Raymond Comprehensive Plan meeting creates debate about sidewalk additions

By Kendra Raymond

The Raymond Comprehensive Plan draft was recently published for review and a public town hearing was held on Dec. 4 at the regular Comprehensive Plan Committee’s meeting. Committee members presented the current draft plan, shared updates, and heard feedback from residents.

Public feedback regarding
Raymond's new Comprehensive
Plan proposal has asked that more
road safety and road improvement
measures be included in the Raymond
Cape area of the town. The
Comprehensive Plan Committee
has extended the deadline to 
submit public comments about 
the plan to Dec. 31.
PHOTO BY KENDRA RAYMOND 

The public commentary about the plan was open from Oct. 11 to Dec. 4, where suggestions and input could be recorded and shared with the committee. CPC co-chair Peter Leavitt says that there was a unanimous vote at the meeting to extend the public comment period on the draft plan to Dec. 31, 2024.

Raymond’s new Comprehensive Plan’s Priority Goals and Actions includes five sections: Build a resilient Raymond, protect Raymond’s natural and water resources, invest in road and traffic improvements, prioritize walking and biking around Raymond, and strengthen Raymond’s sense of community.

The fourth item, “Prioritize walking and biking around Raymond: Build a trail or sidewalk that spans the length of Raymond Cape Road,” brought forth some lively discussion during the CPC committee’s Dec. 4 meeting.

Leavitt explained that the priority and verbiage around pedestrian accessibility was changed following the meeting,

“Based on both online and in person public comments the CPC decided to change the priority status involving Raymond Cape Road for the construction of walking/bike paths to include the village areas,” he said. “There was no public opposition to the draft plan's focus on promoting sidewalk and walking paths throughout Raymond in order to increase connectivity and/or improve roadway safety.”

Kelly Rocheleau is a Cape resident and attended the meeting.

“I would like to hear what other people are feeling. We are concerned about safety on the road for drivers and pedestrians,” she said. “I took away that the Cape improvements were low priority. It seemed like the sidewalks were being shot down.”

A local social media page discussion initiated some debate as well. Raymond resident Laura Abbott posted, “It’s insane. Is someone going to have to die for them to make it a priority? It’s a safety issue – at minimum.”

Kelly Rocheleau replied to the post, “The Comprehensive Plan is more about connectivity and bringing the town together. The paths make more sense to have them near the school, town office, Raymond village, and route 302. After hearing more, I understand that is the priority and that seems to benefit more of the town. To me, Cape Road is about safety. Something needs to be done before there is another fatal accident.”

Rocheleau said that she recalls a devastating fatality on the Cape in 2018.

“(Javiera Araya Arriagada) was my sister Karen’s tenant,” she said. The early morning collision occurred when Arriagada was driving north on the Cape. Her vehicle drifted off the pavement edge, and after over-correcting, Arriagada’s vehicle collided with a Ford F-550 hauling a trailer driven by Franklin Everett. She died at the scene. Cape resident Melissa Savage came upon the accident as it occurred. She said that the victim was responsive, but all Savage was able to do was make her comfortable and offer soothing words.”

The Comprehensive Plan draft section language under the heading Prioritize Safe Walking & Biking around Raymond says:

