The four-legged gardener
What image comes to mind when you hear the phrase, four-legged gardener? Most people probably would not think of a chipmunk. Then the question arises, what does a gardener do in a garden? Some components of what a gardener does include finding an area for planting, digging in the ground, planting and spreading seeds, harvesting the vegetables that grow or enjoying the flowers that bloom. Harvesting vegetables can lead to storing them for future use during the winter. Common storage methods include canning, dehydrating, freezing and root cellaring. Last but not least is the commonly held belief that gardeners are always busy doing something or other in their gardens.
Does the chipmunk qualify as a gardener? Let’s learn a few details about chipmunks.
Chipmunks are rodents in the squirrel family. The eastern chipmunks, Tamias striatus, are found throughout Pennsylvania. As they dash around the yard and gardens, you catch glimpses of their bushy tails, alluring eyes, and racing stripes down their backs. They dig underground burrows that can stretch from ten to thirty feet. Chipmunks are not picky eaters. Their fecal material is very beneficial, containing seeds and mycorrhizae that the chipmunks distribute throughout their territories. Mycorrhizae are healthy relationships between soil fungi and plant roots. Mycorrhizae are vital for increasing water and nutrient absorption in plants. The chipmunk constantly scurries around digging in the ground, spreading seeds, tasting and harvesting vegetables and then storing food for the winter in their tunnels.
So, with some imagination, we can agree chipmunks are gardeners. They help contribute to the health and growth of the environment they inhabit with two-legged gardeners.