VIDEO: 'Rally for River': Smithtown 7-Year-Old Competes For $20K In National Wildlife Contest

SMITHTOWN, NY — A 7-year-old Long Island boy’s love for nature has turned into a shot at national recognition — and a chance to give back to a local nature preserve.

River Scuderi, a Smithtown resident, is competing in Colossal’s nationwide Jr. Ranger Competition, a campaign supporting the National Wildlife Federation that encourages children to explore the outdoors and protect wildlife.

The competition, open to children ages 4 to 12, will ultimately crown one winner who receives $20,000, a feature in Ranger Rick magazine, and a wildlife experience with conservationist and TV host Jeff Corwin.

River entered the competition after submitting a video of himself exploring Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, where his grandmother, Denise Scuderi, said he has grown up spending time on trails, learning about wildlife, and engaging with rescue and rehabilitation programs. The video helped launch him into a competition that now includes thousands of children nationwide.

“My little grandson and I grew up here behind Sweetbriar Nature Center — enjoying the walks, the trails, the rescue animals, the rehabilitation of the animals, the programs,” Denise told Patch. “We submitted a video of him just being himself at the nature center, and he was chosen.”

Participants advance through weekly voting rounds by completing tasks and sharing their passion for the outdoors. As of Thursday, River was ranked second in his group and was pushing toward the final rounds of voting, with the next cutoff set for Thursday, May 7, at 10 p.m.

“When I tell you thousands of kids have been a part of this program nationwide, to me it’s a big deal,” Denise said. “I think it’s a very big deal. He brought his whole Cub Scout group there to do a walk, and it was just nice to have these young kids have this kind of exposure. We’re growing up with such digital minds, and this really encourages kids to go out and explore.”

Through the competition, Denise said her family has discovered parks, museums and environmental programs across Long Island that they might not have otherwise visited.

“It really encourages you to go out and explore different parks, different state parks,” she said. “We’ve been going to Caleb Smith State Park — it has a beautiful little museum inside. There’s just so much out there that people aren’t taking advantage of.”

Sweetbriar itself, she said, has had a lasting impact not only on River, but on her as well.

“It’s the peace that it brings to you, and you see the kids really come alive in that environment,” she said. “They have a playground made from natural elements, they rehabilitate animals — it just encourages creativity and exploring.”

The competition unfolds through weekly voting rounds, narrowing contestants from the Top 20 down to the final winner. Supporters can cast one free vote per day, with additional votes available through donations that benefit the National Wildlife Federation while allowing participants to advance based on community support.

“Everything goes to support the environment and wildlife protection,” Denise said. “Even just being part of this journey — it’s a good cause.”

If River ultimately wins, Denise said he already has a plan for how to use the opportunity.

“It would be nice for River to win, because if he wins, he can contribute back to the nature center — where his little journey started,” she said.

As River continues advancing, the family hopes the Long Island community will rally behind him.

“Let’s rally Long Island around River,” Denise said.

Readers can support River by casting a free daily vote through the Jr. Ranger Competition website, with optional donations further supporting wildlife conservation efforts.