We had quite a storm here over Memorial Day weekend. I’m grateful we fared better than those poor souls in other parts of the country, where a tornado outbreak wreaked terrible damage that cost lives and destroyed homes. My heart goes out to those families.
Yesterday’s storm took out my favorite squirrel tree in the woods behind the house but, thankfully, it fell away from our buildings. When the large white oak came down, it also took out a big tulip poplar and several smaller hardwoods. I couldn’t find the nest cavity I’ve monitored for several years, but I’m sure the crash left at least one squirrel family homeless, if it survived the impact. I examined the remains of the fallen oak and saw that the entire lower third of the trunk was mostly hollow. It’s not surprising that it toppled.
Sunshine now streams through the huge gap in the tree canopy, illuminating a forest floor that hasn’t experienced direct sunlight in many years. The sudden change may cause ferns and other shade-loving plants to die, but different species will undoubtedly take their place. Just like in human life, change is the only constant.
#stormdamage #squirrel #forestcanopy #changeisconstant
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