as how each species contributes to overall lake health.

This event is co-sponsored by Schroon Lake Association (SLA) and East Shore Schroon Lake Association (ESSLA) and will be held at Scrhoon Lake High School. This is event is free and open to the public.

Like many species, common loon populations have been impacted by climate change. Over the last two decades, Adirondack loons have experienced increasing nest failure and migration disruption due to climate change. Are Loons on Thin Ice with Climate Change? provides an overview of the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation’s observations of how climate change is impacting Adirondack loons, as well as information about loon behavior and natural history.

This presentation is part of the Birkhead Annual Lecture through Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT) and will be held at Zenda Farms Preserve in Clayton, NY. It is FREE to attend, but registration is requested. Learn more, including how to register, at TILT’s website.

Paddle with loons! An ACLC staff member will lead participants on a two-hour paddle to responsibly view and learn about Adirondack loons in their natural habitat. Registration is $75/person and includes a free t-shirt and special gift. Details can be found on our Guided Paddles page, and you can register in our online store.

Rain Date: Friday, July 11th from 10 am - 12 pm

Unveiling the Secret Lives of Nesting Adirondack Loons provides a summary of some of the findings of Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation’s nest camera study, as well as information about loon behavior and natural history and an overview of ACLC’s work overall.

This is a virtual event. Please log into the presentation at 6 pm by clicking HERE.

Paddle with loons! An ACLC staff member will lead participants on a two-hour paddle to responsibly view and learn about Adirondack loons in their natural habitat. Registration is $75/person and includes a free t-shirt and special gift. Details can be found on our Guided Paddles page, and you can register in our online store.

Rain Date: Friday, June 20th from 10 am - 12 pm

The Great Adirondack Birding Celebration, managed by the Northern New York Audubon, will be held from Friday, May 30 - Sunday, June 1, 2025 at the Paul Smiths College Visitors Center (VIC). Friday and Sunday will be full of activities you can participate in, and you can visit our table at the VIC on Saturday alongside other great organizations. Learn more at https://www.nnya.org/gabc .

Visit our table at the ADK Outdoor Expo & Gear Swap at the Station in Onchioto. Check out deal from outdoor shops, play games and learn about organizations like the Loon Center! Learn more at https://www.adkoutdoorexpo.com/.