The Hoboken Tern Ambassador Vagrant Origin Story
On April 1, 2025, Hoboken, NJ kicked off something wonderfully quirky, community-powered, and feather-filled: The Hoboken Tern Parade — a creative celebration of the city’s honorary bird, the Common Tern, and a vibrant way to rally excitement around a larger ecological dream.
This winged spectacle isn’t just about fun decoys and colorful displays (though yes, those are awesome) — it’s about building awareness for a long-term, citizen-driven project to create a floating artificial island that will serve as a safe nesting site for Common Terns and other coastal birds right in the waters off Hoboken.
To get things moving (and migrating), local artists teamed up with businesses and organizations to design one-of-a-kind tern decoys, each reflecting Hoboken’s unique history, culture, and character. These delightful decoys paraded through town and nested (okay, displayed) in storefronts and gathering spots from April through June, echoing the real terns’ return during their migration and nesting season.
As we dove deeper into advocacy, something became crystal clear: conservation and justice start at home — right here, at the local level. Our Tern is made up of everyday people who simply care — neighbors, artists, educators, bird nerds, and big-hearted folks who believe that protecting the creatures we share our city with matters. We’re not a giant institution or a big-budget organization — we’re a grassroots flock using what we have to act as stewards of Hoboken’s birds. And while large-scale national and international programs are essential (we cheer them on!), they’re not the only way to make a difference. Local, people-powered projects — like this one — are powerful too.
You don’t have to start as an expert; you just have to start. Along the way, we’ve learned so much and connected with a global community doing beautiful, meaningful work to support the wild things they love. That’s why we’re so passionate about amplifying those voices — together, our stories take flight and create inspiration that will inspire even more projects.
Enter: Our Tern’s Ambassador Vagrant
As part of the parade, organizers “tagged” and “banded” one very special decoy and sent it packing — destination: anywhere and everywhere!
That decoy, now known as the Ambassador Vagrant, is journeying far beyond the Mile Square City, making pit stops with birders, scientists, naturalists, and organizations across the country and around the world.
Wherever Our Tern lands, the hosts are invited to:
- Take a photo or video with Our Tern at a local place that’s meaningful to your birding or conservation work.
- Share how your community protects birds — tell us your story, your practices, your passion.
- Add your own artistic flair to the decoy — a tattoo, a signature, a design, a trinket, a feathered twist — keep Our Tern evolving with every stop.
- Email your story and media to Our Tern HQ so it can be shared and amplified on social media and Our Tern’s website.
- Pass it on! Send Our Tern to the next birder, naturalist, researcher, or community you know who will love and care for it. (Can’t think of anyone to send it to? Reach out to us, and we can make a recommendation.)
Why It Matters
This isn’t just a bird on a joyride — it’s a global storytelling project with a big ecological heart. As Our Tern visits more places and gathers more stories, it’s helping to amplify the important, local work being done to protect birds and habitats worldwide. It’s also a way to connect bird-loving communities, showcase grassroots conservation strategies, and remind us all that protecting nature is a shared journey — one feathered step at a time.
In Short:
- Have fun.
- Care for Our Tern.
- Share your story.
- Pass it on.
Because when it comes to protecting birds, it’s Our Tern right now.