3 days ago
The "Loon Lady" on a mission to save Minnesota's state bird: "We need to do better"
It's peak summer on Minnesota's Gull Lake Chain. Boats are buzzing, jet skis slicing and loons are calling.
"So it sounds like a territorial challenge that's starting," said Sheila Johnston, listening to loons in the distance.
Johnston, known by her nickname "the Loon Lady," has made it her mission to protect loons.
"I've heard people say, 'Well this is our lake.' No. This is their lake and we're sharing it with them," she said.
It's a commitment that has been growing most of her life. Johnston grew up spending summers on Gull Lake. She and her husband now live there year round.
"I love it here, it's our favorite place in the world." she said.
The Johnstons' home is filled with reminders of her passion. Loon photographs and artwork can be seen on the walls. Outside near the shoreline, there's a large totem pole with a loon perched on top.
"I think they just somehow stir our soul, and so I just feel really connected to them," she said.
That connection began with a paddle and a camera.
"I love kayaking and I love photography, so I just started combining the two," she said.
For years, she quietly observed loons from the water, photographing them, getting to know them and even naming them.
"As you get to know more about loons, they're just so complex," she said.
Her work shifted from enthusiast to advocate nearly a decade ago, after a busy Fourth of July weekend when she found a dead loon chick in the water, killed by a boat strike.
"I just don't think we take very good care of them," she said. "We need to do better."
While loons face natural predators like eagles, snapping turtles and large fish, humans are their biggest danger. Boat strikes, lead poisoning from ingesting fishing tackle and fishing line entanglement are the main causes.
Johnston raises awareness by talking to boaters and reminding them loons and their chicks are nearby.
"Our slogan is watch ahead, slow down, go around," she said.
She also hands out lead-free tackle to anglers.
"Lead tackle is plain bad. And there's absolutely no reason that we shouldn't have restrictions on lead tackle," she said.
Last fall, she started the Minnesota Loon Rescue, a volunteer group dedicated to rescuing, rehabbing and conserving the loon population.
"I think we have rescued at least 10 loons this season that were boat strike injuries and fatalities," she said.
So far this season, the rescue has also saved seven hooked loons, 18 sick and orphaned chicks and six loons in distress on land.
"These lakes are like freeway traffic in the Twin Cities at rush hour, full speed, going through chick-rearing areas," she said.
Her advocacy has helped bring caution buoys and signage to alert boaters in loon nesting areas.
"I don't think I'll ever stop this mission," she said. "By changing our behavior to loon-safe boating, and loon-safe fishing, we can protect loons and future generations of loons."
For Johnston, and all who treasure Minnesota's natural beauty, protecting loons means protecting our home.
