At CLC Tree Services, our job is to tend to trees. We assess them, prune them, fertilize them, treat them for illness and infections, and sometimes have to cut them down. There is far more to the job than just dealing with trees though. We also get to get up close and personal with some of Mother Nature’s other creatures—animals.
When we work on a tree, we are also working on the home of many creatures; insects, birds, small mammals like squirrels and sometimes larger ones like raccoons. Trees provide shelter, food, nesting places, perches and so much more for animals and insects, big and small. At CLC Tree Services, we have come across many of them.
We have to admit that we have a soft spot for some of the smaller creatures though. This summer alone we came across several squirrel nests while working on their homes in the trees. I’m sure the babies were mightily confused, but thankfully the Mommas came back to retrieve their babies and relocate them to safety once we departed for the day.
It’s not just squirrels we come across either. Raccoons know the value of trees as well, and a nice hollow tree makes for a perfect place for mother raccoons to raise a family. Sometimes all we have to do is make that home a little safer for the others who inhabit the space around the tree though. The raccoon family on the right was in an old dead ash tree in the middle of Camp Woodeden. We shortened up the trunk to prevent the brittle tree from falling on passing campers, then put the baby coons back into their new home for Mom to tend to once more. And everyone was happy at the end of the day, including Calvin who got to put the babies back into their new home once the tree was safe for the people who share the space.
As for birds, there has been more than one nest rescued from the chipper each spring. We prefer to admire them in flight, than to have to force them to relocate, but unfortunately a nice place to call home for birds, doesn’t always equate to what meets the best needs for a homeowner.
Not all animals we come across in trees necessarily live there though. We’re not sure why, but the phone rang off the hook this summer with people begging us to rescue their pets. Domestic house cats are great climbers, but for some reason they struggle with the whole down the tree concept. You can’t imagine the relief that worried pet owners have when their poor kitties are safely brought back down to earth again. It always makes us wonder if those silly cats head straight back up into the nearest tree once they are outside once more or if their outdoor privileges are taken away by their owners. Regardless, we don’t necessarily promote ‘animal rescue’ as a skill on our website or resumes.
Whatever animals CLC Tree Services comes across, we try to respect that we share a world with each other. Even if we are altering an animal’s home, we do our best to take care of all of Mother Nature’s creatures, large and small. And if we get a cute cuddle from a baby squirrel once in a while, well that just makes our day that much nicer.
Plus, it makes for a great photo op. Cheese!