 Forest Scamps - Chipmunks
Eastern chipmunk. Photo by Keith Ramos, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
I’ve been watching the antics of chipmunks for several weeks during my daily walks. They scurry in and out of the stone walls and inspect the gardens for seeds from last autumn's bounty of flowers – I do not deadhead the last blooms of the season but leave them to provide food over the winter for birds and then any leavings go to the chipmunks when they appear. Though I had hoped for a longer and snowy winter, I am happy to see the chipmunks out and about and stuffing their cheeks to maximum expansion. I can’t help but smile whenever I see them! Memories of childhood hikes and watching Alvin and the Chipmunks (the original) make me laugh! These forest scamps have an important role in maintaining healthy forests. As a matter of course during their foraging, they help to disperse seeds. This is especially important after timber harvests and forest fires. They are part of the food chain and interconnectedness of all life.
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Wishing you great days and nights in the outdoors!
Jocelyn
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