Don’t Trim That Tree-Even if it’s DEAD

Tree cutting time

People often ask me where the animals I get come from. Of course I give the standard answer, much like answering “fine” when people ask how you are.  “They just come” I say.  Really, they come from the Animal control offices I work with in Banning, Beaumont, Redlands, San Bernardino, and Riverside.  They come from Fish and Wildlife, and The Living Desert.  They come from FaceBook, Instagram, even emails, because my number is just OUT THERE.  The simple truth is, I have a brilliant, flashing, neon sign on my forehead that beckons animals and birds to me. I can’t help it. They just come. 

With all that in mind,  I can say without hesitation, the number one reason I get baby birds, and even some mammals like squirrels and raccoons is from trees being cut down in the spring and summer. People that have been in winter “hibernation” step outside at the first weak rays of sun in earl spring, look around their yard and see those straggly branches on the trees, or messy leaves they will soon have to rake up, and they call a tree trimmer. 

The problem with this is, spring is when the birds and squirrels are building nests, and then raising their babies, right in our yards. While your kids are dreaming of summer vacation, their babies are just being born. When your kids are  learning to swim, theirs are learning to fly and leap from tree to tree. But, just like your kids, until they are ready to leave the nest, they call that old mulberry tree that drops thousand and thousands of leaves for you to rake home, and if you cut it down in the heart of summer, babies are going to die. 

If you could find a way to simply wait until mid November, when the babies are gone, it would be incredibly helpful.  They have fledged from their nests, and found a new residence, and they have not yet set up housekeeping with a mate. They are footloose and fancy free for a few short months before spring fever hits them, and this is the best time to cut trees down.  

Just after Valentine’s Day, depending on where you live of course, they begin their courtship rituals, select a mate, and a tree, and set up house. This means your window of opportunity is swiftly closing. I would like to see any tree trimming done from mid November to the middle or end of January, at the latest. This gives them time to settle into a new tree if you are cutting down the one they have been thinking about. 

Even the dead trees house these winged and furry wonders. Woodpeckers, owls, and raccoons especially seem to prefer dead trees, where they can survey their domain without the interference of leaves twisting in the summer breezes. 

So, if you can find it in your heart to put off that trimming for just a few more months, you could be saving some valuable little lives. They would be so grateful, and so would I.  But since they can’t say thank you, I will. Thank you for considering the precious wildlife in your yard. There’s more there than you think.

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