A common tern from a colony in the southern part of the Detroit River near the Humbug Marsh Unit of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. - Photo courtesy Jerry Jourdan

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge has begun habitat restoration for the common tern at Belle Isle in Downtown Detroit. This was a historical common tern nesting location where 600 to 1200 pairs were recorded in the 1960s. Partners include the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, Detroit Recreation Department, Detroit Zoo, and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Long-term commitments to monitoring and management will be linked to this effort to restore nesting habitat for this state-threatened species.

In October 2008, 25 cubic yards of sand was placed at the isolated peir and will be followed by 30 cubic yards of crushed limestone in November, a substrate being used by terns nearby. Refuge staff and members of the Stream Team, a dedicated group of high school students leading the next generation of conservation stewards, spent a weekend preparing the site with sand. 

In November 2008, an outdoor group from Detroit Public Schools, Stream Team, and Refuge volunteers will work to prepare the site with limestone. Following the work day will be a public gathering where the science and monitoring of common terns will be displayed in a powerpoint with images of Detroit terns from a local photographer from the previous summer.