“Many Raymond residents are active people who love to spend time outdoors and would readily do less driving if it was safer and easier to walk or bike. Route 302 has a limited sidewalk network that lacks connectivity to other parts of town and nearby parks and public places. Routes 85 and 121 have a more rural setting and lack sidewalks or bike lanes. Raymond’s local roads do not have adequate road shoulders for pedestrians. Improving the ability to bike and walk around Raymond will be a big quality of life improvement for residents - and will help reduce traffic congestion. Policy: Make it easier to walk and bike around Raymond. • Build a trail or sidewalk that spans the length of Raymond Cape Road. • Develop a capital plan to prioritize and fund sidewalk construction and connections along the busiest parts of Route 302 and Route 85 in Raymond, and to widen or pave road shoulders along other public roads. • Amend ordinances to require sidewalks when new construction is built on Route 302, Route 85, and anywhere pedestrian activity is anticipated. • Partner with Maine DOT to add bike infrastructure like bike lanes or shoulders to Route 302, Route 85, and Route 121. • Create a plan to create pedestrian connections through sidewalks and trails in East Raymond Village. • Review and update standards for sidewalk construction in the Subdivision Ordinance to promote walkable new development. Policy: Increase off-road trails for recreation and bicycle/pedestrian travel through town. • Work with regional partners to connect to the Sebago to the Sea trail. • Partner with local snowmobile and ATV groups to create pedestrian and bike access to existing trails. • Build a trail connection between Sheri Gagnon Park, Raymond Village, and Route 302. • Increase trail, sidewalk, and bike lane connections to water access points and open spaces. Policy: Provide alternatives to driving. • Work with RTP, town staff and boards, and Raymond residents to bring back the Lakes Region Bus. • Explore partnering with regional towns for a vanpool service for seniors for daily needs and recreation.”

The CPC draft offered the following public comments: “Pretty much every road feels unsafe to walk or ride a bike on, except for the private, slow speed lakeside roads.”, “Cape Road needs a jogging/bike path! There are a lot of pedestrians and bicycles using that road safely. It is scenic with rolling hills and would be perfect for a path that has benches and lighting, from the ferry up to Hawthorne.”, “I love the idea of creating more sidewalks.”

“We deserve a better road,” said Rocheleau.

So, what’s next and how can residents have their voices heard? Leavitt said that once the Comp Plan is voted in, the townspeople will decide whether to fund the improvements.

“Implementation of the recommendations contained in the Comprehensive Plan begins once the residents approve the plan (on the) June 2025 town warrant and the Select board appoints the Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee. Ultimately the decision on funding any of the plan recommendations resides with the voters,” Leavitt said.

The recent CPC meeting was the last of its kind in the Comp Plan process. The CPC authorized the co-chairs Peter Leavitt and Kaela Gonzalez to make any additional edits to the plan that might be required by the Raymond Select Board or the state.

The Comprehensive Plan draft can be reviewed here: https://compplan.raymondmaine.org/index.php/review-the-plan/

Scroll to the bottom of the page to submit your feedback on the draft plan by the Dec. 31, 2024 deadline. <

In the public eye: WMS teacher dedicated to students and community

Editor’s Note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.

By Ed Pierce

It’s said that a great teacher is more than just someone who gives out answers to tests but is understanding of the needs and challenges of students and gives them the tools they need to succeed in life. Windham Middle School’s Mandy Lavallee can certainly be called one of those dedicated educators.

Mandy Lavallee teaches English and
Language Arts at Windham Middle School
and she also serves as the school's Student
Council Advisor. She's part of the
Leadership Team for WMS and has spent 
more than 20 years working in the field
of education. SUBMITTED PHOTO    

Lavallee teaches English and Language Arts at WMS and she serves as the school’s Student Council Advisor. She’s part of the Leadership Team for WMS and a member of the school’s Curriculum Committee for vocabulary work, the Community and Culture Committee and is the EF Tour Advisor.

“For eighth grade English and Language Arts, we are finishing up our World War II book studies unit,” Lavallee said. “Not only are we reading and analyzing, but we are crafting and writing. Students will be expected to write a literary essay as their final assessment.”

As WMS Student Council Advisor, Lavallee’s helped connect students to their community.

“So far this year we have collected food for the Windham Food Pantry, adopted a few families for Christmas and are currently supporting administration during our Holiday Assembly,” she said. “Within the next few weeks, we will be working on screen printing our own Windham shirts. Student Council has partnered with STEM to help bring this amazing opportunity to our students and staff.”

According to Lavallee, working on the WMS Leadership Team has been eye opening.

“It's important work and I'm proud to say, I've had the honor of working side by side with amazing staff from both middle schools,” she said.

Now in her second year of teaching at Windham Middle School, she has spent the past 20 years in the field of education.

