When tree crews showed up on Derrick Downey Jr.’s street, he wasn’t about to let them work unchecked. The 33-year-old TikTok star—famous for his hilarious and heartfelt squirrel videos—spent the entire weekend documenting nests, speaking with arborists, and guarding the trees where his beloved animal friends live. It wasn’t a protest—it was a quiet but determined act of care.
Downey, who began filming the squirrels as a way to manage his own mental health during the pandemic, has turned Maxine, Niblet, and Richard into social media icons. His videos mix laughter with lessons about connection and nature. So when city workers arrived to trim trees, he jumped into action—cataloging nests, walking the perimeter, and making sure no critter was left behind. Thanks to his efforts, the work wrapped with no harm done. “When something brings you peace,” he told the crew, “you protect it.”