Welcome to the brand new Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels website! Please have a look around.
Like before, the site is the place to find out about the latest project news, get in touch with the team and of course report your squirrel sightings. However it’s much more than that – scottishsquirrels.org.uk is now home to the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels online Community Hub.
Made possible thanks to National Lottery Players, the Community Hub is an online space where registered users can connect with both the project and other local squirrel enthusiasts. It’s also a tool to help people get more involved in red squirrel volunteering. Anyone can sign up and make an account, and there are different uses depending on your location and interests.
Become an expert squirrel spotter
Last year we received a record-breaking 5300 squirrel sightings on our website. Each sighting is added to a national database, helping us better understand squirrel distribution across Scotland. If you’re a dedicated squirrel spotter, you can now register with the Hub to keep a personal record of your own submitted sightings. Perhaps you want to monitor squirrel populations in your local area, or keep a record of your squirrel sightings as your travel round the country. Either way your data will be contributing to the bigger picture.
To become an expert squirrel spotter, simply create an account with the Community Hub
Become a super squirrel volunteer
If you’ve signed up to volunteer with us, you can use the Hub to manage and view your conservation data more easily. For example, if you’re a grey squirrel control volunteer you can enter all your trapping data online using a handy form; and if you’re a survey volunteer you’ll be able to see your own tetrad results as soon as they appear. Volunteers can also view their red squirrel training record, and keep a record of the number of hours they spend volunteering with us.
We’ll also be adding lots of extra volunteer support to the Hub in the coming months, including how-to guides and videos.
To become a super squirrel volunteer, create a Hub account and sign up to volunteer here.
If you are new to volunteering, a member of staff will be in touch to discuss what opportunities are available. If you are already a SSRS volunteer, we’ll match you with our existing records then send you an invite to join the appropriate volunteer group on the Hub.
Join a red squirrel network
One of the project’s biggest aims is to build networks of volunteers in local communities, with a particular focus on our priority areas in South Scotland. With the Community Hub, each group has their own online space to share information between members and keep track of the collective impact of their efforts.
To find out if there is a red squirrel network near you, visit the Network Directory. You can contact the group’s representatives directly from their Hub page. To request to join a local network, create a Hub account and request to join via the group’s Hub page.
If you live in one of our priority areas and don’t have a group near you, why not start a new one? You might find there are lots of others in your community keen to take action to protect your local red squirrels.
