LINCOLN PARK — When Caroline Novak first approached the man with a satchel stuffed with exotic and expensive nuts, she did so politely, curious about why squirrels in Lincoln Park deserved such fancy food.
At this point, about a month ago now, Novak and other neighbors had seen the freelance feeders dropping hazelnuts and other top-shelf snacks for at least two years. People reported seeing multiple workers walking around the lawn delicately decorating the dirt at the foot of the tall oaks and elms with peanuts and pecans.
The feeding frenzy has caused more harm than good, neighbors say. The nuts being left and fed to the squirrels has caused an untenable rat infestation in Lincoln Park and is being carried out by a billionaire family that has a long history of funding climate denialism…