News and Blogs

  Gala Men’s Shed, part of the Men’s Shed network across Scotland, put their impressive array of tools and woodworking skills to good use in aid of red squirrel conservation.   A small team of Shed members made a whopping 83 feeder boxes for Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels’ annual squirrel survey. Saws and screws at the ready, they turned all the wood into feeder boxes in only 2 days! The squirrel survey is carried out each spring during March and April. It’s a huge undertaking, only possible with the efforts of volunteers. There are 115 survey sites across south Scotland, and each survey site needs four feeder boxes. Feeder boxes are cleaned and re-used most of the time, but we still need to replace around 20% each year as they get chewed to bits by hungry squirrels. Each feeder box has a bit of sticky Velcro on the lid of the box, so when a squirrel opens the box to get to the food, it leaves a sample of hair on the sticky pad. These hair samples are then analysed under a microscope to determine which species of squirrels are in the area. All this information allows us to track long-term changes in squirrel distribution. It doesn’t give us any idea of how many squirrels are in an area, just which species of squirrel is found there. Without the hard work of the gents of Gala Men’s Shed, our annual spring survey would be much harder to organise. And it’s not just Gala Men’s Shed that is getting in on the action. Dalbeattie Men’s Sh ...

  Yesterday we published our 2018 squirrel survey report. It concluded that while red squirrel populations are stable in most parts of Scotland, in the south they continue to be threatened by disease and competition from the spread of non-native grey squirrels.   Many papers have reported that our survey only detected 59 red squirrels in South Scotland – a very alarming figure! However, our survey isn’t designed to count squirrel numbers, it’s designed to help us understand how red and grey squirrel distribution is changing over time. In the report, 59 was quoted as the number of locations in the south of Scotland that were surveyed in both 2017 and 2018, and could therefore be compared. The figure isn’t linked to squirrel numbers, or squirrel distribution.   What does the spring survey tell us? Each year between March and April, staff and volunteers monitor four feeder boxes placed within a 2km square called a ‘tetrad’. Hair samples are collected from the feeder boxes at two-week intervals, which are then analysed under a microscope to determine the species. This gives us a good indication of whether that tetrad contains red squirrels, grey squirrels, both species, or no squirrels. Of course, in one year a feeder box may not be visited by every species in the area, but when compared over the course of many years, this landscape-scale approach to monitoring can provide a strong indication of how both species are faring. By und ...

  Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has published the results of its 2018 annual survey, which indicate that while most of Scotland’s red squirrel populations remain stable, populations in southern Scotland remain under threat.   Since 2011, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has been monitoring squirrel populations in the parts of the country where red squirrels are most threatened by the spread of non-native grey squirrels. Grey squirrels, which were introduced to Britain from North America in the 19th Century, out-compete red squirrels for resources, and can also carry squirrelpox, a virus that doesn't harm them but is deadly to reds. Previous survey results have indicated that red squirrel populations in the project’s focal areas had stabilised, a sign that with continued effort from conservationists and volunteers, the decline of Scotland’s core red squirrel populations can be halted. 2018’s survey results again make optimistic reading regarding the future of red squirrels in North East Scotland and the Central Lowlands. In southern Scotland, however, while the proportion of survey sites detecting red squirrels has remained constant, the number of sites with a grey squirrel presence has significantly increased, suggesting that grey squirrels are continuing to move into what was previously “red only” territory. Although red and grey squirrels can live side by side for a short period of time, in most wooded landscapes, grey squirrels will ...

  When squirrelpox first arrived in the south of Scotland in 2005, there were fears that the virus would prove devastating to the region's red squirrels. The project was also concerned that without conservation action the virus would continue to spread north towards Scotland's core red squirrel populations in the Highlands. Prof Andy White of Heriot-Watt University and Dr Peter Lurz of Edinburgh University explain how mathematical modelling has helped Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels develop a strategy for protecting red squirrels in both the Central Lowlands and South Scotland.   Mathematics seems perhaps an unlikely tool to help save red squirrels in Scotland, yet for the last five years it has been an integral part of Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland conservation efforts. Our knowledge of squirrel reproduction, dispersal, mortality, competition and squirrelpox transmission allows us to create mathematical models that simulate how red and grey squirrel populations change over time. The models can be combined with satellite maps of forest and squirrel habitat distribution to determine, for example, the spread and impact of squirrelpox virus on red squirrel populations in real Scottish landscapes. The approach has been pioneered by Prof. Andy White and his team at Heriot-Watt University, and the models are a cost-effective approach to guide and help maximise the success of conservation efforts. To date th ...

  Monitoring Officer Nina Schönberg explains how we use camera traps to survey squirrels in Aberdeenshire, often with entertaining results!   On top of our regular hair sample-based surveys, in the North East we also run a camera-trapping survey in specially selected woodlands. Camera Traps (or Trail Cameras) are designed to detect movement and changes in temperature (i.e. body heat) in order to capture pictures of wildlife in their natural habitat without disturbing them, thus allowing the recording of natural behaviors. Most cameras let you choose between photos and video recording, and select the intervals between which photos will not be taken. In the North East, we use them in association with a specially designed camera box, which was developed by the James Hutton Institute. With the camera attached to the other end of the box, accompanied by a macro lens and with the box filled with feed in front of the camera, we’re able to capture beautiful close-up photos of any animal that comes to investigate! The set up of Bushnell cameras we use for our surveying. The flash is covered to avoid over-exposure   The cameras also take high quality pictures at night-time (here is a red squirrel, easily recognised from the ear tufts)   We place the cameras high up (>3m) in the trees and leave them for two weeks, visiting halfway through to top up the feed (peanuts and maize). While this is done to ensure that any animal that lives in t ...