“In 2005 I started as an educational technician at Windham Middle School. I worked with students who were in the care of the Department of Human Services and then the Functional Life Skills Program,” Lavallee said. “While I've worked in other districts teaching social studies and ELA, my favorite place to call home is WMS. While I do love curriculum work, making connections with my students and their families is what I enjoy the most. I truly enjoy my students and can't imagine doing anything different. Once my student, always my student.”

Originally from the Greater Portland area, she attended the University of New England where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history with a concentration in education. She later went back to UNE and obtained a teaching certificate and is certified to teach in both Kindergarten to Grade 8 and Grades 7 to 12. She did her student teaching at The REAL school on Mackworth Island. Lavallee has also worked as an educational technician, taught Social Studies for grades 9 to 12, been a Kindergarten to Grade 8 teacher and taught Language Arts for students in Grades 7 and 8.

“One of the most memorable moments I've had at WMS took place in October. We had just finished our memoirs and were celebrating our writing,” Lavallee said. “I decorated the classroom to look like a cafe. We had hot chocolate, tea and popcorn. The students were enthusiastic and engaged as we shared our pieces. I saw many smiles and heard several giggles. Their pieces were heartfelt and honored the people in their lives. It was a great day. When they asked if we could do it again, I knew our celebration of writing was a success.”

She says the most challenging aspect of her work is dealing with all the policies and procedures regarding schools.

“These can sometimes hinder activities designed to enhance curriculum or not get the support my kids need in what I believe to be a quick enough time frame,” she said. “Patience is something that I am working on.”

Last spring, Lavallee partnered with EF Tours in an effort to bring travel opportunities to RSU 14 middle schoolers.

“In April 2025 we will be traveling to Spain. This trip is designed specifically for middle school students,” she said. “We will be visiting an olive oil farm, making tiles, learning Flamenco dancing and more. I am already working on our next adventure which will be Italy.”

Her family is proud of her work and are her biggest cheerleaders.

“My own children love that I teach in their school district. It's a great thing when you can attend your own children's events and see your school kids succeed outside the classroom,” she said. “The most important thing I have learned while working for WMS is that you can do anything with enough heart and determination.” <

RSU 14 Backpack Program addresses food insecurity among students

By Ed Pierce

Launched during the 2011-2012 school year to assist school children in RSU 14 to overcome food insecurity so they can grow up healthy, do their best work in school, and become successful adults, the Windham/Raymond Backpack Program has become a lifeline for students when school is not in session.

Shaw Dwight of Windham's Paul's Boutique was honored
earlier this year for donating to the RSU 14 Backpack
Program which feeds students in need when school is not
in session. From left are RSU 14 Backpack Program
volunteer Marge Govoni, Shaw Dwight, and RSU 14
Kitchen Manager Ryan Roderick. SUBMITTED PHOTO   

Despite the Maine Legislature approving “School Meals For All” legislation in 2021 where all students in Maine are given access to school meals, some families of RSU 14 students continue to be faced with issues of feeding children on weekends and over vacations when school is not open.

That’s where the Windham/Raymond Backpack Program comes in. It provides food to supplement children in need over weekends and school breaks during the school year. Each “Backpack” contains breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, as well as snacks and they are discreetly distributed to the students by teachers or staff at each RSU 14 school and are packed every Tuesday by a team of volunteers at Windham Middle School.

Backpack Program volunteer Marge Govoni of Windham said that ongoing research indicates that children who grow up in food insecure households sometimes trail their peers in terms of cognitive, emotional, and physical development and this RSU 14 program was created to help students overcome those challenges.

She said that when the RSU 14 Backpack Program started, it provided meals for about 50 students but has since increased to more than 120 students participating from both Windham and Raymond schools.

“The increase in participation paired with rising food costs has made it more important than ever that we keep this program open and available to as many children as we can,” Govoni said.

Data formulated by the National Health Interview Study shows a direct correlation between household food insecurity and significantly worsening general health in American children, including more acute and chronic health problems and increased emergency room hospital visits.

