Brevard’s white squirrels would seem to be doing well as preparations are being made for the Seventh Annual White Squirrel Festival on Memorial Day weekend.

Under the supervision of the Heart of Brevard, community volunteers conducted the 14th Annual Brevard Squirrel Count this past Fall over a three square mile study area centered on the Courthouse.

The Count is not meant to be a true census but rather an estimate of the percentage of the white versus the gray variant of the Eastern Gray Squirrel.

This year’s estimate of 37.1% is the highest yet on record, well above the 14 year average being 28.1%. Overall abundance of squirrels, both white and gray, was up representing the third highest in count history.  Statistical analysis indicates that while the percent white has steadily increased over this period, abundance fluctuates widely and is highly correlated to available food, particularly hard mast (nuts), over the previous year.

The highest concentration of the white variant was once again along the southeast margin of the study area north and east of Brevard Elementary School, Warren and  Bluebird Lane, McCrary Acres, Morgan Heights and the general area between Elm Bend Road and Outland Avenue.  Because of its park-like landscape, Brevard College remains a good place to view your first white squirrel although their abundance there seems to have declined slightly in recent years.  More details can be found at the following links:

• Overall 2010 results 
• Map showing 2010 percent white by Sector  
• Details of 2010 count by Sector
• Bar graph of 14 year history (1997-2010) of percent white
• Bar graph of 14 year history (1997-2010) of abundance (gray plus white)
• Details of previous years’s counts
• Purpose of the annual squirrel count
• Brevard white squirrels’ distinctive pattern
• Origin of Brevard’s white squirrels
• Information on white squirrels in general
• Overview of Findings of the White Squirrel Research Institute
• FAQ

 To participate in future counts or in becoming a designated Squirrel Spotter for a neighborhood contact Madrid Zimmerman (828-884-3278; heartexec@comporium.net), Director of the Heart of Brevard, or Bob Glesener (828-862-3231; rrglesener@gmail.com), Director of the White Squirrel Research Institute.

Rank Ordering of Sectors for 2010 by (1) % White, (2) White Squirrels/Acre, & (3) Total Squirrels/Acre

 The rankings below are intended to allow interested persons to identify areas within the city of Brevard where they are most likely to encounter white squirrels.  Percentage by itself can be misleading since even if the percentage of the white variant is high, if the total number of squirrels is low, their chances of an encounter may be very low.  Since different Sectors have different acreages, the abundance is expressed in squirrels per acre or density.  These density values are meant for comparison purposes only, i.e., relative density.  The numbers come from the squirrels seen during the annual squirrel count.  Since all squirrels will not be out during the brief time a Sector is counted and all squirrels out will not be seen by the observer, we realize that these abundances are gross underestimates of the actual values.  Estimates of actual density in selected cases indicate that real density is approximately 8-10 times relative density.

 Below the tables is a map showing the location of each Sector.  Enlarged maps of individual Sectors can be found by clicking here.  Rankings for 2008 and 2009 can be found by clicking on their year number.

The stated purpose of the squirrel count and the White Squirrel Research Institute is to monitor the abundance and distribution of Brevard’s unusual color variant of the Eastern Gray Squirrel. That sounds very academic. But why should we expect the community to embrace and participate in this annual event and other related studies? Why should you care?

Most of us think of our white squirrels as a curiosity. Certainly they bring us recognition and are the source of civic pride. For some, they bring more tangible benefits. As a tourist attraction they are a direct (souvenirs) and/or indirect (food and lodging) source of revenue. Wouldn’t it be a shame if while we were celebrating our unique critters, they were diminishing in number before our very eyes. That alone is reason to monitor their well being.

But there is a more fundamental reason for monitoring not just the white squirrels but squirrels in general. Squirrels live very intimately and harmoniously with humans. One reason for that is that we both share a preference for woodland/woodlot habitats. Not dense forest, but not open prairie, either. Anthropologists have demonstrated that humans prefer a shaded, park-like environment; one with scattered trees through which they can see distant objects approaching. We can speculate on why this should be so but the point being made here is that this preference is exactly the type of environment tree squirrels occupy. Their whole lives center on mature trees for food, shelter, and refuge from predators. When foraging on the ground, they are wary, always alert for possible threats. The further they can see, the further they will forage from their arboreal retreats but never more than a couple hundred yards. They are more abundant in such woodland habitat than dense forest.