  Laura Preston, the new Scottish Borders Conservation Officer for Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, is calling on locals to help the project by reporting sightings of both red and grey squirrels online.   Laura joins Community Engagement Officer Alexa Seagrave in the project’s new regional office near Newton St Boswells. They will be working with landowners and volunteers to protect red squirrels in Scottish Borders priority areas by managing the spread of invasive grey squirrels. Building up strong networks of volunteers will be essential to ensuring the red squirrel’s long-term survival in the region, and emerging community groups in areas such as Upper Teviotdale & Borthwick Water are already beginning to play a vital role. The project’s Grey Squirrel Officers are also working on the ground to control grey squirrel numbers in the areas where this action will have a positive impact on red squirrel populations. One way that everyone can help is to report sightings of both red and grey squirrels on the project website, scottishsquirrels.org.uk. Dr Mel Tonkin, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Project Manager said: “Conservationists have been monitoring squirrel populations across Scotland since 2004. Sightings from the public are important because they help us measure the impact of our work and decide where to focus our efforts. “Our 2018 sightings map currently shows that while there are still places in the Scottish Borders with he ...

  The Scottish Wildlife Trust has awarded Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels volunteer Rob Asbridge the "Rusty Bog" Volunteer Award for all the hard work he has put into helping to protect the red squirrels in his area; including the construction of a community base and red squirrel hide for the local community to enjoy and value their local red squirrels.   Rob is the Chair of the Kirkcudbright Red Squirrel Group, which was formed in the early summer of 2018 to bring together local people keen to protect their local red squirrels. The Group currently has around 30 members, who are kept busy with a number of tasks including survey work, habitat management, grey squirrel control and spreading awareness of the plight of the red squirrel by running educational events for families and children. They work in conjunction with the Barhill Community Woodland Project; a community initiative under the umbrella of the Kirkcudbright Development Trust, to improve the woodland for both people and wildlife. Rob was presented with his award by Scottish Wildlife Trust Chair Dr Linda Rosborough   Rob arranged for a red squirrel hide and Community Base to be built in Barhill Wood, which overlooks the town of Kirkcudbright. It is hoped that this will raise awareness of red squirrels in the town and will encourage local children to get involved in the conservation of the species. The community base is open to all local community groups to use as a base for their ow ...

  If you volunteer with us in South Scotland, you may have noticed a lot of coming and going amongst our project staff in recent months. Here’s a handy guide to who they are, where they are based and what they’ll be up to in the coming months and years.   The Scottish Borders Laura Preston: Conservation Officer Laura is the latest addition to the SSRS team, replacing Ann-Marie MacMaster who has returned to her original role as Conservation Officer for Tayside. Laura joins us from the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve, where she was Ranger for eight years. In her new role she’ll be working with landowners and volunteers to ensure there is a strategic and effective approach to grey squirrel control across the Scottish Borders. Contact: lpreston@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk   Alexa Seagrave: Community Engagement Officer (part-time) Alexa has recently changed roles, having previously worked as Conservation Officer for the region. Her new focus is on engaging with local communities and volunteers in the region’s priority areas; attending events, organising volunteer training and helping to establish new red squirrel volunteer networks in the Scottish Borders. Contact: aseagrave@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk   Scottish Borders Office Unit 4, Tweed Horizons Centre, Newtown St Boswells, Melrose, TD6 0SG Tel: 01835823054   South West Scotland Dr Stephanie Johnstone: Conservat ...

  The first ‘Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland’ conference took place in Johnstonebridge on Saturday 27 October, bringing together the many volunteer groups and individuals working to protect red squirrels across the region.   The event was a significant step in our collective efforts to develop landscape-scale community action across South Scotland, which is recognised as being key to the species’ long-term future here. Representatives from nine volunteer networks attended, covering areas from Gatehouse of Fleet in the west to the Berwickshire coast in the east. The gathering offered a chance for volunteers to share their knowledge, experiences and ideas, as well as motivate and inspire one another. On the day we also heard presentations about Cumbria and Northumberland, where some of the only remaining red squirrel populations in England are being successfully conserved through a strong network of volunteer groups, some of which have been operating for as long as three decades. We envisage that a similar level of coverage and cooperation can be achieved in South Scotland to provide the protection that these inter-connected red squirrel populations need to survive. © Peter Garson   So what’s next for the Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland? Firstly, the event provided an opportunity to reflect on the strengths and achievements of the existing volunteer networks, most notably: Through targeted grey squirrel control wor ...

  This week Royal Bank of Scotland unveiled the design of its new polymer £20 banknote, which will be in circulation from 2020.   The note’s front side features famous Glaswegian tearoom owner and Mackintosh collaborator Catherine Cranston. It’s great to see Miss Cranston receive well-earned recognition as a pioneer of female entrepreneurship, the first woman other than the Queen to appear on a Scottish twenty. However it was the note’s other side that we were keenly awaiting here at Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels. The design is part of the RBS ‘Fabric of Nature’ series, which began in the sea (£5, mackerel), moving on to the coast (£10, otters), and is now heading into the forest. A few of us had known for a while that red squirrels would have a starring role in this design. Our Project Manager Dr Mel Tonkin provided the design team with her red squirrel expertise, helping to create an image that was scientifically accurate while maintaining its illustrative charm. Of course, this whole process had to be kept top secret! The scene depicted on the note will be familiar to anyone who is lucky enough to have red squirrels regularly visiting their garden: a spiralling mating chase, most often seen in late winter or early spring. Mel was particularly keen that the squirrels’ claws were given some attention to detail, highlighting their perfect adaptation to life in the treetops. The red squirrel has come to be regarded as a quintes ...