Black Squirrel - Mascot and Symbol

Mascot and Symbol

Though black squirrels are common or dominant in many areas of North America, their overall rarity (perhaps as few as 1 in 10,000) has caused many towns, cities, colleges, and universities to take special pride in their populations of black squirrels. Several cities and towns in the United States and one in Canada make efforts to publicly promote their local populations of black squirrels.

• Detroit, Michigan and Lansing, Michigan
• Middletown, Connecticut
• Marysville, Kansas
• Westfield, Massachusetts
• Council Bluffs, Iowa
• London, Ontario
• Kent, Ohio
• Glendale, Ohio
• Charleston, West Virginia

Several colleges and universities in the United States promote the black squirrel as an official or unofficial mascot:

• Haverford College where the black squirrel is the official mascot of varsity athletics
• Kent State University which each year holds a Black Squirrel Festival (located in the Risman Plaza during the second week of September) to honour the university's growing black squirrel population. It features live music, vendors and an overall tribute to the black squirrels seen throughout the campus. Beyond the festival, other businesses and organizations in Kent are named for the black squirrel, including Black Squirrel Brewing Company. and Black Squirrel Books, an imprint of the Kent State University Press.
• At The College of Wooster, the black squirrels have gained a great degree of popularity from the student body and the faculty.
• Albion College where the black squirrel has become a significant symbol on campus
• Sarah Lawrence College where the campus coffee shop is named for the black squirrel. The black squirrel is also used as an unofficial mascot, with the bookstore selling plush squirrels.