Secrets of a squirrel whisperer

Between the shuffle of unending classes, students will drag their feet around UTD’s largely brutalist architecture. Yet, in the small grassy fields scattered around campus, a few small, furry friends stand in contrast to an otherwise concrete jungle. 

UTD’s squirrel population has attracted great attention from students and staff alike. For psychology senior Michelle Beakley, the squirrels have become something of a fascination. Beakley created @utdsquirrels_, an Instagram account committed to posting photos and videos of campus squirrels. Her connection to UTD’s tree-hopping wildlife stretches back years. 

“This all started around the spring semester of my freshman year,” Beakley said. “I was eating lunch outside in a secluded spot and this squirrel was looking at my cashews so earnestly. It was begging for food, and so I was like, ‘Here you go!’ Then, it just became a routine for me. I just started posting about it on my Instagram because I got some cute pictures.” 

Modern appreciation of campus wildlife could not have come without decades of nature-based ecosystem planning. In 2006, UTD was infamously voted “Ugliest Campus in Texas,” prompting a privately-funded beautification effort across the 2010s. Since then, the addition of 116 magnolia trees and ongoing conservation efforts turned UTD into a viable ecosystem for small critters. However, not everywhere on campus is welcoming to squirrels. 

“The TI Plaza used to be a good place, but I feel like now that there’s construction for the new Student Union … and they now have a lot less space,” Beakley said. “So, they’re more territorial. They’re more likely to fight each other than to be like, ‘Hey, where’s my food?’” 

For those aspiring to chase squirrels, Beakley has a few suggestions. First, one must find a “more comfortable” location, like the Student Union Mall or the Love Jack grass south of the Administration Building. Then, one must wait. 

“My number one thing is patience,” Beakley said. “When I first started, they didn’t want to get too close to me. It took a long time for them to get comfortable. And some squirrels just never want to get too close, no matter how much time you spend with them. You have to remember not every squirrel is the same; we have introverts and extroverts among us people, and it’s kind of the same with squirrels.” 

The rewards of such squirrel searches are bountiful. For Beakley, it is capturing photos of perfectly positioned squirrels, digitally building a community of likeminded followers and, particularly, gifting fun nicknames to identify repeat visitors. 

“I like to name the squirrels, both female and male, after members of girl groups and boy bands,” Beakley said. “I named [Dara] after Sandara Park from the K-pop girl group 2NE1. There was another squirrel I was close with; I named her Perrie after Perrie Edwards from Little Mix. It’s an ongoing theme I have. I know it’s cheesy, but I think it’s cute.” 

Though construction may reshape the campus’s concrete landscape, the squirrels will adapt, ensuring that pockets of furry, lively chaos remain for generations of students.