Thus, a healthy squirrel population indicates a healthy park-like habitat, the kind of environment that attracted most of us to Brevard and Transylvania County in the first place. Squirrels are indicator species for forested ecosystems in the same way that certain fish and aquatic insects are indicators of good water quality. Economic and social pressures gradually impinge on this environment in ways that are often difficult to detect in the short term. However, decline in our squirrel population could be viewed as an early warning of habitat degradation giving us time to implement remedial action. As can be seen by comparing the city and surrounding forest in this aerial photograph, there has definitely been habitat fragmentation. The forest has given way to woodland/woodlot, our preferred habitat. But do we wish to “progress” further toward a treeless urban landscape. Squirrels can tell us how far we have traveled in that direction.

Over the last twelve years most of the fluctuation in squirrel abundance can be accounted for by variation in food (hard mast). That is a positive observation. On the other hand, the fact that the percent of the white variant differs widely over different parts of the study area, indicates that there are barriers to mobility. Instead of one large interbreeding population, we have a series of semi-isolated sub-populations. Conservation biologists claim that such subdivisions are unhealthy for species preservation. Are we on the verge of impacting our preferred habitat? Monitoring our resident squirrels, both white and gray, is more than just a curiosity and should be promoted.

If you would like to participate in this or related projects please contact the Heart of Brevard (884-3278 and heartexec@comporium.net) or Bob Glesener, Director, White Squirrel Research Institute (862-3231 and rrglesener@gmail.com) for more information.

If you are participating in this year’s Annual Brevard Squirrel Count, we sincerely thank you!  This survey will help us monitor the distribution and abundance of Brevard’s resident white squirrel population. The data from this year’s count will be available to the public on our website (currently at www.brevardnc.org/research-institute). In the meantime you may wish to examine the website for results of previous counts and other squirrel information.

The entire study area is approximately three square miles following the original city limits with Brevard Middle School to the north, Brevard High School to the south, Brevard Elementary School to the east, and Brevard Music Center to the west. It is divided into 35 Sectors each of which is approximately ~50 acres in size (view study area). You will receive (1) a Brevard road map to help locate your assigned Sector, and (2) a detailed map of your Sector on which to record observations (an example of the former for Sector 19 can be seen by clicking Road Map; detailed Sector maps of the 35 individual Sectors can be accessed here).  In the past we have attempted to carry out the entire count simultaneously (from 8:00-10:00 a.m. on the first three Saturdays of October). That did not prove to be practical. We now prefer to pre-assign Sectors and allow volunteers to select the actual date and time of their observations with the following guidelines:
• Each sector should be counted three times this Fall before Christmas. It is preferable but not necessary to space them approximately one week apart.
• Avoid high traffic hours (for example, 8:00 a.m. near schools during the week or 9:30-12:00 a.m. on Sunday’s near churches).
• If possible, avoid these times: (1) before 8:00 a.m. EDT (2) between noon and 2:00 p.m. EDT (especially on warm sunny days) or (3) after 7:00 p.m. EDT, as squirrels are less active during these times. This should not affect the observed percent white but may lower the sample size making the observations less reliable.
• Avoid unusual weather conditions, especially high winds. Note: squirrels may actually be more active during a light drizzle but it makes for an unpleasant experience for squirrel counters.
• Try to complete your Sector within two hours of the time you begin. This should not be problem if you walk at a leisurely pace stopping only to record observations. Most observers take about one hour per Sector but some Sectors are much larger than others.

 It is our hope that each participating volunteer or organization will complete all three counts for that Sector but any data collected will be welcomed. Ordinarily, only one or two observers are needed to complete each one of the three counts for a given Sector. Therefore, larger organizations are encouraged to accept additional assignments. Once you have an assigned Sector, please designate a contact person. The necessary maps and datasheets will be assembled into a packet and delivered (or otherwise made available) to that person. The contact person would then be responsible for distributing the materials to participating members of your organization and upon completion, returning them to the command center (Heart of Brevard office). Thank you.

Procedure

 During the approximately two hour interval of the count, you should walk the area of the Sector Map one time. Be aware that sometimes there are inaccuracies in the details of the map. Take a moment and plan your path ahead of time. Doubling back may result in some squirrels being counted twice but may be unavoidable. On the second pass, don’t count squirrels of the same color unless you see more of them or they are distinctive in size or markings. Even when not doubling back care must be taken. Squirrels are quirky, changing direction and speed frequently. Particularly in brushy or wooded areas it is sometimes difficult to tell if you are seeing one squirrel whirling about or if the first one flushed out another foraging in the same area. Use your best judgment. We believe these types of errors cancel out in the long run.

Do not be afraid to visit backyards and wooded areas since these are tree squirrels and are rarely found far from mature trees but please do not climb fences or enter other restricted areas. Ask permission when appropriate. Using a clipboard not only makes recording information easier but makes you look “official.” Our experience has been that once people realize what you are doing, you are more than welcome; in fact, being able to “move on” in a timely way may become a problem.

