The Storm King School celebrated Earth Day recently with a blend of learning and action, honoring our planet in a meaningful way. The day began with an All School Meeting filled with activities and presentations, the first by Head of School Jonathan Lamb who shared the history of Earth Day and Storm King Mountain’s role in launching the nation’s grassroots environmental movement. A highlight of the gathering was a heartfelt rendition of Marvin Gaye’s famous environmental song, “Mercy, Mercy Me” by Madison B. ’24 and NaRae T. ’24 that allowed for a moment of reflection about the purpose of the day before groups of students and faculty headed outdoors to participate in various on and off campus service activities.
Inspired by the morning’s events, the students dove eagerly into their activities hoping to make a positive impact in the community and for the Earth. Some ventured into Black Rock Forest to assist with trail clearing and the removal of invasive species such as the Japanese Barberry, while others were dispatched to different areas of Cornwall for cleanup efforts. Mr. MacSwain and Mrs. Cunningham’s group succeeded in collecting “a ton of litter” behind the Sands Ring Homestead including a soda bottle from 1960. Eva G. ’26, who was part of the Donahue Park cleanup crew added, “We took a lot of garbage by the gazebo down at the river, where it looked like a lot of people had parties.”
The group who spearheaded the composting activity began preparations the week before Earth Day. “The students gave a wonderful presentation and Andrea L. ’25 initiated composting in the dining hall. The effort turned out 42.3 pounds of food scraps from SKS which we brought down to the composting site at Donahue Farm in Cornwall,” explained Mrs. Centeno who led the group. There, the students worked alongside Mara Davi Gaines, head of the Youth Garden Club, where they learned the process of turning the compost pile and screening their first pile of finished compost. “Their efforts equal 3.24 days of energy consumption for one household,” she continued. .
Another group focused on identifying bird species at the Kenridge Farm campus of the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum. Equipped with binoculars and the Merlin Bird ID app, the students identified 40 bird species, including the shy and elusive wood duck. “All our sightings were reported to Cornell University for their migration studies around the world,” explained Ms. Mowat who led the group. “We saw so many beautiful and rare birds during birdwatching–some that I don’t see in my home country,” added Cathy C. ’24.
On campus, other groups of students worked to tidy up the SKS greenhouse, pick up sticks, and plant trees all across campus. In the theater, Mrs. Brown helped another group work with the tools and materials from her Stagecraft class to build birdhouses, which will be hung across the campus. To top off the morning, a delicious bake sale greeted students and faculty in the dining hall before lunch–an idea initiated by Emily K. ‘26 and Nyla A. ’25 to raise money for more tree-planting.
Through all of Storm King’s Earth Day activities, our community demonstrated its dedication to acting as stewards of the environment, not just for a morning, but every day. Many thanks go out to the faculty, staff, and students who worked hard to make Earth Day successful and meaningful once again this year.
