What started as an idea for an Eagle Scout project became a colorful, lasting contribution to the Storm King School campus—thanks to Ryder H. ’26, a student who combined his interest in conservation and some creativity to benefit both the environment and the school community.

The idea for the project began when Ryder was looking for meaningful ways to complete his requirements as an Eagle Scout. “I originally wanted to do something in conservation here on the Mountain,” he said. “When I started planning a cleanup, I realized that something like that wouldn’t last. I also didn’t want to leave just anything, like a bench or a plaque, tucked into the woods.”

Instead, Ryder was inspired by the many birds he observed around campus and saw an opportunity to build something both useful and lasting: birdhouses. “I thought I could make something that would help the birds and also look nice—so I decided to build and paint birdhouses in bright colors.”

With the guidance of Mrs. Brown, Ryder led a group of students to construct and paint the birdhouses during the School’s Global Community Day/Earth Day celebration. To put up the finished birdhouses, Ryder coordinated with the campus facilities team to plan the installation. On the chosen day, Ryder’s family came to help out, joined by Patrick F. ‘25 and Max K., another member of Ryder’s Boy Scout troop. Together, the group installed the festive birdhouses in the wooded area behind Ogden Hall, hanging them from trees and placing a few on posts to better suit different bird species.

Now, the birdhouses have added pops of color throughout the trees while offering shelter to local birds. Many thanks to Ryder and his family for their conservation efforts and for making Storm King’s natural spaces even more welcoming—for both people and wildlife.