How to Celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day

Once a year, go nuts for squirrels. The official Squirrel Appreciation Day is January 21. Why not show your appreciation for the bushy-tailed little nut-gatherers by trying one of the following activities.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Pine cones
• Peanut butter

Learn About Squirrels

1. Check local television listings for documentaries about squirrels. The National Geographic Channel and Animal Planet are likely to have a special presentation.

2. Look out your window. Squirrels are everywhere. What can you learn about squirrels just by watching them in your own backyard?

3. Read a book about squirrels and their natural habitat.

4. Research squirrels online. You'll find several sites dedicated just to our furry friends. Did you know, for instance, that there are 365 species of squirrels?

Feed a Squirrel

1. Make a squirrel feede. First, collect pine cones and a jar of peanut butter.

2. Spread peanut butter on each pine cone, making sure to get it into all the little crevices.

3. Hang the pine cone from a branch of a tree a good distance away from any bird feeders. Squirrels are notorious for getting into bird feeders so giving them a feeder of their own is a great way of getting them to leave the birds alone.

4. Put out extra food for squirrels during the winter. They need foods that are high in protein and low in cellulose. Nuts, seeds and suet are perfect foods.

Celebrate Squirrels!

1. Spend the day watching Rocky and Bullwinkle episodes. Cheer for Rocky!

2. Visit the Web site of Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitator in North Carolina who is the originator of Squirrel Appreciation Day (see link below).

3. Swap out your computer's desktop wallpaper for the day with a picture of a cute squirrel. To do this, just find a picture you like online, right-click the picture and select "Set picture as desktop background."