The Windham/Raymond Backpack Program only accepts monetary donations to ensure the nutritional items and menu are similarly based and meet the needs of the child, Govoni said.

“In order to continue to serve up to 120 children each weekend during the school year, we need more members of the community to support our program,” she said. “We are reaching out to local businesses asking for additional sponsors to this program.”

For residents who are considering donating to the RSU 14 Backpack Program, Govoni said that donation benchmarks are one bag for one child at $10, and one child for the school year at about $300.

“Of course, any amount is helpful, and 100 percent of the donations go toward buying food and supplies with no administrative cost or fees applied,” she said. “Using this program to give students food for the weekend ensures that come Monday morning when they return to school, they will not be hungry and ready to learn. I am passionate about this program and making sure that students have access to food over the weekend and it is run totally on donations and the work of some wonderful and caring volunteers.”

Ryan Roderick, RSU 14 Kitchen Manager, said that the Backpack Program is invaluable.

“It is not uncommon to think that because school meals are free that these kids should already have everything they need. The unfortunate truth is that even though breakfasts and lunches are available to all students, there are still hundreds of children who leave school on Friday afternoon and have no certainty that they will be fed a complete meal until Monday morning when they return to school,” Roderick said. “If that is the case, you can bet those students are going to be the ones struggling to stay focused, stay awake and to be the best version of themselves when they are in attendance. The backpack program helps those children sustain over the weekend, to feel a sense of comfort and normalcy and to be confident knowing they will not have to feel hungry, tired, or irritable by the time they get back to school. Every child deserves to feel happy and energized and to be given the best possible chance to succeed and the Backpack Program is our way to ensure that chance is given.”

Govoni said making a donation to the program can help transform the lives of the RSU 14 students whose lives can be made a little easier with a nutritional meal that is not always available to them.

“We cannot make this program work without the help of our very generous businesses, organizations and residents of Windham and Raymond,” she said. “We are very grateful and cannot thank those who have contributed monetary donations or volunteer their time to help make this program successful.”

In this week's edition of The Windham Eagle, local businesses participated in an advertising holiday greeting fundraiser with a portion of the proceeds benefit the RSU 14 Backpack Program. Thanks to the 95 participants, the newspaper was able to raise over $1,100 for the RSU 14 Backpack Program.  

To make a donation helping ensure that the food insecure children of the Windham and Raymond communities are nourished and well fed, mail a check or money order to: School Nutrition Program, Attn: Ryan Roderick, 228 Windham Center Road Windham, ME 04062 Note: Backpack Program.

Online donations can also be made at https://rsu14.androgov.com/ - Select “all other student activities,” fill in your information, for a specific school, select “School Nutrition.” For *Payment Description* write “Backpack Program.”

For more details about the Windham/Raymond Backpack Program, call 207-892-1800, Ext. 2012 or send an email to rroderick@rsu14.org or mgovoni@rsu14.org <

Nangle to chair Transportation Committee for 132nd Maine State Legislature

AUGUSTA – State Senator Tim Nangle, D-Windham, has been appointed by Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, to serve as the Maine Senate chair of the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Transportation for the 132nd Maine State Legislature.

State Senator Tim Nangle of
Windham will serve as Maine
Senate chair of the Legislature's
Joint Standing Committee on
Transportation for the 132nd
Maine State Legislature.
FILE PHOTO

The Transportation Committee oversees a broad range of policy areas and agencies, including the Department of Transportation; Bureau of Motor Vehicles; Maine Turnpike Authority; and matters related to highway construction, safety and maintenance, traffic regulation, public transportation, aeronautics, waterways and railroads, the Highway Fund, driver education and licensing, and the Department of Public Safety (as it relates to motor vehicles and carriers).

“I’m honored to serve as Senate chair of the Transportation Committee. Reliable roads, bridges and public transit aren’t just conveniences — they are the lifelines that connect Mainers to jobs, education, medical appointments and other vital services,” said Senator Nangle. “Our work will focus on ensuring that our infrastructure is safe, resilient and equipped to meet the needs of our state today and into the future.”

