Bryn Mawr Man's Squirrel Picnic Tables Bring Joy Amid Coronavirus

BRYN MAWR, PA — The new coronavirus has had hard impacts on many working Americans' lives, leaving many wondering when they will work again, how will they pass time, and when the next paycheck will come in.

Rick Kalinowski of Bryn Mawr found a unique way to ease those anxieties while giving people across the country a way to find joy amid an uncertain time.

Kalinowski, 43, is a plumber and HVAC contractor whose work came to a halt when the COVID-19 virus hit the Philadelphia region.

Like many workers, he wondered when regular life would resume.

The Delaware County native tells Patch he always took photos and videos of squirrels in his yard and shared the footage to social media.

But without contracts to take up his time, he decided to build a picnic table for the squirrels that frequent his property.

Using scraps from a deck he built, Kalinowski made a mini picnic table for the furry visitors after seeing a similar project online about a year or so ago, he said.

"I built it from my head and it makes for a great photo opportunity," he said.

And like his other photos and videos, Kalinowski shared shots of squirrels on the bench to social media.

Then came the requests from other to have their own squirrel benches.

"I had about 46 people say they wanted one," he said.

He agreed and took payments via Venmo, PayPal, and CashApp from those who wanted Kalinowski to build them benches.

Then, Kalinowski's husband suggested an Etsy online store where Kalinowski could market and sell his benches.

They got the store online, set up and LLC, and Squirrelly Treasure Co. was born.

"Within 48 hours [of setting up the Etsy store] I had 300 orders," he said.

Kalinowski has gotten orders from locals in the Philly region, but thanks to viral social media posts and international attention, he is getting orders from as far as Texas and California.

He's still making most of the benches himself, but his family has chipped in to help fulfill orders.

Available on his Etsy store are constructed benches of various woods, DIY kits with wood and hardware to make your own, replacement feeding bowls, and an even more complex DIY kit that includes templates and full instructions on how to cut your own wood and assemble the final product.

And in addition to being a new source of income for Kalinowski and his husband, the tables have inspired others to take up hobbies and has brought some people back to hobbies they used to enjoy.

Kalinowski said he's also donated the table plans to organizations such as women’s shelters and cancer centers to give so those organizations can provide education and entertainment for the people they serve.

Overall, the tables have given people a bit of happiness and levity during a trying time when we are staying home to prevent the virus's spread.

"It's going to bring a lot of joy," he said of the tables' ability to draw in fuzzy critter to watch. "I don't think it will die down."

Kalinowski said it has been a blessing in disguise.

Check out Kalinowski's Etsy store here.