Building 140 birdhouses earn Girl Scouts a high honor

Posing recently with the 140 birdhouses they designed and built to support native bird species and earn the Girl Scout Silver Award were members of Port Washington Girl Scout Troop 8210 (front row, from left) Skylar Oswald, Claire Rychtik, Stella Braley, Piper Bunch, Natalie Dierekes, Mia Brickner and Margaret Himsl. Ella Flanagan is not pictured. Behind them were Troop leaders Dawn Rychtik (left) and Valerie Himsl. Inspiration for the project came from what the girls learned about the nesting needs of local birds during a walk at Harrington Beach State Park in the Town of Belgium in 2025. The Scouts then researched the nesting habits of native birds, found two birdhouse designs that worked with the donated lumbar they received and built 92 bluebird houses and 48 robin nest boxes with doors so they can be cleaned between nesting seasons. They also raised money for the project by creating and selling fire starters, handmade soaps and bracelets. The troop donated 21 of the birdhouses to Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bend, 20 to Riveredge Nature Center in the Town of Saukville and 40 to Harrington Beach State Park. The remaining houses were shared among the Scouts so they could place them in their communities or give them as gifts. The Silver Award is one of the highest honors in Girl Scouts and recognizes “take action” projects that demonstrate leadership, make a lasting impact on an issue the Scouts feel strongly about and require at least 50 hours of work per Scout.