The Red-Eyed Mascot: Loon Resilience in Minnesota

Mar 26, 2026

Dr. Walter Piper, an avian scientist who has spent decades studying loons, joins to decode loon calls and diving biology. Short takes cover eerie tremolos, why their eyes redden in breeding season, and how loons move between lakes and wintering grounds. The conversation highlights loons as resilient, vocal, and surprisingly tied to community symbols of standing strong.

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INSIGHT

Loon As Community Resilience Symbol

The loon became a local symbol of resilience and mutual protection during ICE raids in St. Paul.
Jude and Mo describe loons on posters, stickers, and tattoos signaling returning support and people blowing whistles to warn neighbors.

ANECDOTE

Classmates Going Virtual Because Of ICE Fear

Jude recounts classmates going virtual because families fear ICE arrests and can't leave home.
Her family drives a classmate to school and picks them up to help because the classmate's mom can't safely leave the house.

ADVICE

Use Small Signals And Community Patrols To Protect Neighbors

Use simple signals and community watches to protect vulnerable neighbors, like whistles and parent patrols.
Jude's mom describes people in yellow vests at daycares and whistles used to alert when ICE agents are nearby.

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What do loons have to do with courage and community? In January, we received a letter from two sisters in Minnesota - Jude and Mo. They wrote to us because their city was experiencing a lot of unrest, with immigration agents arresting members of their community and protests ringing loud in the streets as people tried to protect their neighbors. And in the middle of it all, an unexpected symbol began appearing on storefronts, stickers, and even as tattoos: the black and white, migrating waterbird known as the loon. Jude and Mo were curious: why are loons a good symbol of standing strong in the face of adversity?

Loon expert Dr. Walter Piper breaks down the incredible biology of the loon and helps us decode their mysterious calls; storyteller Hope Flanagan brings us Ojibwe tales of how the loon got its famous red eyes; and biologist Dr. Leonardo Chapa Vargas teaches us about loon migration, helping us expand our definition of home. We learn why these loud and eerie birds came to stand for something very powerful: the scrappy resilience of trying over and over again, no matter how many times you get knocked down.

Huge thanks to Jude, Mo and their mom, Natalie, for writing in about loons. Reminder that you can also write in about any creature you’d like to see an episode on! Email us at terrestrials@wnyc.org.

Listen to “The Going Home Star” on Spotify, Apple Music, and wherever you get your music.

We made special activity sheets for this episode!

We hope they will help you and your friends, family, students, or neighbors dig more deeply into the world of loons. If you want to share what you’ve made, ask an adult to share it on Instagram and make sure to tag @terrestrialspodcast, or email us at terrestrials@wnyc.org.

Dig Deeper:

Check out Jude and Mo’s favorite loon sculpture in St. Paul, Minnesota!
To learn more about Hope Flanagan, check out Dream of Wild Health, a farm and storytelling organization restoring wellbeing in the Native community.
To see Walter Piper in a cool documentary, check out Loons: A Cry from the Mist.
Read Shannon Heffernan’s reporting on how kids and adults are being affected by ICE Raids at The Marshall Project
Check out how the students of Valley View Elementary are writing letters to ICE agents detaining their friends and families by watching this video.
We mentioned how loons are generalists - flexible - like our friends from our coyotes episode. Check out The Howler: The Dog Who Joined a Coyote Pack if you want to learn more!
The Rumble Strip Vermont podcast has a beautiful episode about Hold On, a song that people have been singing at various protests.
When Liam Conejo Ramos was detained by ICE agents, his classmates started folding origami bunnies in solidarity with Liam and all students who are unsafe. Watch a video of the project here.

Immigration resource links:

Immigration and Families Resources (National Council on Family Relations)

Resource Hub for Undocumented and Immigrant Families (Center for Migration Studies)

Terrestrials was created by Lulu Miller with WNYC Studios. This episode was produced by Ana González, with sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick. Sarah Sandbach is our Executive Producer. Our team also includes Alan Goffinski, Tanya Chawla, Joe Plourde and Natalia Ramirez. Factchecking by Angely Mercado.

Support for Terrestrials is provided by the Simons Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and the John Templeton Foundation.

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