Somes Meynell Wildlife Sanctuary
(opens in a new tab)The Somes-Meynell Wildlife Sanctuary is dedicated to conservation, research, and education in the Somes Pond-Long Pond watershed and beyond
We had a great visit with Tuskeegee University students and professors Thursday afternoon at Sanctuary HQ. Wildlife, plant science, environmental studies, pre-veterinary undergrad and grad students were here this past week getting to experience Acadia National Park and the surrounding area thanks to Park staff, Friends of Acadia, and their professors who arrange trips to various parts of the world to broaden student experiences while at the University in Tuskeegee, Alabama. We were fortunate to meet with last year's group as well.We had wide ranging discussions about wildlife studies, jobs in the field, loons (of course), what they had been doing on their week-long visit, and were able to watch an eagle and osprey out on the pond. A couple of the students will likely join us on upcoming loon necropsy review sessions via Zoom.Thanks to ANP Education Coordinator Kate Petrie for arranging our visits with these great students!
The remaining common loon chicks on Mt. Desert Island are the two belonging to the Echo Lake South territory. The two from Seal Cove Pond, one from Little Long Pond, and one from Upper Hadlock Pond all departed for the ocean in the past two weeks or so. Sanctuary Volunteer Ray Yeager was watching the two young loons yesterday staying close to their father, affectionately known as Herman, and still food begging. They were both 13 weeks and two days old yesterday.The Echo Lake South female has been around as well, but she typically leaves first, while Herman stays with the one or two chicks of the year as long as they want to stick around. Nice to still be able to watch them (the best place would be from Echo Lake Beach or from Ike's Point boat launch).
