The Tern Grid project is an ongoing partnership between TILT and Save The River to protect nesting habitat for Common Terns. Listed as a NYS Threatened Species, Common Terns nest on open rocks and rely on numbers to defend their nesting sites. Declining populations have a tough time defending against avian predators, especially gulls.

The grid is a wire mesh with openings large enough for the terns to fly through, but small enough to keep gulls, owls, hawks and others out. The grid is installed on the Eagle Wings shoals and Tidd Island in April before the terns begin nesting. It is removed in August after the chicks have fledged.