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Olney Central College is taking measures to ensure the campus’ white squirrel population continues to thrive by installing nesting boxes near the Applied Technology Center construction site.
“We had identified through the project a few trees that we knew would have to be taken down,” said OCC President Chris Simpson. “We have a lot of white squirrel activity on campus. We wanted to be aware of that and take steps so if there was any disruption to their habitat, we were addressing it. We have never seen activity in the trees that were taken down, but there were nests in trees nearby.”
Simpson reached out to white squirrel experts for advice on maintaining a hospitable environment for Olney’s most famous residents.
“We contacted retired OCC Instructor Dr. John Stencel, who initiated Olney’s annual squirrel count in the 1970s, and Belinda Henton, who has worked for several years to maintain the city’s white squirrel population,” Simpson explained. “They guided us on what we needed to do.”
When Simpson approached OCC Woodworking Instructor Kyle Kuenstler about constructing the custom-built nesting boxes, he was happy to lend his expertise.
“The boxes are very similar to birdhouses,” Kuenstler said. “For the squirrels, the most important aspects are the perch and the access hole. They need a sturdy spot to stand on to get in and out safely and the hole must be small enough, so they feel safe, but big enough so they can enter and exit easily.”
Kuenstler also designed the front board to be detachable allowing for old nesting materials and debris to be easily removed.
“We want to thank Kyle who embraced the project and donated his time to be able to do this,” Simpson added.
Along with the nesting boxes, the college plans to plant additional trees on the east side of Wattleworth Hall.
“There are some other recent projects on campus, which have required us to remove a few trees, and we want to replace those,” he said “The minimum goal is to have a one for one replacement, and ideally two for one. We will be seeking grant funds to accomplish this once the Allied Health Project is completed.”
Simpson said the plantings would primarily include oaks, hickories and walnuts, which would all benefit the white squirrels.
