By John Weare, Keep Alliance Beautiful
ALLIANCE, Neb. - Pumpkins lined the walkway to our house until the day after Thanksgiving morning. At this point we carted off at least five of what had been nearly perfect orange orbs a fortnight before. Granted one had begun to rot, and the rest . . . let’s just say the squirrels had their Thanksgiving feast early.
Holiday decorations constructed from recyclable materials, or reusing anything at home rather than buying armloads of fresh decorations from the dollar store is a green practice I have mentioned before. How to responsibly retire perishable decorations was not really on my radar this season until I noticed the first bites out of our pumpkins mid-November. I am no Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, yet it took no time to deduce that the squirrels (the one who lives in our maple tree and at least one buddy, probably more) discovered our pumpkins are tasty. They seem to coordinate with the backyard birds to sample our apple tree’s fruit every autumn though this is a first for front-yard pumpkins. Three neighbors on this end of the block also had non-jack-o-lantern pumpkins on their front steps with no squirrel bites in sight.
Often by early October pumpkins begin popping up in front yards in Box Butte County and most communities throughout America whether your bent tends to be toward Halloween or simply creating a fall decor. Fairly fresh jack-o-lanterns can still be fed to livestock following the holiday. In our brainstorming session at a Keep Nebraska Beautiful conference one affiliate’s director detailed an event to collect unwanted pumpkins after Halloween. Goats at a local farm dined on what had been creative and scary components of the celebration.
Composting is another option for what started as an intimidating jagged-tooth face before resembling a toothless old man a week or so later. Unopened pumpkins that have not been damaged by cold temperatures can always find their way into pies and other yummy treats with the leftover flesh frozen for later. Not a pumpkin fan? Goats, pigs and other critters would enjoy these pumpkins as well.
Personally, I enjoyed seeing the squirrels’ method. First, a few bites from the farthest from the house on the side of “their” tree, then the next one. The depressions grew larger and deeper yet did not pierce the cavity. It seemed the outer layer – not the seeds, appealed to their taste buds. The process continued with several pumpkins. A tallish one looked like an artist had been prepping for a 3D piece as the fluffy-tailed gluttons left a nearly see through lattice.
Wildlife photography was not in the cards to capture the constant dine and dash – no game camera, no tripod ready at the front window. Instead we just watched the pumpkins, grown by a rural Hemingford farmer – serve as an unexpected squirrel feeder.
Even relocated to a more suitable location before Thanksgiving company arrived, I suspect they will still find the buffet with leftovers destined for the compost pile.
For Thanksgiving 2025 I add to memories of family, food and fellowship a scene returning from church the Sunday before: A now heavy-set squirrel holding a chunk of pumpkin in his paws paid little attention as I parked in the driveway. He (she?) did not move until I opened the car door after watching for perhaps half a minute. Walking into the house I looked up. He had laid down on the branch hosting our children’s swing like your uncle on the sofa watching football after Thanksgiving dinner not moving a muscle as I shut the front door.