Lauren Rivera 
In 2013, the Common Tern, the honorary bird of the Mile Square as of July 2024 and a “Special Concern” species, chose the privately owned Pier 11 as its nesting site. Each year, more birds flocked to the area, peaking at 86 by 2023. In an effort to deter them, the owners of Pier 11 placed netting and other barriers in 2024, leading to the death of some of the birds. Our Tern, a Hoboken-based organization dedicated to protecting the honorary bird, is currently raising money to build a floating island in the north end of the Hudson River for the birds to safely nest and thrive without the harm of predators. Read on for what to know about Our Tern’s proposal to build a floating island for Hoboken’s honorary bird, the Common Tern.
Photo Credit: Meadowlands Research + Restoration Institute
About the Floating Island Project
For the past 12 years, the Common Tern has made its home on the privately owned Pier 11, marking the return of the Hudson River‘s improved biodiversity. But, due to growing tensions between the birds and the pier’s owners, as well as the $16 billion Gateway Project that proposes to construct a new train tunnel beneath the Hudson River, as per Gothamist, the birds are in need of a new nesting site.
Photo Credit: Our Tern
Enter the local advocacy group, Our Tern, formed by Hoboken residents Jeff Train, Noelle Thurlow, and Juan Melli. Our Tern proposes to build a floating nesting platform, held up by anchors, on the Hudson River. Pending approval by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which the group is in the process of submitting, the 24-by-24-foot floating island would be located at the north end of Hoboken, bordering the Weehawken Cove.
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This concept has been successfully executed in other areas along the East Coast, including in the Chincoteague Bay in Maryland, where a team of volunteers from the Maryland Coastal Bays Program created the first-ever seabird nesting platform in the Mid-Atlantic in 2021, according to Audubon.
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Inspired by projects such as these, Our Tern’s island will not just be a nesting space for the honorary bird but also serve as an inviting habitat for other bird species not common to Hoboken. This includes the Black Skimmers and the Common Tern’s smaller cousin, the Least Tern. By featuring beds beneath its space that cultivate water-filtering oysters, the platform would also support the regrowth of yet another bird species, the American Oystercatcher.
Photo Credit: Juan Melli ^ American Oystercatcher
While sustaining the ecosystem of the Mile Square, this project will have the added benefit of providing educational opportunities for the local youth, especially those interested in engineering and sustainability. The organization hopes that high school and college students who get involved will eventually help with the installation of a webcam that “[projects] the everyday goings on of the colony to everyone in Hoboken, not to mention the world,” Jeff said.
The group is looking to launch the floating island at the start of the spring nesting season in 2026. To aid in this process, Our Tern has partnered with the Meadowlands Research + Restoration Institute, who has – from start to finish – launched its own island in the Kearny Marsh for a colony of Least Terns.
Photo Credit: Meadowlands Research + Restoration Institute
“The organizational understanding and knowledge that the Meadowlands team possesses is invaluable and has enabled us to move much more quickly and at a fraction of the cost than we would have been able to do had we gone with a prefabricated island,” Jeff shared with HG.
Next Steps
Our Tern encourages local Hobokenites to get involved with the project. This initiative is estimated to cost thousands of dollars, and the organization is in need of partners to support efforts in planning, funding, education, research, volunteer work, and advocacy. Along with raising funds for the building of the project, Our Tern is also working to secure money for educational tools like spotting scopes and informational installations.
Connect with Our Tern at this link and on its Instagram.
The History of the Common Tern in Hoboken + The First-Ever Tern Parade
Photo Credit: Juan Melli
After being designated as Hoboken’s honorary bird in July 2024, making Hoboken the first city in the United States to adopt the Common Tern as an honorary bird, and even receiving its own limited-edition library card at the Hoboken Public Library in January 2025, it’s safe to say the Common Tern has become a symbol of the Mile Square.
Adding to the buzz around the Common Tern in the Mile Square, the Hoboken Business Alliance has partnered with Our Tern to host a town-wide Tern Parade from April 1st to June 1st, 2025. The parade will be a fun way to incorporate the birds into the community, get people talking about Terns and conservation, and show off how creative Hoboken businesses can be. Many businesses and organizations have signed up to participate, including The Hoboken Girl, as well as the Hoboken Public Library, Sparrow Wine and Liquor, Little City Books, Fiore’s, and more.
^ Eliza, the student who designed HG’s Tern
The parade will also include a scavenger hunt that runs from Thursday, April 10th, through Sunday, June 1st. Neighbors can pick up the Scavenger Hunt passports at the Hoboken Library and several participating local businesses. Along the way, participants can see the amazing artwork designed by local artists, learn fun facts about Our Tern and Hoboken’s ecology, and explore the Mile Square’s participating businesses and organizations.
“One of the most inspiring elements from the last year has been seeing how many people value and appreciate the birds in our city,” Jeff said. “The growth of this community and the channels of communication that have developed are invaluable, and they will continue to grow as we construct more spaces to foster the amazing creatures we all love.”
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