THE DAILY WIRE · CONNECTICUT · 2026-08-22
State of the Forest: A Positive Report, According to the Porcupines
Connecticut's forests are apparently in better shape these days, and according to local reporting, the state's porcupine population has taken official notice, which this columnist considers about as strong an endorsement as the natural world offers.
Per i95 ROCK, improving forest health across the state has coincided with increased porcupine activity, a species that tends to thrive when tree cover and food sources are abundant. Porcupines are not known for handing out press releases, so their presence functioning as a de facto environmental indicator is, this reporter admits, a fairly elegant system.
This columnist has long held that you can judge the health of an ecosystem by whether its most heavily armored resident feels comfortable wandering around in public. By that metric, Connecticut appears to be doing something right, quietly, without much fanfare, the way most good environmental news tends to happen.
For a second opinion from a fellow forest resident, this reporter consulted Skip Doyle, a local deer known for his opinions on canopy cover and his lingering resentment toward anyone who plants hostas. His read on the porcupines' sudden confidence adds useful, if slightly petty, context.
No porcupines were available for direct comment, on account of generally wanting to be left alone, which this columnist respects enormously. Spun and done.
“Forest's looking better, sure, more shrubs to browse, less humans yelling about their hostas. The porcupines have been struttin' around like they personally replanted the oak trees, but between us, that was mostly the deer ticks doing the real work of keeping people indoors.” — Skip Doyle, local deer
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