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That sure was a fun adventure, wasn’t it Squeaks?
那真是一次有趣的冒险，不是吗？
We saw all sorts of incredible things on our nature walk!
在我们的自然漫步中，我们看到了各种各样令人难以置信的事情！
I loved seeing all the animals out and about in the snow.
我喜欢看所有的动物在雪地里走来走去。
What was your favorite thing about it, Squeaks?
你最喜欢的是什么，吱吱？
You’re right!
对的!
The big pile of pine cones and pine needles that we found was very exciting!
我们发现了一大堆松果和松针，真令人兴奋！
It looked like it might be fun to play in, like a big pile of leaves.
玩起来可能很有趣，就像一大堆树叶。
But we decided not to.
但我们决定不这么做。
Do you remember why?
你还记得为什么吗？
That’s right!
没错!
That big messy pile was actually hiding something very important to the animals we saw!
那一大堆乱七八糟的东西实际上隐藏了一些对我们看到的动物非常重要的东西！
Do you remember the visitor who came to the pile, Squeaks?
你还记得来那堆东西的访客吗，吱吱？
Yes — we saw a red squirrel!
是的，我们看到了一只红松鼠！
And it was looking for a snack!
它在找零食！
That big pile we found was a midden: a place that red squirrels use to store food, like pine cones, to help them have enough food to eat for the whole winter.
我们发现的那一大堆东西就是泥堆：红松鼠用来储存像松果这样食物的地方，帮助它们有足够的食物来度过整个冬天。
If you looked closely at a pine cone, you would notice little seeds hiding between the scales!
如果你仔细观察松果，你会注意到鳞片之间藏着一些种子！
And there’s not much yummier to a squirrel than pine cone seeds!
对松鼠来说，没有什么比松子更好吃的了！
The midden is kind of like a squirrel refrigerator, because the big pile keeps the pine cones covered up so that the seeds inside the cones stay nice and fresh.
midden有点像松鼠的冰箱，因为大堆的松果会把松果盖起来，这样球果里的种子就会保持完好和新鲜。
And believe it or not, that big pile was created by just one red squirrel at a time!
信不信由你，那一大堆东西是一次只由一只红松鼠创造的！
That pile might contain enough seeds for that squirrel to eat for many years.
那堆种子可能足够那只松鼠吃很多年。
So they take care to protect their midden, because they work extra hard to build it up.
因此，它们会格外小心地保护自己的泥堆，因为它们会格外努力地建造它。
So that’s why it’s a good idea to leave a midden alone if you come across one, so that you don’t accidentally disturb the squirrel’s food source.
所以，这就是为什么如果你遇到一个泥堆，最好不要破坏它，这样你就不会不小心扰乱了松鼠的食物来源。
But, other animals might not follow that rule!
但是，其他动物可能不会遵循这条规则！
Some of them may come and try to steal the tasty treats hidden inside the midden.
一些动物可能会来偷藏在泥堆里的可口食物。
The red squirrels' habitat, or place they live and eat, is a forest.
红松鼠的栖息地，或者说它们生活和进食的地方，是一片森林。
And there are many animals that share their habitat with them.
还有许多动物与它们共享栖息地。
Like birds, and bobcats, and even bears!
比如鸟，山猫，甚至熊！
The squirrels live in a large part of the forest called a territory, where they live and gather food away from other squirrels.
松鼠生活在森林中一大片叫做领地的地方，它们在那里生活，并从其他松鼠那里收集食物。
They put their middens right in the middle of that area, so they can always keep an eye on it!
它们把自己的泥堆放在那个区域的中间，这样它们就可以一直守卫它！
Good question!
问得好！
The squirrels can’t always protect their middens.
松鼠并不总是能保护它们的泥堆。
Sometimes, other animals might still be able to get past them to steal a tasty snack!
有时，其他动物可能仍然能够经过这个地方，偷走美味的食物！
Even big bears like to take the pine cone seeds out of the middens.
即使是大熊也喜欢把松果种子从泥堆里拿出来。
And it’s pretty hard for a small squirrel to fend off a big bear!