He will also serve on the Maine Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee, which oversees the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and addresses issues such as MaineCare, children’s welfare and mental health services, public health initiatives, aging and disability issues, long-term care, health care facilities and workers, substance use disorder treatments, and other critical health and human services programs.

“I look forward to serving on the Health and Human Services Committee to help ensure that every Mainer — no matter where they live or what challenges they face — has access to quality, affordable health care and critical services,” said Senator Nangle. “This includes strengthening our child protection system so that our most vulnerable children are kept safe and have the support they need to thrive. From supporting our oldest neighbors to caring for our youngest, these issues are too important to ignore.”

Lawmakers are assigned to committees by the presiding officers based on their interests, experience and professional background. Joint standing committees are composed of three senators and 10 representatives.

Senator Tim Nangle has dedicated his life to public service. Prior to his election to the Maine Senate in 2022, he served on the Windham Town Council and worked 27 years as a paramedic with the Portland Fire Department’s MedCU (Medical Crisis Unit).

During his first term in office, Senator Nangle championed a new law that provides municipalities with additional tools to address shoreland zoning violations, preserving Maine’s tradition of local control. Senator Nangle previously chaired the State and Local Government Committee and served as a member of the Transportation Committee.

He’s now serving in his second term representing Maine Senate District 26, which includes Casco, Frye Island, Raymond, part of Westbrook and Windham. The Maine Legislature is set to reconvene on Jan. 8, 2025. <

Windham High graduate preparing to travel to Tanzania

WINCHESTER, Virginia – A 2023 graduate of Windham High School is about to embark on a journey which will take her to some of the world's most treasured national parks and game reserves in Tanzania on the African continent.

Sophie Koutalakis of Windham, a Windham
High graduate, will be one of 50 students
participating in Shenandoah University's
2025 Global Citizenship Project and will
travel to Tanzania in Africa in march as
part of the program. COURTESY PHOTO 

Sophie Koutalakis of Windham is one of 50 students who have been chosen to participate in Shenandoah University's 2025 Global Citizenship Project (GCP). She will join other Shenandoah University students, faculty, and staff members as they travel to one of five international destinations during spring break this coming March.

Tanzania is home to the Selous Game Reserve, which is the world's largest game reserve and home to more than 120,000 elephants, 160,000 buffalos and 2,000 rhinos. Situated just south of the equator in East Africa, Tanzania became a sovereign and independent nation in 1964 through the union of the separate countries of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. It also the site of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain peak on the African continent.

Koutalakis is studying environmental science and sustainability at Shenandoah University, and she learned what destination that she will be traveling to in March during the school’s International Convocation event in November. To qualify for the program, Koutalakis submitted an application and also wrote an essay which was chosen by the school’s selection committee based on her thoughts and passion expressed in the essay describing how she envisioned sharing her travel experiences upon her return from her trip overseas.

Shenandoah University’s Global Citizenship Project is celebrating its 20th year in 2025 and since first launching the program two decades ago, the Global Citizenship Project has witnessed more than 1,400 Shenandoah University students, staff, faculty, and trustees travel to 69 different countries and to seven different U.S. states and U.S. territories in an effort for each participant to learn more about the world and about themselves.

Along with her coursework at Shenandoah University, Koutalakis is a part of the Shenandoah University chorus. At Windham High School, she appeared on stage as Ali in the school’s production of “Mamma Mia” as Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors,” and as Anelle in “Steel Magnolias.” She also was a standout performer with the Windham Chamber Singers.

Shenandoah University was established in 1875 in Winchester, Virginia. Through innovative partnerships and programs at both the local and global level, there are exceptional opportunities for students to learn in and out of the classroom such as with the Global Citizenship Project, and it strives to empower students to improve the human condition and to be principled professionals and leaders wherever they go in life. <

Wreath-making class raising money for RSU 14 Travel Club educational trip to Spain

By Masha Yurkevich

Looking for an activity to put you into the holiday spirit, while also supporting a good cause? There’s one coming up this weekend in Windham.

