Animal field note
Accidental gardener
Forgetful Squirrel
A squirrel buries hundreds of acorns for winter, but forgets where it hid quite a few of them.
Let's look closer
What happens to the acorns nobody remembers?
very autumn, squirrels bury acorns all across the forest floor to save for cold months ahead. The ones left forgotten don't go to waste, though; snug underground, many quietly sprout into new oak trees each spring.
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?