The loons have migrated to points south and east for the winter but the dedicated staff at the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation http://www.adkloon.org are working hard to promote loon conservation, providing education about this important species and of course, are on call to rescue stranded or injured birds.  Denise Silfee is the ACLC's Director of Education, recently presenting to the club a program which highlights what a healthy loon population means for the lakes we all enjoy.  Stop in to the ACLC office in Saranac Lake to see the exhibits and while you're learning some real interesting facts, stop in the gift shop for some unique holiday gifts.  And please do consider a donation to help the ACLC bring its message to more visitors and schools and also to enable more research projects which will inform the public about keeping the Adirondacks the natural wonder that it is.  Besides highlights of Denise's presentation, the photos include images from the 2024 loon survey where loons are temporarily captured to assess their health, banded for further study and released back into their habitat.

We had a return visit, via Zoom, from Joe Tastrom of the Beagle Freedom Project.  Joe discussed why beagles are frequently chosen for research, subjecting the animals to experimentation leading to physical and developmental problems.  Companies are bowing to pressure to halt animal testing due to evidence of cruel and inhumane treatment.  The Beagle Freedom Project (http://bfp.org) has rescued many animals and rehomed them to families who will care for animals that have endured months or years of suffering.

Joe showed three short videos about the Project's work.  One video describes a recent major rescue event http://bfp.org/summer-of-freedom-rescues).  Other videos are https://youtu.be/EdmiODHL_ls?si=JrySow00GAbTtPWk and https://youtu.be/8p__eLTL6n4?si=22w4Bm3qKbSoCRz_.  Click to see Joe's presentation and visit their website to learn about how you can help.

Jenna Audlin is a student in the Saranac Lake system who Zoomed in to a recent meeting.  Her love of the outdoors and desire to educate children about the environment they live in has led her to create a series of books that encourage children to understand the Adirondack environment.  Jenna's books are full of activities which are done while, for example, on a hike.  The goal is to increase observation skills and interpret what certain things mean in the life cycle of a tree or the changing of the seasons.  Jenna self-publishes her books and they are sold through Amazon or local stores like The Bookstore Plus.  For more about Jenna, please click this link to read a recent story in the Adirondack Explorer:  https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/exploring-the-adirondacks-with-a-pencil