Petals Farm and Garden Design, 11 Brick Hill Road
in Windham, is hosting a wreath-making class at
11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 to help the RSU 14
Travel Club raise money for an educational
trip to Spain for students at Jordan-Small
Middle School and Windham Middle School
next spring. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Participants will be able to create a customized and personalized Christmas wreath at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 at Petals Farm and Garden Design, 11 Brick Hill Road in Windham. The fundraiser is the idea of Alissa Messer, a parent whose daughter is a student at Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond and part of the Travel Club, which is raising money to travel to Spain. Messer will be chaperoning the Spain trip and said she had the idea to do a wreath-making class as a fundraiser for the Spain trip.

“I think it is very important that when we do community events that we support one another,” Messer said. “This wreath-making class is a great way to celebrate the season, spend family time together, and support a local business at the same time; it’s a win, win, win. Lyndsay Stretch was super gracious to quickly say ‘yes’ and supportive for this event.”

The wreath-making class will be led by Lyndsay Stretch, owner and operator of Petals Farm and Garden Design, whose child also attends RSU 14. Stretch is an expert in everything floral and is also a designer for landscaping. She is very involved with RSU 14 and field hockey.

The wreath-making class will be held inside of a greenhouse where Stretch will walk participants through how to make their own wreaths and show them how different supplements can be added to the wreath. Stretch is very artsy and creative and says participants will not leave this class with a generic, box-stamped wreath, but with something that is unique, different, and special, along with the memories of making it.

She said that the wreaths can then be used to hang on the door, entryway, or give as a beautiful gift.

This planned trip to Spain will be a first for students attending Windham Middle School and Jordan-Small Middle School.

“Last spring, I partnered with EF Tours to be able to offer tours for middle schoolers,” says Mandy Lavallee, a Windham Middle School eighth-grade Language Arts teacher and EF Tours group leader. “We chose Spain because it was specifically designed for middle schoolers, and we also wanted to make sure that it was equitable not just for students who were studying Spanish. We are taking seventh and eighth graders from both Jordan-Small Middle School and also Windham Middle School. We wanted the kids to be able to experience something different.”

Even though each student has their own fundraising page with a specific link, they have been working on other ways to raise funds. Students have gone to local businesses looking for donations and most recently the group participated in the district’s Athletic Booster's craft fair.

Still, teachers and parents sought a way to help alleviate costs. They did not just want the students to have the trip paid for them, but for the kids to also get involved and see the process. They just finished up in November with the craft fair where many talented and artistic students made things such as cards, woodworking projects, and other works of art and they were able to raise more than $700 for the trip through the craft fair.

“We also have a Clynk account and will be having a car wash in April along with some other fundraisers,” says Lavallee.

The Spain trip is scheduled to take place during April vacation for students.

“The eight days include airfare, a 24/7 tour guide, breakfast, lunch and all excursions,” says Lavallee. “Traveling to Spain is a great opportunity for our students to experience other cultures and ways of life. They will learn new skills such as tile making, olive oil farming and Flamenco dancing in Seville. Zip lining in Toledo is just the icing on the cake.”

If anyone would like to donate to the group, they may do so by writing a check out to EF Educational Tours. Please send to Windham Middle School, Attention Mandy Lavallee, 408 Gray Road, Windham, Maine 04062.

The wreath-making class costs $60 to participate and while the event will be held inside a greenhouse, organizers advise participants to dress seasonally. <

Maine Audubon’s 41st Annual Loon Count results show healthy loon population

It was a very good year – for Maine loons. When every single number associated with the Annual Loon Count goes up, scientists at Maine Audubon say it’s a great indication that the Common Loon population is healthy. All the numbers of adult loons, loon chicks, lakes counted, and volunteers were higher in 2024 than they were in 2023.

