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Loon lessons

St. Bernard’s third grader Mia, center right, tapes a “loon band” around classmate Edith’s, center left, wrist at the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation on Tuesday. (Enterprise photos — Lauren Yates)
Adirondack Loon Center for Conservation Communications-Education Coordinator Jennifer Denny teaches third graders from St. Bernard’s School about loon banding at the center in Saranac Lake on Tuesday. (Enterprise photo — Lauren Yates)
St. Bernard’s third grader Mia holds up her wrists — newly covered in “loon bands” — at the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation on Tuesday and exclaims, “I’m a loon!” (Enterprise photo — Lauren Yates)
St. Bernard’s third graders, from left, Jase, Orson and Sebastian tape “loon bands” around their wrists at the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation on Tuesday. (Enterprise photo — Lauren Yates)
St. Bernard’s third graders, from left, Greta, Charlotte, Edith and Mia, with the help of third-grade teacher Vanessa Pillen, create “loon bands” to wrap around their wrists during a field trip to the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation in Saranac Lake on Tuesday. (Enterprise photo — Lauren Yates)

SARANAC LAKE — Third graders from St. Bernard’s School in Saranac Lake spent Tuesday morning imitating common loon calls, learning loon facts and banding each other like loons on a field trip to the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation on Main Street.

ACLC Communications-Education Coordinator Jennifer Denny led a loon presentation for the 13 third graders, who got to check out a loon egg replica and a model of a loon’s webbed foot — which was about as big as a third grader’s hand — as well as participate in group loon calls. The class learned some fun trivia about loons, too, like the fact that the birds can fly up to 70 mph.

The group also learned about loon banding, which ACLC staff do to track and research loon lifespan and lifestyles. The center was filled with chatter as the students got to create their own loon bands out of construction paper and tape them around each other’s wrists.

“I’m a loon!” third grader Mia said as she held up two wrists that were banded with multi-colored construction paper.

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