Man Builds Picnic Table For Squirrels And Inspires New Trend

Ordinarily, if a bloke built a picnic table for squirrels in his garden, it would probably be considered nothing more than a slightly sweet/weird thing to do.

But with quarantine measures in place, people far and wide have more time than ever, and it seems Rick Kalinowski's charming DIY project has inspired copy cats the world over.

Rick, a plumber from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, made the table so he could watch his squirrel regulars eat every day - something which has brought him happiness during these dark times.

The 43-year-old said: "I built the picnic bench and mounted it outside my living room window on the fence so I can watch the squirrels eat whilst I have my coffee every morning.

"I wake up at sunrise and have done for years, just to feed the squirrels and fill the bird feeders. I make my coffee, put on the morning news and watch everyone eat. I buy a variety of nuts and seeds for the squirrels along with fresh cut fruit, it brings me happiness especially during these uncertain times.

Caters

"The morning I made the video, the squirrels just looked so happy and cute eating. I think a lot of people love squirrels and the picnic table is cute for a photo opportunity.

"I get about four to six squirrels that regularly visit me and I'm always taking pictures of them."

But Rick's picnic creation is now being mimicked in gardens all over the place after a picture of it was shared on Twitter by Lucy Small, who posted it with the caption: "2 weeks of isolation and we're out here making picnic tables for squirrels because we're insane."

The tweet was liked more than 300,000 times and its viral popularity has resulted in the global squirrel population benefiting from a marked improvement in garden dining areas:

So if you've got a bit of time to spare, this could be a project for you to take on that you 100 percent never would have done in any point of your life if it wasn't for lockdown.

But hey, just 'cause we're not allowed to enjoy eating out doesn't mean squirrels shouldn't, now get to it.

Let's all bring some positivity, support and fun to anyone who might find themselves in isolation as a result of the coronavirus spread. Need some entertainment? Join Isolation Nation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/coronasupport/

Topics: Viral, Community, Animals

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey