New Bat Boxes Give Riverside Park’s Night Shift a Home

If you spend time at Riverside Park around dusk, you’ve probably seen bats darting overhead. They may be small and easy to miss, but they’re some of the hardest-working neighbors we have.

Thanks to the dedication of Eagle Scout candidate Tucker Condon of Troop 20, those bats now have a few more places to call home.

As part of his Eagle Scout project, Tucker designed, built, and installed five cedar bat boxes throughout Riverside Park with the help of his friend Deakin Reyes. Every detail mattered. The boxes were mounted at least 12 feet above the ground to help protect bats from predators and positioned facing southeast so they catch the warmth of the morning sun, creating the conditions bats prefer.

Building a bat house isn’t as simple as putting together a wooden box. Tucker used untreated, unpainted cedar because it’s naturally resistant to moisture and insects without exposing bats to harmful chemicals. A properly built bat box also has a rough interior surface so bats can easily climb inside, where they gather together for warmth and protection.

Even though each box is relatively small, it can provide shelter for as many as 30 bats.

That matters because good places for bats to roost are becoming harder to find, especially in cities. Along with chimney swifts, many bat species naturally seek out large, old trees with cavities or loose bark. Those kinds of trees are uncommon in urban landscapes, leaving bats to look elsewhere, sometimes in attics or chimneys. Well-placed bat houses give them a safer alternative while helping them remain part of the local ecosystem.

And we’re happy to have them around.

Bats are incredible natural pest control. A single bat can eat thousands of insects, including mosquitoes, in a single night. Their nutrient-rich guano is also an excellent natural fertilizer, making bats valuable contributors both above and below the canopy.

Tucker also raised funds to make the project possible, donating a portion of what he collected to support the work. Community projects like this don’t just create habitat. They show how one person’s idea can leave a lasting impact on a public space that thousands of people enjoy every year.

The next time you’re walking the Greenway at sunset, take a moment to look up. You might just spot Riverside Park’s newest residents heading out for the evening shift.