…volunteers towards the eradication of Aberdeen’s island grey squirrel population, and preventing the spread of grey squirrels into Aberdeenshire from the central lowlands. Emma is based out of one of our project partner offices in the City. Contact: esheehy@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk Felix Sanchez-Bishop: Conservation Officer for Argyll, The Trossachs & Stirling Felix is the new Conservation Officer for Argyll, the… […]
…ambitious aim of the 5-Year ‘Developing Community Action’ phase and the 2-year ‘Transition’ phase was to set up and equip a network of volunteer groups in South Scotland capable of independently taking forward red squirrel conservation in the region, with the help of some central SSRS co-ordination. We have been amazed at the success of the 17 volunteer red squirrel… […]
…and equip a network of volunteer groups in South Scotland capable of independently taking forward red squirrel conservation in the region, with the help of some central SSRS co-ordination. We have been amazed at the success of the 17 volunteer red squirrel networks across South Scotland, covering almost the whole footprint of the project’s Priority Areas for Red squirrel Conservation,… […]
…can move and adapt. 30 by 30 – the plan to increase the area of land that is protected or managed for nature to 30% by 2030. Nature Targets – the plan to set legal targets for nature that the government has to meet. National Parks – the plan to designate at least one new National Park in Scotland by… […]
…squirrels were still absent from much of their former range across the north-western highlands. Trees for Life aims to create 14 new reintroduced populations of red squirrels in the area, with 10 of these already carried out and doing well. It is aimed that by the end of the project, all possible suitable sites for reintroductions will have had red… […]
…of practice! So, a combination of skills acquired ‘on the job’, happened to equip me well for my current role as a volunteer for the cause of red squirrels here. Within the network of networks that is the Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland, there must be people with many different backgrounds and experience: teachers for all ages, website editors,… […]
…project’s spring surveys in both 2020 and 2021. These annual systematic surveys, which used baited squirrel-hair sampling boxes at over 200 specific locations, provided robust distribution data for both red and grey squirrels that was invaluable for comparing the fortunes of squirrels from year-to-year. Project Manager Dr Mel Tonkin said: “Without the spring survey data, we need the help of… […]
…Scottish Squirrel Group have been tasked with drafting an ambitious 50-year vision for red squirrel conservation in Scotland. The revised Strategy will cover a 10-year timeline (2025 – 2035) informed by this vision, and will be developed using the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Guidelines for Species Conservation Planning, the gold standard for species conservation planning which… […]
…in range and density partially due to over 70 homes hosting grey squirrel traps in their gardens. Additionally, the wider Scottish public contributed via the annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey, with an average of over 1800 squirrel sightings reported between 2019 and 2021. With only a year left in the current two-year Transition Phase of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, the… […]
…the challenges of the pandemic, it has been decided that the Spring Survey will not be returning in 2021 due to the uncertainty of ongoing restrictions. With an incomplete dataset from this year’s survey, an annual Spring Survey Report for 2020 will not be produced, however we will aim to make use of returned samples where possible. Please see the… […]
