Maine Audubon credits conservation, urges native plants and lead-sinker phase-out to protect loons and shorebirds

Nick Lund, advocacy and outreach manager for Maine Audubon, told attendees that focused conservation, policy changes and community partnerships have driven recoveries for several emblematic Maine species — particularly piping plovers, bald eagles, loons and puffins.

Lund said coordinated beach-nest protection beginning in the early 1980s helped piping plovers rebound from fewer than 10 breeding pairs to more than 250 pairs today. He pointed to legislation and policy changes — including the DDT ban and protections under the Endangered Species Act and eagle-protection laws — as factors in bald eagle recovery (from 21 pairs in 1967 to about 737 pairs by 2018).

On loons, Lund described the Loon Count and a necropsy partnership with Tufts Veterinary School that identified lead fishing tackle as a leading cause of mortality. "We figured that out... Maine Audubon has been very active passing legislation in the state of Maine to phase out the sale of lead sinkers and jigs," he said.

Lund recommended practical steps residents can take: plant native species to support caterpillars (critical food for nestlings), follow hunting seasons and safe boating practices near nests, and avoid lead fishing tackle. He said puffin reintroduction programs (credited to Dr. Steve Kress and partners) returned more than 1,300 pairs to seven Maine islands, but cautioned that warming Gulf of Maine waters could change prey availability and pose future risks.

Lund framed the takeaways as evidence that conservation works when people change harmful practices and enact protective measures, and he urged continued monitoring and community engagement.