Building Bunny Brush Piles

New England Cottontails are listed as a “vulnerable” species, due to their declining numbers. Loss of habitat is the primary reason, so Avalonia has been active in helping provide them with space to live. New England Cottontails prefer dense, shrubby thickets close to open fields. The open fields leave them vulnerable to predators, so the USDA and DEEP recommends building bunny brush piles, which are large piles of logs, sticks, and (you guessed it) brush that offer a quick hiding place from hawks and coyotes.

Many thanks to our volunteers who braved the cold and wind in January to build more than a dozen bunny brush piles on the Appleton Preserve in North Stonington! We are grateful for your hard work – and so are the bunnies!