Whether seen scurrying up trees or perching themselves on green garbage cans looking for a meal, the numerous squirrels on campus are part of the natural outdoor ambience at the University of Wyoming.
The little furry critters will be celebrated during Squirrel Day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, March 28, in UW’s Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center. The event, free and open to the public, is hosted by UW’s Biodiversity Institute and the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. No registration is required.
Designed for all ages, Squirrel Day highlights the vital role squirrels play in ecosystems locally and around the world. From seed dispersal and forest regeneration to serving as prey for larger wildlife, squirrels are small mammals with an outsized ecological impact.
The idea for the event came from Lauren Watterau and Lindsey Mitchell, two UW graduate students and 2025 biodiversity graduate student research enhancement grant recipients, who both study squirrel ecology in different regions of the world.
Watterau, a third-year master’s student from Columbus, Ind., studying zoology and physiology, and Mitchell, a second-year master’s student from Colorado Springs, Colo., studying mammalogy and conservation biology, will co-host this event with the UW Biodiversity Institute. The two will share their research in short, accessible talks followed by a question-and-answer session.
The schedule is as follows:
- 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Hands-on activity tables include “Squirrels Around the World,” “Trap and Track a Stuffed Animal Squirrel,” “How to Build a Midden” and outdoor squirrel adventures offered about every hour.
- 1-11:15 a.m.: Watterau will present “Why It’s a Good Thing Squirrels Are Literally Everywhere.”
- Noon-12:15 p.m.: Mitchell will present “Small Mammals, Big Roles: Biodiversity Across a Human-Modified Rainforest.”
- 1:15-1:45 p.m.: John Koprowski, dean of the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources and a renowned mammalogist and conservation biologist, will discuss squirrel ecology and wildlife conservation. His talk will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Families also can enjoy a creative craft table hosted by the UW Art Museum and explore wildlife science with representatives of the UW Museum of Vertebrates.
Squirrel Day reflects the Biodiversity Institute’s commitment to connecting UW research with communities across the state. By bringing graduate student research into a public setting, the event demonstrates how biodiversity science informs conservation and stewardship at local and global scales.
For more information, visit the Squirrel Day Facebook event page.
This story was originally published on UW News.
