#metroparks

What kinds of things will I learn? What photos will I take? How many different kinds of mushroom, lichen, and bark will I identify? What about birds? What kinds of leave and feathers will I collect? How often will I forage? How many trails will I walk, and for how long? What will my longest hike be? What emotions will I experience? Who will I be at the end of all this? So many questions, but I'd love to find out!

for easter, my partner and I have a tradition of finding a new place to take a walk in nature. early spring is always my favorite. animals are out. the trees are bright green and everything is just generally waking up.

we decided to take a walk in cleveland's metroparks, which will always be my favorite place ever.

Throughout the city of Kent and neighboring municipalities, it is impossible to miss all the Black Squirrels. Aside from seeing the actual rodents scurrying around suburban yards and the university grounds, images of Black Squirrels are proudly displayed on bumper stickers and students’ tee-shirts. The nexus of the Black Squirrel mania is Kent State University which, every year, hosts its annual Black Squirrel festival, the pinnacle of Black Squirrel pride. But why all the love for this seemingly common animal?

Before researching this piece, I never knew that Black Squirrels were anything special. Since childhood, I have seen them everywhere: in my neighbors’ grass, in the forests, in trees near my home, even in urban settings. I see them at my university where they steal specks of food discarded along sidewalks and only show any kind of trepidation towards humans when you’re mere inches away from them! In my experience, Black Squirrels are brave, ornery, strong, and mini-but-mighty mammals determined to harvest and feast upon acorns and rubbish, alike. I never knew that these creatures are so special and unique to Northeast Ohio, and that they hadn’t always been here until recently.

The saga of how Black Squirrels came to Kent (and eventually proliferated through the rest of Northeast Ohio) began in 1961, when Kent State University groundskeeper superintendent, Larry Woodell, traveled to London, Ontario. There, he encountered a plethora of exotic-looking Black Squirrels. Prior to his trip to Canada, Woodell had only ever seen a single Black Squirrel once in Chardon. After conducting some research, Woodell discovered that Black Squirrels, which once thrived throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Valley regions, were quickly decreasing in number in Northeast Ohio. Woodell and Davey Tree employee, “Biff” Staples, proceeded to enact “Operation Black Squirrel.” According to a 2013 Kent State University College of Education, Health, and Human Services newsletter, “[t]he pair worked with the United States and Canadian governments to transport Black Squirrels to Kent in a time period of around six months,” to reintroduce them to the region’s ecosystem. The Canadian Black Squirrels proceeded to mix with Ohio’s native squirrel population, and the initial ten quickly became hundreds.

Since the 1960s, the Black Squirrel population has sharply increased and spread throughout Northeast Ohio and the rest of the state. Benjamin Peters of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported in 2019 that the squirrels are common within the Cleveland Metroparks system and throughout Cuyahoga County. I frequently see them around Northeast Ohio, myself. Their unique coloring is a result of, “a rare genetic hiccup that can occur in any gray or fox squirrel” (Peters). Greg Smith, assistant professor of biological sciences at Kent State University at Stark predicts that, as Ohio’s forest cover increases, so too will Black Squirrel populations.

The population increase of Black Squirrels mirrors the animal’s ballooning cultural significance in the region. They are considered by many to be Kent State University’s unofficial mascot. Each year, the university hosts its Black Squirrel 5K Race and the Black Squirrel Festival, where students distribute custom Black Squirrel themed shirts and local vendors come together to celebrate the beloved creatures. The university’s student radio station is called Black Squirrel Radio. You can purchase Black Squirrel Blend Coffee from Bent Tree Coffee Roasters in Kent. Many Kent landmarks pay homage to the tiny animal: Black Squirrel Gifts and Squirrel City Jewelers in Acorn Alley are just a few. When asked about what the Black Squirrel means to her school, Kent State University student, Jenna Molinari, told me, “They’re so much fun and they… add such a unique spin on the history of our campus! I mean, everyone who comes to Kent comments on them and I just love that.”

Photo credits:

Top left: Kent Black Squirrel bumper sticker I see, like, everywhere by McKay Bricker Gallery and Framing, Kent, OH

Top right: A black eastern grey squirrel, Calgary, Alberta, 2017 by Crazyjoepaul, Wikimedia Commons

Bottom: Kent State University's Black Squirrel statue, 2020 Kent State University, Kent, OH

Kent State University College of Education, Health, and Human Services. (2013). The Connection. Kent, Ohio; The EEHS Office of Diversity Outreach and Development - Kent State University. https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/file/October2013.pdf.

Molinari, J., & Skakun, J. M. (2021, August 24). Cultural Importance of the Black Squirrel at Kent State University. personal.