New T-shirt Offers Way to Help Loons in Style

Maine Audubon celebrates 25th anniversary of Loon Count this Saturday

LIBERTY, Maine, July 17, 2008—What makes T-shirts unique, says Liberty Graphics owner Tom Opper, is that they send a powerful message with few words or none at all. His company’s latest creation uses the iconic image of a loon to help build support for the bird’s conservation in Maine.

Maine Audubon has teamed up with Liberty Graphics to create a T-shirt celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Maine Audubon Loon Count, which takes place Saturday, July 19. Proceeds from T-shirt sales will support the project, which produces an annual estimate of Maine’s loon population. It is New England’s largest loon count and one of the biggest citizen-scientist initiatives in the country.

Living on the shore of Lake St. George, Opper frequently wakes to the cry of the loon and has participated in several Loon Counts over the years. “It’s really a neat project,” Opper said of the Loon Count. “We’re more than happy to make this contribution and we hope it’s a success.”

“This beautiful shirt is a great way to recognize reaching 25 years,” said Maine Loon Project director Susan Gallo. “Thanks to Tom and his company’s help, we can spread the word about loon conservation and raise money to protect this emblem of Maine.”

Produced with water-based inks, the shirts bear a loon-on-the-water image by Maine artist Beverly Kocenko.

The shirts, which come in a full range of men’s and women’s sizes, can be purchased for $19.95. They are currently available online at www.maineaudubon.org or at Maine Audubon’s Nature Store at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth. Call (207) 781-2330, ext. 201, to order.

Over 800 volunteers across the state will be taking part in the 25th annual Loon Count this Saturday between 7 and 7:30 a.m. Counters are given areas to count on the shore or by boat; regional coordinators compile the results and send them to Maine Audubon for analysis.

After compiling results, Maine Audubon estimates the state’s loon population, using this information for wildlife conservation efforts. Over the last 25 years, data collected by citizen-scientists has helped build support for laws that keep our waters clean by reducing mercury and lead sinkers, and for outreach on how people can share the lakes with nesting loons.

For more information, contact Maine Loon Project director Susan Gallo at (207) 781-2330, ext. 216 or visit our Loon Project page here.

MAINE AUDUBON works to conserve Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people of all ages in education, conservation and action. For more than 160 years, Maine Audubon has been connecting people with nature and leading science-based conservation in major projects across the state. An independent affiliate of Audubon’s national organization, Maine Audubon has seven local chapters, 10 nature centers and sanctuaries, and 11,000 members and supporters.

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