Life in the Cold

During the winter, the nature center teaches a class about how animals deal with winter. Life in the Cold helps students understand that all approaches to surviving winter come with challenges. No approach  - migration, hibernation, staying active - is better than any of the others or is a guarantee of survival.

I saw that firsthand today. The overnight low temperature hit -23F. The daytime highs (high? ha!) were about -12F. Winds were gusting around 20 mph so windchills were 30-40 below. Cold, cold, cold. Too cold for schools to be open. Too cold even for animals.

Yesterday, one of the naturalists was at the nature center caring for the raptors. She noticed a young squirrel huddling up against one of the buildings, digging under leaves. She assumed it was trying to get warm, so she put a bucket filled with some fabric and left it in the area hoping that the squirrel would use it for shelter.

If you've read my more recent posts, you know I've been having trouble with squirrels getting into my feeders at home. Squirrels don't rank high on my list of favorite animals. But I don't wish them to suffer or die. Unfortunate for the young squirrel at the nature center, the weather was too much for it. This morning , while caring for the raptors, the other naturalist and I found the young squirrel. Dead. Frozen.

I know that yearling animals aren't likely to survive their first year. It's what I teach the kids during Life in the Cold. With the temperatures that we've been experiencing, I'm sure many animals died or will die as this polar vortex smothers us in bitterly cold temperatures. It's just hard to deal with when you see it firsthand. RIP Mr. Squirrel.