Raponda Foundation

Raponda Foundation Newsletters

Will 2026 be the year of a successful Raponda loon hatch?

Beginning in the 1980s, loons began appearing on Lake Raponda again, nearly a century after they disappeared from our waters. Thanks to Raponda Foundation donors, a team of biologists from Vermont Center for Ecostudies, and devoted area volunteers, loon activity continues to increase on Lake Raponda. As part of a decades-long, statewide effort to restore the loon to Vermont, current efforts focus on increasing loon habitat and encouraging them to nest on the lake and return year-after-year.

2025 Loon Presentation

Slides from May 2025 Zoom talk by wildlife biologist Eric Hanson (Vermont Center for Ecostudies) about the Raponda Loon Project, funded by gifts to Raponda Foundation.

2024 Loon Webinar

Vermont Center for Ecostudies established what we know today as the Raponda Loon Project more than 25 years ago, without expectation for reimbursement from the Raponda community. Two years ago, Raponda Foundation began working to raise funds to underwrite VCE’s expenses at Raponda which enable its talented team to expand their efforts both at Raponda and within other lake systems that can support loon nesting. This May 2024 webinar reports on our progress.

Raponda Foundation Mission

To raise funds that can be invested in projects and actions that will help preserve, protect, and improve the environmental condition of Lake Raponda and its watershed.

Raponda Foundation Vision

To proactively identify, fund, and manage projects and actions that will enhance the environmental health and well-being of Lake Raponda and its watershed so that all residents and visitors may continuously enjoy the beauty and recreational benefits of Lake Raponda.

Learn more about the Fund Principles and Donor Pathways.

Visit our donation page.

Foundation Board of Directors

  • John Meyer, President
  • Will Melton, Treasurer
  • Chris Zizza, Secretary
  • Jenn Aldrich, Director
  • Cecile Baker, Director
  • Paul Scrudato, Director
  • Todd Watson, Director
  • Jack Widness, Director

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