Bringing Back the Common Tern
Once the most prevalent tern species in the Lake Champlain Basin, Common Tern numbers dropped from almost 400 nesting pairs in the 1960’s to only 50 in 1988. As a result, in 1989 the common tern was placed on the Vermont Endangered species list.
Through a combination of efforts, including building chick shelters on nesting islands, raising public awareness, and land conservation successes, the Common Tern has once again found its footing on the islands of Lake Champlain.
The Lake Champlain Land Trust, along with its partners, has worked to permanently conserve and protect several important Common Tern nesting islands in Lake Champlain. Through protection of breeding habitat and continual monitoring, Common Terns have soared in number from 50 breeding pairs at the end of the 1980’s to 275 pairs in 2013!
Biodiversity on the Lake
- 91 species of fish
- 318 species of birds
- 56 species of mammals
- 21 species of amphibians
- 20 species of reptiles
All relying on Lake Champlain.
