We Can All Learn From Squirrels

The Story of Peanut the Red

This past summer, I spent a great deal of time observing the wildlife in my backyard. The deer are serene and beautiful, the bunnies are cute and docile (but always a little nervous). The birds

are colourful and quirky. But the squirrels... they're simply amazing. I know many of you have come to dislike them for their destructive behaviours around your home, as they tend to "infest" things, chew your stuff or set up house in places they likely shouldn't.

When we get past all that, though, and realize that they are just doing what their instincts tell them, you can hopefully forgive many of these things. I, for one, have spent hours watching

the squirrels in my yard tumble and play with each other, hang from branches, fly from tree to tree (literally), perform acrobatics unlike I ever though possible and... squirrel away food. At this they are unparalleled - the kings and queens of saving for

a rainy day!

One Saturday afternoon I watched Peanut the red squirrel(I named him that, not sure if it's his actual name) spend HOURS running across the yard, up one of the big oaks, chewing acorns off

a branch, peeling off the frilly bits, and racing back down the tree. He would stop only occasionally to check for predators and competitors, then bolt across the yard and through the wrought iron fence to his hiding spot just inside the forest. He would deposit

the acorn, then run back to another tree to repeat the process. When another squirrel would come within 20 feet of him in this process, he would chatter and chase them away with disturbing ferocity, fearing that they might discover his "secret" hiding place.

Grey squirrels four times his size would flee from his wrath, as would the bunnies and even the birds who made the mistake of occupying a branch he had identified for acorn extraction. Every fifth or sixth trip, he would stop for about 5 seconds at a puddle

for a drink of water, then head straight back to work.

Peanut did this day after day in some fashion. I fed him HUNDREDS of peanuts myself, some of which he would eat right away but most would be taken and buried, stuck in the crook of a branch

high in the forest or transported to some far flung destination out of my range. He would eventually come to me on command, assured of a peanut payday.

The Kluane Red Squirrel Project has been studying these little creatures for over 30 years in the Yukon, and one of the most fascinating things I learned from their research is that the reds'

survival often depends on how much of their hard work is passed down to future generations. That's right, many of them leave an "estate" of huge caches of stored food! The researchers found that the most successful and prolific "family" lines come from those

that have left upwards of 20 or 30 thousand pine cones, acorns etc. after they've passed away. This wealth of food allows the subsequent generations to spend less time foraging and more time procreating and protecting the stash.

This is why I believe we should all strive to be more like squirrels. Their industrious nature pays off not just today, to feed themselves in the moment or even for the winter, but for future

generations. It's highly unlikely they're aware of this concept, but I'd like to think my little buddy Peanut has overheard some of my lectures to friends and family on the benefits of sound financial and estate planning and is showing me he's up to the task.

It warms me to think his children, grandchildren and beyond will have easier lives because of his hard work and steadfast determination in the summer of 2020.

Hats off to you Peanut, and here's to the health and wealth of your future family. I'll leave you a few nuts before I go to bed tonight.