Animal field note
Accidental gardener
Forgetful Squirrel
A squirrel buries hundreds of acorns every autumn, but forgets where it hid quite a few of them by the time spring comes.
Let's look closer
What happens to the acorns nobody remembers?
very autumn, squirrels bury acorns all across the forest floor, each one tucked into its own small hole to save for the cold months ahead. Squirrels actually have a remarkably good spatial memory and relocate most of their buried food later on, using landmarks like rocks and trees along with their sense of smell. But the acorns they do forget aren't wasted at all; snug underground through winter, many quietly sprout into new oak trees each spring, making the squirrel an accidental forest gardener.
Look for this
Explorer clue
Look for tiny oak seedlings growing far from any grown oak tree. A squirrel's forgetful memory may be the reason it's there.
Your turn to wonder
Curiosity question
What is one small thing you could plant today that might grow into something wonderful?
Keep wandering
