National Squirrel Appreciation Day Date in the current year: January 21, 2024

Squirrels are small or medium-sized rodents indigenous to the Americas, Africa, and Eurasia. Most tree squirrels, which are commonly referred to as just squirrels, belong to the genus Sciurus in the family Sciuridae. The squirrel family also includes ground squirrels (for example, chipmunks, groundhogs, marmots, prairie dogs) and flying squirrels.

There are more than a hundred tree squirrel species native to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa. The best-known species of arboreal squirrels are the red squirrel native to Europe and Asia, the eastern gray squirrel native to North America, and the fox squirrel native to North America. In some parts of Europe, the population of the native red squirrel has decreased in recent years due to the introduction of the eastern gray squirrel, which is considered an invasive species.

Tree squirrels have learned to coexist with humans in environments such as urban parks, suburban backyards, rural farms, and even college campuses. Many squirrels have become desensitized to humans and perceive them as a ready source of food; they would actively look for treats and can be hand-fed. By the way, if you want to feed squirrels, you should know that sunflower seeds and peanuts are bad for their health due to a lack of certain nutrients.

Squirrels are smart, persistent, and inquisitive animals. However, their inquisitiveness and persistence have led to them being considered pests because squirrels may bury food in backyards, break into houses and gnaw on power cables, and even nest in attics and basements. Luckily, there are many ways for homeowners to deal with the squirrel problem and peacefully coexist with these inquisitive rodents.

National Squirrel Appreciation Day was founded in 2001 by Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitation specialist from Asheville, North Carolina. She wanted to raise awareness of the dangers that squirrels face every day and encourage people to be kinder towards these bushy-tailed rodents and help squirrels to survive the winter by setting out food and water for them.

There are many ways to observe National Squirrel Appreciation Day. You can learn interesting facts about these cute animals and share them with anyone who is willing to listen, feed the squirrels in your local park or set up a feeder in your backyard, watch a movie featuring squirrels (for example, DC League of Super-Pets, The Sword in the Stone where Merlin transforms himself and Arthur into squirrels, or the Ice Age franchise with its saber-toothed squirrel Scrat), donate to or volunteer at your local wildlife rescue that helps squirrels, host a squirrel-themed party for your friends, and spread the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtags #NationalSquirrelAppreciationDay and #SquirrelAppreciationDay.