We do not expect to see every squirrel that resides in the study area.  The Count is intended to be a random sample that estimates the % of the white variant.   The larger the sample size and the more complete the count, the more accurate the data will be. Look carefully in areas where you observe nests (if you have time, record the location of the nest on your map with an N), on the ground near (and in) large trees, around feeders, etc., as these are areas that squirrels frequent. Listen for clucking sounds (“chuck, chuck, kwaaaa”) but, obviously, you must see the squirrel to determine if it is white or gray. We understand that:
• Some areas in your assigned Sector will be inaccessible.
• Not all squirrels in your Sector will be out foraging during the time period you select.
• Not all squirrels that are out foraging will not be visible for a variety of reasons (obstructed view, timing, etc.).

We will attempt to account for these factors by other means. Our objective is primarily to estimate the percent of squirrels in the area that are of the white versus gray variety, not to complete a census. To that end, it is just important that you complete as large a sample of your Sector as possible in the allotted time.

After a sighting, record the location of the squirrel on the detailed Sector Map with a W for white or a G for gray. IT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO OBSERVE AND RECORD GRAY SQUIRRELS AS WHITE ONES!   If the squirrel was up in a tree (as opposed to foraging on the ground or posed on the base of the tree trunk), place the W or G over a T.  Only about 10% of squirrels are usually observed in the tree proper.  This may have to do with perceptibility but probably also reflects their actual distribution during diurnal activity.  If you think the squirrel is a juvenile use lower case; however since it is sometimes difficult to distinguish “W” from “w”, please circle the w if it is a white juvenile. If you are uncertain as to whether it is an adult or juvenile, don’t be concerned; just mark “G” or “W”. While this additional information may be useful for future studies, we are not actually distinguishing between adults and juveniles in this count. Record “road kills” on the Sector map with WK or GK and include in your final tally totals (if the same dead squirrel seems to be reported on multiple counts, a correction will be made later).

 If you see a squirrel on an adjacent Sector, you may record its approximate location off the edges of your map BUT DO NOT INCLUDE IT IN THE TALLY TOTALS FOR YOUR SECTOR. If your Sector and an adjacent one are separated by a street, then the midline of the road marks the boundary. If you note any interesting behaviors, predators (including cats, dogs, etc.) that may effect squirrel activity in that area, mark an O (for “Observation”) on the Map and then include a description on the data sheet (use the back if necessary). When you finish your assignment please tabulate the results. THE MOST IMPORTANT ENTRIES ON THE DATASHEET ARE THE TOTAL WHITE AND TOTAL GRAY. Please return all paper work to the command center (Heart of Brevard office) in a timely fashion. If this is not possible, please notify Madrid Zimmerman (884-3278 / heartexec@comporium.net) or Bob Glesener (862-3231 / rrglesener@gmail.com) to make other arrangements (in the meantime, please email us the basic results: Sector, Count #, and # of both white and gray squirrels).

Detailed maps (without the summary table) of the individual 35 Sectors can be found and printed by clicking here.

GLESENER, ROBERT. Associate Professor of Biology, Emeritus, Brevard College. B.S., University of Maryland (Zoology); M.S. (Zoology) and Ph.D. (Biological Sciences), University of Michigan.

 I first heard of Brevard while an undergraduate at the University of Maryland. Southern Appalachia is salamander heaven and I spent my summers in Western North Carolina trail blazing and collecting specimens for a zoology professor. I was hooked. I gave up my prior interest in medicine and psychology and became an ecologist. Even though my research eventually became more theoretical, to this day I cannot resist turning logs and rocks in Pisgah National Forest. The difference is that today I put back everything I catch.

I came to Brevard directly from graduate school at the University of Michigan. My research then dealt with (1) the regional stability of locally unstable predator/prey interactions and (2) the evolution and maintenance of sexual reproduction. During my twenty-six years at Brevard College, I have taught everything from Introductory Biology and Zoology to Ecology and Genetics. Outside the classroom I founded the Commuter Student Association and BC RECYCLES! I also maintained small projects monitoring stream water quality and the salamanders of Moore Cove, Pisgah National Forest.

In 1997, I began a long-term study of Brevard’s white squirrel population, which includes conducting the annual Fall Squirrel Count. Although I have since retired, I continue as Director of the White Squirrel Research Institute under the sponsorship of the Heart of Brevard.   You can contact me at rrglesener@gmail.com   Thanks for your interest (if you could possibly be interested in more about me, click here).