对于一只小松鼠来说，要击退一只大熊是相当困难的！
You’re right!
对的!
The squirrel worked really hard to save up all that food, so maybe it doesn’t seem fair for other animals to steal it.
这只松鼠真的很努力地积攒了所有的食物，也许其他动物偷它们的食物是不公平的。
But even though it may seem a little rude for animals to take those seeds, middens are very important, because they help many animals living in the forest to survive.
但是，尽管对于动物来说拿走这些松子可能看起来有点粗鲁，但泥堆是非常重要的，因为它们帮助许多生活在森林中的动物生存下来。
The squirrel helps out lots of creatures by building middens!
松鼠通过建造泥堆帮助了很多生物！
That’s a great question, Squeaks!
这是个很好的问题，吱吱！
Scientists have studied middens a lot and have found that some animals may take food from squirrel middens.
科学家们对泥堆进行了大量的研究，发现一些动物可能会从松鼠的泥堆中拿走食物。
But there are lots of other uses for them too!
但是它们还有很多其他的用途！
Martens will snuggle up in the piles to keep themselves warm from the cold winter temperatures.
貂会依偎成一团取暖，以抵御寒冷的冬季。
Scientists have counted lots of birds and other seed-eating creatures hanging around middens.
科学家们统计了大量的鸟类和其他生物，它们以种子为食，在泥堆周围徘徊。
They all know that sticking close to a midden is a great chance for a free meal!
他们都知道，贴近一只泥堆是免费用餐的绝佳机会！
And other creatures that don’t eat seeds, like bobcats, will hang around middens trying to catch a bird or another small animal to eat.
而其他不吃种子的生物，如山猫，会在泥堆周围徘徊，试图抓到一只鸟或另一种小动物吃。
You’re right, that is a little scary.
对，确实有点吓人。
But the bobcats need food too.
但是山猫也需要食物。
The middens serve as an important place for lots of animals to come for food and shelter.
泥堆是许多动物前来觅食和避难的重要场所。
What’s amazing is that the squirrels can help out so many kinds of animals just by gathering food for themselves.
令人惊讶的是，松鼠仅仅通过为自己采集食物就可以帮助这么多种动物。
A species like that, that helps lots of other animals survive, is what scientists call a keystone species.
像这样的物种，帮助许多其他动物生存下来，就是科学家们所说的关键物种。
A keystone is a special part of a stone arch that helps hold the whole thing up.
拱心石是石拱上的一个特殊部分，可以帮助支撑整个建筑。
So a keystone species is a species that helps many creatures in its habitat!
因此，关键物种是帮助其栖息地中的许多生物的物种！
What do you think would happen if squirrels didn’t build middens?
你认为如果松鼠不建泥堆会发生什么？
Right.
对。
The martens would have to go somewhere else for shelter, and the birds, bears, and bobcats would have to look somewhere else for food.
貂将不得不去别处避难，而鸟、熊和山猫将不得不在别处寻找食物。
Just by gathering food for themselves, the squirrels might be benefiting lots of different animals and making the forest better for everyone!
仅仅通过为自己收集食物，松鼠就可能使许多不同的动物受益，并使森林对每个人都更好！
And that’s pretty great, don’t you think?
这真是太棒了，你不觉得吗？
So it’s super important for scientists to study keystone species like the red squirrel, so they get a better idea of the best way to protect them and the ecosystem they support!
因此，对科学家来说，研究像红松鼠这样的关键物种是极其重要的，这样他们才能更好地了解保护它们和它们所支持的生态系统的最佳方式！
Can you think of other animals who store food like the red squirrel does with its middens?
你能想到其他像红松鼠那样储藏食物的动物吗？
What about another creature that is super important to the ecosystem that it lives in?
另一种对它生活的生态系统非常重要的生物呢？
Thanks for joining us today.
感谢观看。
And if you want to keep learning with me, Squeaks, and all our friends, be sure to subscribe and we’ll see you next time, here at the Fort.
如果你想继续和我、吱吱以及我们所有的朋友一起学习，一定要订阅我们的视频，我们下期见，沃斯堡等你哦。
