Stitching a security blanket for the common tern

(04/12/10) Ten years ago, conservationists tried a novel experiment to protect the common tern, a threatened native bird on the St. Lawrence River. The tern's nesting habitat was getting overrun by gulls and geese. So a group of people sort of faked that habitat on the Seaway's giant navigation buoys, known as nav cells. The plan worked. In 2006, the number of tern nests on the St. Lawrence was the highest recorded since 1982. The tern restoration project is a collaboration between Save the River, the Thousand Islands Land Trust, and Massena-based biologist Lee Harper. And the group has not stood pat. The latest tern-saving technology is a wire grid that keeps tern chicks in and other aggressive birds out. This week, volunteers are building new grids on the St. Lawrence River. David Sommerstein went along last year. Here's that story.

The Thousand Islands Land Trust is seeking volunteers to help build more grids this week. If you'd like to help, contact the TILT office at 686-5345 or events@tilandtrust.org