Estimated results of the 2024 Maine Audubon Annual Loon
Count reveal that the adult loon and chick population in
the southern half of Maine, including those in Sebago Lake,
has more than doubled in the past 40 years. 
COURTESY PHOTO 

Every year on the third Saturday in July, people get up early and head out onto lakes and ponds across the state to look and listen for loons. On July 20, 1,624 volunteers (up from 1,503 last year) headed out to 407 lakes across the state (up from 374 last year) to gather data that allows Maine Audubon to calculate a population estimate for southern Maine and keep an eye on trends over time. Sebago Lake is a prime location for Maine Audubon loon counters each year.

The Maine Audubon Annual Loon Count may only last half an hour, from 7 to 7:30 a.m., but the regional coordinators spend many hours assigning people to lakes, conducting outreach, compiling and checking data, and tallying numbers, from Aroostook to York. Volunteers look for loons in every one of Maine’s 16 counties.

To determine an estimate for adult and chick population in the southern half of Maine (south of the 45th parallel, where enough lakes are covered by counters to produce a reliable estimate) Maine Audubon uses a stratified random sampling method, which has been used since 1983.

Based on those calculations, Maine Audubon estimates a population of 3,146 adults and 420 chicks for the southern half of Maine. In comparison, in 1983, it estimated a population of 1,417 adult loons and 176 loon chicks in the southern half of Maine, suggesting a doubling since the initial year of the loon count.

Audubon officials say that there is not enough coverage in the northern portion of Maine (north of the 45th parallel) to confidently provide an estimate of the loon population for that part of the state. But the number of lakes and volunteer counters is also trending up there.

Last year, Maine Audubon had 69 northern lakes counted; this year, and 353 counters gathered data for 96 northern lakes. On those lakes, volunteers tallied 509 adults and 50 chicks. This number cannot be used as a straight comparison to the south, but it can serve as a reference for changes in loon numbers on individual lakes and for northern coverage.

Maine Audubon wishes to thank the volunteers who turned out to count northern lakes and hope to see more coverage in future years.

“The data volunteers collect is used to track population trends over time,” says Maine Audubon Director of Conservation Sally Stockwell. “We expect some fluctuations year to year, but the numbers indicate a healthy loon population, with a slowly increasing adult population and relatively stable chick numbers.” Maine has the largest population of loons in the eastern United States, which makes the breeding success of loons here critical to the regional population at large.

The Common Loon faces all kinds of threats—boat strikes, nest flooding, lead tackle, eagle predation—and yet, with the help of an ever-growing volunteer base, the population remains robust.

“There are so many people looking out for loons,” says Loon Count Data Coordinator Ethan Daly. “Loons are something Mainers can appreciate and unite behind. More people are educating their neighbors, more people are involved in our loon restoration program, more people are getting rid of lead tackle, and more people are considering how shoreline management can impact freshwater ecosystems.”

All these steps can help ensure our lakes are clean and clear, which loons depend on to find and catch their prey. These efforts also help increase loon nesting success and survival. Maine’s loons are lucky to have so many incredible volunteers watching out for them.

This fall, a new law which prohibits the sale of painted lead jigs went into effect, closing a dangerous loophole. Lead poisoning has long been one of the leading causes of death for adult loons in Maine. Common Loons can ingest lost or discarded lead fishing tackle when it sinks to the bottom of a lake or pond, causing illness and death. It has been illegal to sell and/or use lead sinkers and bare “unpainted” jigs (weighing less than an ounce in weight or measuring less than 2.5 inches in length) in Maine since 2017.

Now the sale of painted lead jigs within these size and weight limitations is prohibited and the use of them will be illegal in 2026, bringing Maine’s waterways one step closer to being safer for loons. Maine Audubon is helping remove this dangerous lead tackle from circulation by buying and recycling newly illegal lead tackle directly from retailers, and by collecting old lead tackle items from anglers who want to get rid of it from their tackle boxes.

For specific information about the annual count, the Fish Lead Free program, or the Maine Loon Project, or to volunteer for projects and activities, contact conserve@maineaudubon.org or visit maineaudubon.org/loons. <