• Adirondack Loon with chick

The Adirondack Loon Legacy Fund was created through the generous bequests of two long-time supporters of the loon conservation efforts conducted by Dr. Nina Schoch in the Adirondack Park. Dr. John Jeffrey Nicholas and his family spent many enjoyable summers on Adirondack lakes, listening to loon calls echo across the water, and watching these beautiful birds raise their chicks. Upon his passing in 2005, Dr. Nicholas left a bequest to help ensure the long-term continuation of loon conservation in the Adirondack Park. Then, in 2014, Win Meiselman, gave a gift to help preserve the memory of her husband, Dr. David Meiselman, Dr. Schoch’s stepfather and a world-renowned economist, and provide perpetual support for the ongoing research and outreach programs of the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation.

The memories of these dedicated people live on through their generous legacy at the Adirondack Foundation to help ensure the protection and conservation of Adirondack loons long into the future.

We invite you to join Dr. Nicholas, Mrs. Meiselman, and many others to become members of the Adirondack Loon Legacy Society through your gift to the Adirondack Loon Legacy Fund! Your thoughtful generosity will help protect these magnificent birds, and the spectacular Adirondack lakes where they live, for generations to come. Learn more at adkloon.org.

Donate to the Adirondack Loon Legacy Fund

About the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation

The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation (ACLC) is dedicated to promoting and inspiring passion for the conservation of Common Loons (Gavia immer) in and beyond New York’s six million acre Adirondack Park. 

An Adirondack icon, the Common Loon is our proverbial canary in the coal mine, as they live for decades, are territorial, and are a fish-eating migratory bird at the top of the aquatic food web. They are also one of the most engaging, enigmatic, and beloved of all bird species. Thus, loons are both powerful sentinels of environmental health and a superb environmental educational tool to inspire and engage the public in a broader conversation about conservation, wildlife, and the state of our environment. Unfortunately, many factors, including environmental pollutants, climate change, human disturbance, fishing line entanglement, and lead poisoning, detrimentally affect loons and their habitats.

The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation fills a unique niche in the Park by merging the worlds of scientific research, public participation, outreach, and education to enhance awareness and understanding of loon ecology and conservation, and to inspire science-based conservation strategies and policy implementation to better protect Common Loons and their aquatic habitats. Additionally, our loon rescues and conservation programs help protect individual loons and their nests from numerous threats, such as fishing line entanglement and disturbance from boaters.

The ACLC’s Adirondack Loon Center in Saranac Lake, NY, is an educational, tourist, and shopping destination for loon-lovers of all ages. The Loon Center provides an engaging experience for Adirondack residents, tourists, and students to learn about the Park’s wildlife and environmental concerns through the lives of Common Loons. As the primary resource for loon conservation, science, and outreach in the Adirondacks, the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation and its Loon Center also serve as a vital hub to promote the public's essential role in protecting Adirondack wildlife and the Park’s environmental quality.