8/2/10 – Every Saturday evening from now until the first week of September, a trained naturalist visits the Sawbill campground to lead a themed campfire talk. The program, hosted by the USDA Forest Service (and supported by Sawbill with free tasty, tasty smores), is called “Minnesota Wild!” and covers a new topic every week. The program is open to the public for all ages, and families are welcome. Past topics have included moose, wolves, and bears (oh my!).
This week, naturalist Mundell visited to talk about loons. I think I can safely say that everybody present heard something new. I learned that, although experts still debate on this, the most established loon relative is the far away penguin. Also, the loon is a prehistoric bird, with fossils dating back nearly 50 million years (imagine a loon swimming among some of the last dinosaurs). Finally, loons rarely gather together before the winter migration, except for when they fail to raise chicks that spring. Mundell suggested that these are “loon support groups.” I suggest “loon bachelor parties.”
The program wasn’t just talk – we also got to examine and pet a real (stuffed) loon. Later, Mundell played a tape with different loon songs and explained their meaning. After the “distress call,” a real loon from out on the lake called back, probably wondering what was wrong. One listener even got to dress up as a loon, complete with loon cape, red goggles, and webbed feet.

A loon, making a great loon pose.
The program is hosted near the canoe landing at the Sawbill campground from 7:30 to 9 p.m., including time for smore making, every Saturday.
-Kaj