SQUIRREL AWARENESS MONTH
Squirrel Awareness Month is an annual designation observed in October. Yes, you read that right. A whole month dedicated to giving those furry, quirky little creatures a little appreciation. It’s a time to look around at a local park, or even right outside your window, and giggle at the silly mannerisms of squirrels.
They may come off as a little mischievous and troublesome when they get into the bird feeders or even your attic, but you may not realize why they do what they do. Squirrels spend most of the warmer months gearing up for winter. Here’s the craziest part: experts estimate that squirrels find and bury three years of food during the warm months! They don’t hibernate during the winter, but they do like to stay cozy in their dens so they can sleep and snack until it warms up again.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Take some time to enjoy a squirrel’s strange antics. Catch some pictures or videos of squirrels and use #SquirrelAwarenessMonth to post on social media. You can even put out some extra walnuts for them to snack on, it could bring in quite a crowd! For another squirrely observance, National Squirrel Appreciation Day takes place on January 21.
HISTORY
The start of Squirrel Awareness Month came from an unlikely story. In 1995, Greg Bassett was at the Grand Canyon in Arizona when he noticed a squirrel standing near him, as he put it, “motioning” at him. And… the rest is (literally) history. He says seeing the squirrel changed his life. He went back to his home in Chicago and started the Squirrel Lovers Club, which was the beginning of what is now Squirrel Awareness Month.