The Great Summer Rush of Wild Babies

Pull up a chair to the patio table, crack open something cold, and look out at the tree line. It’s peak summer in the Berkshires. The farm stands in Otis are bursting with fresh berries, the garden tomatoes you’ve been pampering are finally stretching toward the sun, and the evening air smells like campfires and pine.

It feels like the whole county is collectively exhaling after a long winter. But if you listen closely to the woods right now, you aren't hearing a relaxing vacation. You’re hearing a frantic, 24/7 corporate boardroom meeting.

Welcome to Baby Season.

While we are busy planning weekend paddleboarding trips or deciding which local craft brew to stock the cooler with, our wild neighbors are working triple shifts. It is peak nesting, hatching, and rearing season, and the local woods are absolutely teeming with a brand-new, highly uncoordinated generation of wildlife. And frankly? The kids are causing chaos.

The Midnight Demolition Derby & The Lawn Mower Dilemma

If you’ve ever tried to herd toddlers, you have a mild understanding of what a mother opossum or raccoon goes through on a Tuesday night. Right now, adolescent raccoons are discovering the concept of gravity by falling out of low-hanging branches. Opossum teenagers are falling off their mother’s back like loose cargo on the Mass Pike. Meanwhile, Eastern box turtles are embarking on slow, existential vision quests that unfortunately involve trying to cross busy backroads just to lay their eggs in a sunny patch of dirt.

Because we share this gorgeous landscape so closely with them, summer means our paths cross constantly. This is the time of year when local wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians trade their sleep schedules for an endless cycle of tiny syringes, heating pads, and specialized formulas.

A lot of these orphaned or injured little guys end up in rehab centers because of very normal human summer activities. A routine lawn-mowing session suddenly turns up a hidden nest of eastern cottontails. A driveway landscaping project accidentally disturbs a family of chipmunks. Or a midday drive down Route 8 requires a sudden, heart-stopping brake check for a mother duck and her trail of ducklings.

The rehabbers and vets we work alongside are the true unsung heroes of a New England summer. They are the ones answering the 6:00 AM phone calls that start with, "So, my cat brought me something, and I think it's a baby squirrel, 

Supporting these local wildlife champions doesn't mean you have to transform your own backyard into an animal hospital (in fact, the pros prefer you leave the actual medical care to the licensed experts!). It just means practicing a little "coexistence etiquette" while you enjoy your deck this season:

• The Pre-Mow Inspection: Before you fire up the mower to maintain that pristine summer lawn, take a quick five-minute stroll through the high grass. Look for small, fur-lined depressions in the ground—that’s classic rabbit territory.

• The Turtle Escort: If you see a turtle trying to cross the road, and it is safe for you to pull over, always move them in the direction they were already heading. If you put them back where they started, they will literally just turn right back around and try again. They are stubborn like that.

• Secure the Midnight Buffet: Your string-lit deck is gorgeous, but don't leave the leftover barbecue scraps or open trash bins out overnight. The local "Night Shift" clean-up crew will view it as a personal invitation to an all-you-can-eat after-hours afterparty.

Let's Raise a Glass for the Golden Hour

When the sun finally dips below the hills and the fireflies begin their nightly show, the Berkshires are alive with a chorus of frogs, crickets, owls and howls. Whether you’ve lived in these hills for generations or you’re just passing through for a weekend escape, we all share a deep love for the wild spirit of this county. So tonight, as you look out at the dark tree line, take a moment to appreciate our busy, chaotic neighbors. By practicing just a little extra mindfulness, we can ensure that our woods stay vibrant, wild, and welcoming for generations to come.

Cheers to sharing the summer stage. 🍷