Squirrels

Google search bar indicates that today is Squirrel Appreciation Day. . .
Apart from looking good in the landscape - are there any other reasons to appreciate them -  spreading oak trees maybe, when they fail to find a stash?
What are the thoughts on this topic?

Tree squirrels are rather amazing in how they build their nests all the way up in the trees while many of the other animals shelter under the snow or burrow into the earth. They make their great leaf-wad dreys where the cold winds blow and blow. It is inspiring also as someone interested in inspiration for building in natural wild sources. If I ever find one on the ground it would be interesting to examine and see how it is made.

My friend was telling me that they also make decoy dreys so as to confuse predators. You will see clusters of dreys, two or three in different trees in close-ish proximity and it’s possible that all but one are empty and never were meant for habitation.

In an ecosystem, squirrels have their role much like other animals.

As has been mentioned, their habit of caching away nuts helps their spread and growth. Forgotten bundles of calories also serve as food for other critters. I was reading something once about how squirrels help the spread of certain mushrooms through their consumption and then travel with spores on them. Squirrels also serve as prey for an array of other species that exist higher up on the food chain.

I have fond memories when I was younger of going out on squirrel hunts. While they do not have much meat on the bone, they are a bit of protein that can be sustainably harvested. On a day where someone might not be able to bag a pheasant or deer, certainly there is a squirrel out in the woods that can be appreciated.

I've also heard of folks taking advantage of the fact that squirrels stash away so many nuts, they forget them, by creating what squirrels would see as 'perfect little hidey spots', then when the squirrels have filled them with nuts, they harvest them, for leaching & cooking.

Squirrels also work to some degree, to keep predators' interest off my chickens & ducks. My dad used to keep squirrels in the freezer, as that protein source, and hunting them kept him busy and entertained. As often as not, his  'hunts' were just an excuse to go sit under a tree in the woods, take in some fresh clean air, enjoy the peace & quiet, and watch the squirrels & other wildlife for a few hours.