Squirrels: New Student on Campus
How Squirrels showing up on College Campuses could warn us of bigger problems.
College Students come across many things during their time at a university. From multiple tests and clubs to balance, to ultimately deciding what they want to do with the rest of their lives. During all of this though, it seems like a new roadblock has come into their path. No, not the type of roadblock that could stop them from graduating, but one that could maybe make them late for class. It isn’t physically imposing nor is it hard to get around, nor is it a danger. It is but a furry, fuzzy little creature that could intrigue them enough to make them stay for a few minutes. That’s right. A squirrel.
Squirrels come in many shapes, forms and sizes. They all seem to be in the same fight. The same fight we all have. To survive another day. For some reason though, that has brought them to college campuses across the country. Squirrels come from far and wide to campuses not to get an education, but because it seems to be some sort of safe haven for them during times of trouble in their natural habitat.
Squirrels can come to colleges to interact with many things. They can play in the plots of grass that are spread throughout the campus, climb the trees and even find that nut they buried in the sand a couple weeks ago next to the library. Even with all these options, one thing that many squirrels seem to enjoy doing is interacting with the many students that walk campus on a daily basis. Squirrels can use these students to obtain small amounts of food, or make a friend in the process. Some go to park benches, others go to students sitting at a table.
Through the course of all this, Squirrels have become a part of the college experience for many people. Whether they feed the squirrels themselves, see others interact with them or even get the chance to have a squirrel “Square Up”, many students have noted that squirrels have been frequent on their campus through their time there, even if they just mind their own business.
So, what exactly are all these squirrels on campus for? Why did they come to Universities? It’s obvious that they can’t obtain a degree in a specific field (although you should never tell something they can’t obtain a goal). Maybe these squirrels, with all of their infinite wisdom, are trying to warn us of impending dangers that plague the nation we live in. After all, squirrels are all over the country. The United States should have plenty of land for the squirrels to run freely in. They should be able to climb whatever tree that they want to. Though this is true, the problem might be that the trees they want to climb aren’t their anymore.
According to the IUCN Red List, Squirrels are in no danger of becoming extinct, but their homes that require an Artificial/Temperate Forest Habitat may be. Deforestation has somewhat become a concern in the past couple of years. If certain trends continue on their current course, some of these squirrels may not have a home in the future. Of course, they can find new places to crawl around and play in, but maybe they realize that college students are the key to saving their homes.
The students that walk the halls of college campuses are going to carry the nation, even the world into the next couple of decades. What if the squirrels have realized that those students hold the key to saving their habitat in the United States? Are squirrels sentient enough to have that sort of thought process? Have they discovered the key to saving the forests in the years to come?
Squirrels will never walk the stage to receive a degree from a university. So, they obviously have come to college campuses for a reason. Maybe it’s just to interact with students, grab nuts from the terrain, or climb the trees and just have a good time. Or maybe they’ve come to our campuses because their options are running out. Maybe they know that it is up to the students that they see on a daily basis to fix that. The students hold the key to the future of many things. Maybe the squirrels are smarter than we give them credit for. So the next time that a squirrel asks you for a nut, or looks at you while you walk to class, take some time to think about why he might be there. Be friendly to him. Maybe even give him a name. Terry sounds like a good name for a squirrel. And while you do this, remember that these squirrels have a real home, and it’s up to you to make sure they still have it one day.
