While loons will rearrange the materials that they find on a nest raft, they will not usually bring any additional nesting material to the nest raft themselves. That means that we must provide them with enough material to build a nest bowl. Providing an adequate amount of nest material is essential, as eggs may roll off of an inadequately provisioned raft, especially in windy conditions or in areas prone to disturbance by boat wakes.

The ultimate goal is to create a raft that has self-sustaining, rooted vegetation that can be left in place on the raft from year to year. To achieve this from a bare raft, follow these steps:

1) Cover the raft with a layer of topsoil. This can be loam or topsoil purchased from a local landscaper or mineral soil dug up from a suitable upland location near the raft site. If needed, secure a layer of weed fabric to the raft to hold the soil. Then cover the entire platform with soil, adding more in the center to create an elevated bowl. Erosion control coir or jute netting can be secured to the raft as the soil is added to help retain it. The netting will be almost entirely buried in the soil.

2) Cover the soil with a layer of leaf litter and/or aquatic vegetation or detritus that has washed up along the shore, or a thin layer of leaf litter. Avoid particularly moldy leaves, and do NOT use straw or hay, which may harbor harmful mold.

3) Top the organic layer with live moss, turf, or plants collected from along the shoreline. This step is important in order to establish rooted herbaceous cover over time. Moss and plants can be collected from along the shoreline, with landowner permission. To prevent the spread of invasive species, it is important to collect raft vegetation and mosses locally.